Once upon a time, there was a school principal who was the parish priest as well. He used to feel that it was his bounden duty to herd his flock, including the unruly school children on to the path to salvation. He was very patient but also very strict in administering justice.
The principal lived next to the school compound. In his backyard was a mango tree full of delicious mangoes. Some were ripe, but the unripe ones were more attractive to the school children. The principal had issued strict edicts regarding trespassing. But despite his frequent sermons every day to the children regarding coveting thy neighbour’s mangoes, the pious father found to his amazement, the number of mangoes on the tree dwindling day by day. In exasperation he asked his peon to keep a close watch over the tree during recess hours and if possible to nab the culprits.
Unaware of the set up, the children, a set led by the group captain, lets say, Ashok, decided to pluck the delicious fruits during recess. Ashok clambered up the tree faster than a squirrel and started plucking the forbidden fruit and delivering some to his associates. The peon promptly pounced on the group. Some ran away but the dedicated ones pretended that no one was up the tree. But that could not fool the peon and he ordered them to come down. The group simply refused to obey and when the peon left to report the crime to the principal, they returned to their respective classrooms, crestfallen, thinking of the dire consequences awaiting their leader.
In the evening, the principal sent word through the peon and the group lined up in his office room as though awaiting their turn towards the gallows.
The leader had assured them that at the maximum, he would only be dismissed and no one need expect a beheading for this crime. Still apprehensions were writ large on their gloomy faces and they, like the true apostles of Jesus, were even prepared to vow that their leader had not even touched the forbidden mango tree.
The principal started the proceedings. There was pin drop silence in the office room.
“Ashok, did you climb up the tree and pluck the mangoes?”
Expectant faces of the conspirators prepared themselves to vouch for their leader’s innocence. The leader hesitated to answer the question. The principal again put forth the very same question in a more serious tone as if to emphasise the gravity of the offence. Ashok had no choice but to answer. Ending the suspense, he said,
“I did, sir”
There was consternation writ large on the conspirators. But the peon did not hide his evil smile as he had earlier felt belittled by the way Ashok had ignored him when the crime was detected.
“Don’t you know that the mangoes do not belong to you?”
“I do, sir”
“Then why did you pluck the fruits?”
“I am sorry, sir. Please forgive me” Ashok replied, rather to end the ordeal as early as he can.
“Sure, Ashok, I will pardon you, but peon, bring me the cane”
Those were the days when corporeal punishment was the accepted norm, not only in the school, but in the household too. The peon with a vicarious smile, presented the long menacing cane to the principal immediately, He very much wanted the leader to be awarded the maximum sentence and hence had come prepared with the cane, to the court room.
“Show me your hand, Ashok” said the principal, rising from his chair.
“Forgive me, father”, repeated Ashok, faintly hoping that his mercy petition would yield some result.
“Sure, Ashok, I will, but show me your hand”, said the principal.
Ashok stoically held out his left hand. The principal with the usual rhythm and force administered six whacks on his hand, bringing wincing grimaces on the conspirators’ fallen faces.
“Now Ashok, show me the other hand” said the principal,
Ashok held out his right hand as well and promptly received another six cuts, making the total number to twelve. The principal laid the cane on the table, resumed his seat and called out to Ashok.
”Come here, my child. I have pardoned you.”
One could see the expressions of weariness in the eyes of the leader and of relief on the faces of the conspirators. The peon wore a sadistic smile.
The principal said, “Ashok, the principal has punished the naughty boy for his mischief, but the priest has pardoned him. If you are naughty once again, the principal would again punish you, but I will still pardon you. OK? Now be a good boy and go home”
The court adjourned, and it is the end of the parable.
Now children, let us reflect for a while on the whole episode.
Who is the sinner in this affair?
Ashok is not the sinner since he has admitted to his crime and begged forgiveness. The conspirators are not the sinners since they offered to give false evidence only to save their leader without any other malafide intentions. The principal had not sinned because he has only administered justice and have even pardoned the culprit.
Here, it is none other than the peon who is the true sinner. His duty was just to apprehend the culprit and report to the principal. He, as we have seen has harbored hatred towards Ashok and he had a sadistic intention to see him awarded the maximum punishment and thus also had the instrument of punishment ready even before the trial began.
There are quite a few things to learn from this parable
When you sit in judgement be very impersonal. It is an onerous task. Whatever be the situation, approach each and every case with detachment. If it is in the household, or in your office, or in a society, whenever you award a punishment let it not bear any sort of malice towards the offence or the offender.
This is what Bhagavad Gita teaches you. Arjuna during the Mahabharata war had to kill so many of his teachers and close relatives and acquaintances. This he performed without any trace of malice in his mind, after he imbibed the divine knowledge from Lord Krishna. You will probably learn more of it in due course as you get older and wiser. Remember the old adage? “To err is human; to forgive is divine”
That brings me to the social relevance of the story
You hear quite a lot of debate regarding abolishment of Capital Punishment. Remember what the principal did in the story. He awarded the punishment promptly and then he FORGAVE the offender. The learned judges after studying every aspect of the case award punishments based on the penal code: imprisonment of 10 yrs or 14 yrs or as in the
In this context, it is also important to note that our media, of late, has been donning the role of prosecutor, judge and the executioner. Their duty is to report the news in as unbiased a manner as possible. Instead, the moment a crime takes place they point out the culprits with scant evidence and with ulterior motives and then form the public opinion and bay for the blood. The society has similarly entrusted certain limited duties to the Police. Whenever a crime happens, the police is asked to investigate it and report the details to the Court of Law. They can employ legitimate methods to nab the culprits. They are in no way expected to sit in judgement or to mete out punishments. If they do it, they are as culpable as the Peon in our story. It is nauseating. It is time we realize how gullible we are and how ill equipped we are to sit in judgement. For that we have a separate agency: The Court of Law. Let none trespass on sacred territory not even the media.
