Encountering Courage

A few days back, a prominent social activist A.D. Babu from Bangalore was brutally assassinated with swords and knives, in broad daylight, on a national highway, in full view of his companions. The murderers got away and have remained at large despite eye witnesses providing full information and being willing to identify the culprits.

Mr. Babu was fighting, amongst other matters, the prominent liquor lobby that operates and funds most political parties, and hence wields extraordinary influence within corrupted government and police. He was on his way to address an anti-liquor rally just outside Bangalore when the incidence took place.

Mr. Babu had been threatened many a times, the latest call being on the night before his murder.

So what drives some people so? What makes them invincible, fearless, secure both about their survival and also about their chosen path? Is it that they have become blind in their zeal to save the world, or at least the poor, downtrodden, and the non-accounted?

I remember now a conversation that I had had long back with Medha Patkar when she had said that she and the other activists were exactly the same as the rest of us -they desired the same comforts, happiness, peace, and had the same doubts, uncertainties, fears.

At the condolence and protest meeting for Mr. Babu, this fear was palpable- as was a calm resolve - to not let this incidence go unnoticed, become another statistic. It was clear that this was a rare breed of people, who would not bow down to its fears. I was facing an extraordinary courage, of a people who had little to lose, or rather, who recognised that they lost more if their fears won. So they lived and continued their struggle despite their fears. Their courage was raw, bold, blatant-as blatant as Babu's response to the threats -"If my life is taken, there will be ten other Babus to take my place". At that meeting, I realised that what he said was true..several people there were capable and keen to take his place and have the movement be pushed forward. They had realised a path, that I could merely talk about-the path of duty, righteousness, the Geeta path.

It was my good fortune to be amongst them, even for so short a time.