Rajbala and the evil spirit that walks the land

On Monday morning September 26, 2011 Rajbala the Hindu yoga devotee and intrepid follower of Swami Ramdev’s anti corruption meet, passed away after lying in a hospital bed with broken spine and paralysed limbs for three months. The entire nation watched the police attack on the devotees on the night of June 4, 2011 on the Ramlila grounds at New Delhi. Old men, women and children were not spared and the nation saw the scenes of people being  dragged out after being lathi charged and left to fend for themselves on the Delhi roads. A Tehelka reporter was the first among the English media to provide graphic pictures of the victims in the hospital of which the most critical was Rajbala. CNNIBN provided all night coverage of that infamous night. Our condolences go out to the grieving family and friends.

On Monday morning September 26,2011, a CNNIBN reporter gave a detailed account of Rajbala’s condition prior to her death. NDTV was the least forthcoming with a few obligatory lines reporting the death of Rajbala. For NDTV this was obviously only another news item.

Some respondents have called for the filing of a criminal lawsuit against the Congress government for murder. This is entirely appropriate. Indeed all Indians must protest against the gross violation of civil and human rights that occurred on June 4, 2011, when a peaceful nonviolent unarmed crowd practising yoga and meditation on the Ramlila grounds were brutally attacked by the Delhi police, undoubtedly under the orders from higher ups. A senior journalist has reported that the decision to attack was taken by the troika of Sonia Maino Gandhi, A.K.Antony and Chidambaram. Reportedly, the infamous three met at the residence of the Prime Minister. He himself was not present for the meeting,  having turned in for the night. The Prime Minister was literally asleep when an important decision was taken !

Shortly after June 4, Swami Ramdev remarked that he had not paid much attention to the fact that Sonia Maino was a foreigner, but after June 4, he felt that it did make a   difference, since she was indifferent to the welfare of the women and children of the land. This is a possible and plausible explanation of her behaviour. In the Indian context it seems to be the only explanation. No one who is familiar with the Congress doubts that she must surely have been the mover and shaker in this event.

And yet, there have been remarkable  ‘foreigners’ who have deeply identified with the country. Take for example the freedom fighter Annie Besant during the Indian independence struggle. Her understanding of the Hindu tradition was an important factor in her contributions to the cause of Indian independence. Sonia Maino certainly does not fit into this category, even though some craven camp followers have unsuccessfully tried to compare her to Annie Besant.

Her death like hold over the Congress party has some  reasons that will surely be investigated in the years to come. However, the present moment must invite some reflections on the evil that some individuals are capable of, even though this particular individual has to confer with her own god and seek absolution for the crime. If she has indeed been the author of that event then the law of the land must take its course. The Supreme Court is said to be viewing the footage of that night.

For Hindus this is another wakeup call to vote out the most corrupt and decadent government that independent India has had to date. Her foreignness and her possible criminality are no longer the sole issues. If in broaddaylight the country can be attacked in various ways by its own government, then the evil spirit that stalks the land must be driven out without any further delay. 2014 is not far off.

(The writer is a Political Philosopher who taught at a Canadian university)

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