First Break All Rules

To Be or Not To Be

Often in our day-to-day life we are in dilemma wherein we have 2 options to judge from as in which one is right ...not like the question "To Be or Not To Be" ;-).
Today, as usually i started for office, yes yes u r rite...I was again late and I missed by office bus. It was on time today :-( (Mostly it comes 4-5 mins late, and only these are the days when I catch the bus ..LOL). I am working hard to reach on time, but at the eleventh hour due to some reason or the other I get late. Fortunately or unfortunately my frnd was also late (definitely fortunate for me).
We both took the bus from Swargate for Corporation. As we were about to reach Corporation, near Shaniwarwada there was a huge traffic. Same thing click in both of our minds, we will go walking to Corporation as it is not far away. So we de-embarked from the bus and started walking, somebody told us that there is some accident occurred. As we were walking we saw a huge queue of Local buses standing on both sides of the road.I realized that excluding the Local bus every other vehicle was allowed to pass. My smart brain started thinking, Local Bus must be having a Lion's pie in the accident. Whilst walking I saw our Company bus standing in the queue, I was very happy, Thank God, don't have to go by Local bus (often standing 20 Kms :-().
As none of the bus was moving, we thought we can go have a look into the matter. As we reached the accident spot, we came to know that a small boy has came under the rear wheel of the Local Bus, (I was right, as these has happen 2-3 times before, Local bus drivers are on Hit list of the local people). Donno, whose mistakes it was, but that child had expired bcoz of the mishap.
There were pieces of glasses all over the road near the bus. As we are just having a look, some quarrel took place between the mob and the police and the mob started picking up stones plying on the road and started throwing stones on all the buses parked at the roadside. Windows of all the buses (nearly 20) standing in the queue were broken.
I hunched that our company bus will not be an exception to rage of the mob. We decided to take a Local bus from corporation which would leave in another half-an-hour. As we would reach late to office, we decided to have our breakfast in the nearby restaurant.(See how much we think for the company and work ;-)). We ordered Poha (which we often have when we are late...and in that restaurant only..have to look for another restaurant). Just as we were having our breakfast, I saw some people running towards the bus stand. I thought these guys have to catch a bus which will leave in couple of mins, hence they are running. Moment they reached the stand they started pelting stones on bus. It didn't took much time to figure out that these are the same guys. People standing at the bus stop started running in all the directions, whichever side they got some room. The restaurant owner was quick to take decision and he asked one of his waiter to pull down the shutter. The atmosphere outside turned hostile. Mob was throwing stones at each and every bus, it seemed that they will be fined if they miss any bus. A college girl started crying, not to your surprise many people standing over there started to make her understand that nothing will happen to her, these guys will only throw stones on buses and they will go away. Tension could easily be seen on the faces of people standing at the stop. Many may be thinking how will they reach the designated place viz office, college, school, et al.
After the mob removed all his anger on the bus they went back. Where i don't know. We again started our journey to office, having no clue what mode of transport we will use to reach office. While walking 1 question aroused in my mind, what these guys have done (damaging buses), is this rite? Because of a mistake of the bus driver (again, donno whose mistake it was) should we damage about 60 buses. Even if we break the buses to show our anger will the little boy be alive again. Local buses are public property, if the accident was the mistake of the Bus driver, by breaking buses will he get punished? Who will pay for damage, we public only..rite?
Moreover, from the faces of the guys who were throwing stones, no where we could make out if they were angry, if they were really hurt by the incident. They were smiling, giggling while throwing stones.
I asked the same question to one of my frnd, he told me that what the mob has done is right, otherwise no one would have noticed the accident has taken a life. No action would have been taken on the driver, hopefully the bus drivers will now drive the bus carefully; not roughly as they always do.
After hearing my frnd's viewpoint, I was in a dilemma, what the mob has done was right or wrong? To Be or Not To Be...

posted by Wasim @ 6:16 pm