Friday, November 09, 2007

The power of candlelight

“Mere jane ke baad awaaz uthana….” (“Please raise voices of protest after I leave…”).

The above line has become very important for the media now a days. It is actually an SMS, which had been sent by a very simple young man by the name of Rizwanur Rahman to a friend, hours before his death. Rizwanur, 30, expired on the morning of 21st September, 2007. But, his death was not normal. There were (and still are) deep mysteries behind his death. Those mysteries are like entangled ropes and the police have still not been able to clear up the mess. As the unending story about the Rahmans, the Todis, the Police Commissioner, Prasun Mukherjee and other officers like Gyanwant Singh, Ajoy Kumar, etc., etc., continues to haunt the police, Rizwanur’s SMS continues to move the people. Yes, the people. The common man.

Rizwanur Rahman, a common man, married his student, Priyanka Todi, a rich man’s daughter. So, Priyanka Todi left the comfort of her rich parents’ house and went to live with her husband in his small tiled house. And the result? Priyanaka’s father, Ashok Todi, started threatening a married couple with police help. Finally, he brought his daughter back to his own house and made sure that Rizwanur was swept out of the way.

In a very rare example of a criminal case, it’s not the CPI (M) or the Trinamool or some other party, which is raising the voice of protest. And, even if they have tried to protest, they have not exactly been successful. They have only called a bandh or two. But, those bandhs have adversely affected the daily life of the people. But, lighting candles in front of St. Xavier’s College or sitting in front of the College for hours, in protest, or signing Rizwanur’s photo with different comments, has not affected the people adversely even for a fraction of a second. It has been a silent vigil all through. All those people have not solved the numerous mysteries behind Rizwanur’s death. They have only prayed for justice. They have only tried to remember Rizwanur’s last words and fulfill his last desire . They have only tried to raise voices of protest. And, it is this act of the people, which has been successful and has been a source of solace for the Rahman family. The way the people have responded to Rizwan’s SMS, has given them the courage to continue their fight for justice.

Nobody knows how Rizwanur died. Nobody knows whether he was murdered or whether he murdered himself. The incredible amount of corruption in our administration will probably never allow these questions to be answered. Legally, perhaps, this will remain one of the many unsolved cases. But, the Rahmans will always feel happy realizing that they have got the support of the entire country. Rizwan’s request hasn’t been ignored. And, hopefully, Rizwan’s soul will rest in peace, thanks to the innumerable prayers. This incident will remain in the pages of history because of the response it elicited from the people in a democratic nation. It doesn’t really matter whether the CBI solves the case or the CID. They are all the same. We’ll only keep on reading new twists in the story everyday in the newspaper (and forget them very soon). But, the real action, the real protest, will rule our hearts and minds in the days to come.

10 comments:

Subhadip said...

I follow the story keenly. But soon, the media will find another story to cover, and the public will forget all about Rizwanur!

Unknown said...

What a thought provoking post. You are indeed growing up. And growing up into a smart, intelligent, and thoughtful person. I am so proud of you.

Your post immediately reminded me of the way in which the Delhi public reacted to the court's initial decision regarding Jessica Lal's murderers. Or the recent public outcry after Tehelka published its latest findings on the Godhra carnage. I can only hope that justice delayed will not be justice denied in all these cases.

Dhrubo said...

Beautifully written.It seems to me you were terribly agitated by the affair.And even if the case isn't brought to a successful conclusion,hopefully it will make the rich and powerful think twice before committing such heinous acts in the future!

You're absolutely right about the vigil.As i went to college each day,seeing the candles and the banners adorning the walls and the footpath was an incredible feeling.
people who never knew him sat day and night in protest.And maybe it was the humane part that rubbed off on cynics like me,who joined the protest.In a way,the candles had more effect than mamata bannerjee.
Great article!

Banvri said...

I sumhow do not have faith in media nowdays ..so I cant say much about this topic but yes i loved the fire in ur post :)

Happy diwali to u sweety :) God bless u dearie :)

Titash said...

One of the best I've read in your blog...the words are vibrant with genuine appreciation of all the efforts Rizwanur's friends are taking..more so I believe what happened to him can happen to anyone one of us tommorow, but someone has to initiate the movement and recognise that may be tommorow I can be the one who will be victimized by the system..

Three cheers Sinjini...

Enlightener said...

Well its truely sweet of you to admire my blog but to be truthful its not very great too!!!I draw inspiration from my fellow bloggers and when i went through your blog i was amazed at your maturity when i read the article on Rizwanur..Well Icse is near and wish you all the luck for it...Kudos..To your blog..And after icse try brushing up the javascript a bit will help ya tune up your blog in a even better way/////Which school are you from??
Rock on...Happy Blogging!!!:)

Enlightener said...

Where did you find my blog?????????

Butterfly said...

@Subhadip Da
That is right. The media already has another story to cover....Nandigram!

@Woodsmoke
:-)Thanks.
Yes, let us all hope that one day justice will be awarded to those who deserve it.

@Dhrubo jyoti
So, you joined the vigil too? That was really nice of you.
But, the rich and the powerful will probably never think twice before committing such heinous acts in the future because they know that they will always be able to dominate.

@Deepti Di
:-)Thanks and Happy Diwali to u 2.

@Titash
Thanks for appreciating so much.:-)
And yes, what happened to him might happen to us tomorrow. We don't know what the future has in store for us...

@Enlightener
Well, Thanks a lot for liking my blog.:-)
Also, Thanks for wishing me luck for my ICSE. Luck is very imp. for ICSE.
I am from St.Stephen's School and I got the URL of ur blog from my friend Sritama Nandi. She told me that she is related to u and that u write well.
Happy Blogging!:-)

Swetank Gupta said...

Exceedingly sensitive and mature description and observation, Sinjini. It is in such displays of solidarity and sincerity that we still find hope that'll save our society from going to the dogs. As you rightly said, it is the common man who actually makes a difference. Everyone takes note when he rises and decided to fight for something. It is up to us.

Butterfly said...

@Swetank
Thanks.:-)
Yeah, it is up to us.