The barbaric custodial deaths in Tamil Nadu of Jeyaraj and his son, our George Floyds, and other similar atrocities, prompted Ram Krishna to pen down his thoughts on inhumanity and racism. An exclusive for Different Truths.

The other day I had a nightmare! I saw the trinity of human rights champions turning in their graves!

Aghast at the barbaric acts of bigotry, inequity and prejudice all around, I saw all the three, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Mohandas K. Gandhi, the great votaries for non-violent actions and equal rights on earth, restless in agony.

Martin moaned, “I had a dream that one day we all would live out the true meaning of our creed-a self-evident truth that all men were created equal. Alas! I had a dream that heat of oppression would be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice and our children would one day live in a nation where they would not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.

“I had a dream that even slaves would be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood and that Black boys and black girls would be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. This was my hope, and this was my faith. It was a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

“With this faith, I was sure of hewing out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, I thought to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. Alas!”

Mandela wailed, “I had cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons would live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.

“A world free from discrimination and segregation was an ideal which I hoped to live for and achieve. It was an ideal for which, if needed, I was prepared to die.

“I dreamt of building a society in which, both black and white, would be able to walk tall without any fear in their hearts, assured of the inalienable right to human dignity, a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world.

“Never, never, and never again I imagined that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another. Alas!”

Mohandas expressed his angst, “I fought for freedom and liberty of individuals believing the greatest freedom should be occupied by the fraternity and humility.  I dreamt of a society where people would not be subjected to hatred, violence, discrimination, and indignity.

“I dreamt of a country where all people irrespective of caste, colour and creed will peacefully co-exist together. Non-violence was my credo and I believed non-violence is the only path needed not only to fight the colonial rule but against social evils such as racial discrimination and untouchability.

“My mission in life was not merely the freedom of India but the brotherhood of man and the installation of values of equality and justice.

“I even reimagined policing as ranks believing in non-violence, as servants, not masters, of the people. Using force to the minimum, their work would be confined primarily to robbers and dacoits. Alas!”

“Oh God, how long the neck of humanity will continue to be knelt on? How long will the dignity of people continue to be mutilated? How long, how long God!” …The three icons continued to bemoan and wail, together.

I woke up disturbed, but not in disbelief.

Photo from the Internet

Ram Krishna Sinha

Ram Krishna Sinha is a former General Manager at Bank of India, and lives in Mumbai. After three and half decades of distinguished career in the Bank, he is presently invested in talent mapping, management education and writing for newspapers and magazines on contemporary issues. An author of the motivational book “X-Factor @Workplace” published by Tata McGraw Hill, he is an Opinion Columnist for the CEOWORLD magazine.