India’s women wrestlers are staging a protest in Delhi’s freezing cold, demanding action against the shameless predators harassing them. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)
What do strangers owe each other when faced with a bizarre crisis? In David Bowie’s words, we can be heroes just for one day (as long as a somewhat looser definition of heroism applies).
Written by Leher Kala
Updated: January 22, 2023 09:29 IST
Two entirely different but equally disturbing crimes have aroused plenty of angry debate recently; one, the case of an inebriated passenger allegedly urinating on a senior citizen on an Air India flight. And, the heartbreaking story of an assistant sub-inspector in Delhi, Shambhu Dayal, who was stabbed 13 times in 26 seconds by a chain snatcher while he was hauling the criminal to the police station. Tragically, no one stepped up to assist either victim, leading to one senseless loss of life that a timely intervention could have averted.
It’s a sight we’re all familiar with driving around in any part of the country. There’ll be a commotion and a crowd surrounding a hapless rider of a two-wheeler who has met with an accident, and is writhing on the road in agony. Onlookers gawk on in fascination, making sure to keep a wary distance (to preclude the possibility that somebody might actually expect them to do something). In any other part of the world, passers-by will try to help the injured, or at least call an ambulance.
Is it that we’re a bunch of unfeeling jerks? Or, that our own hard-won daily struggles make us unwilling to take on another hassle? The ordinary Indian is powerless and understandably fearful of the unnecessary drama any intervention brings. One (abysmally low) benchmark for success in India is having the good fortune to stay out of a law court and a hospital; helping an accident victim involves both, while calling out a crime means dealing with the most intimidating of them all, the police.
Though it seems much more pronounced here, this reluctance to intervene in a crisis is a trait common to all human beings regardless of location. Psychologists identified the “bystander effect” in the 1960s, a behavior which occurs when the presence of others creates a diffusion of responsibility in our heads. Something like, if no one else is interfering, why should I? It’s also true that our moral obligations to others decrease as the risks to ourselves increase.
In the case of ASI Dayal, to contend with an enraged, knife-wielding stabber required the courage of a hero, not a bystander. It’s a big ask. However, when a drunk reportedly traumatised a 72-year-old woman midair, it required no show of valour by the crew, simply, that they do their job. One would imagine that for those trained for emergencies like hijackings and plane crashes, an instinctive reaction would be to empathetically comfort a teary senior citizen. But even that turned out to be a big ask.
What do strangers owe each other when faced with a bizarre crisis? In David Bowie’s words, we can be heroes just for one day (as long as a somewhat looser definition of heroism applies). Fearlessly charging into a burning building isn’t for everyone but it’s possible to cast a spoke in someone’s wheel, so to say, and at least prevent injustice from flourishing. For example, in the brilliant 2008 ad film to end domestic violence, actor Boman Irani is cleaning his bike when he hears terrifying screams next door. Though visibly scared himself, he summons up the guts to ring the bell, interrupting the wife beater, and for the moment, ending the beating. The award winning Bell Bajao campaign acknowledges human frailties, that it’s really hard to be a hero but when the cost is negligible, we can and should play our part.
Cynicism has become a default setting in a world seemingly lurching from crisis to crisis. Yet, everyday we see humbling examples of bravery by ordinary people. As I write this, India’s women wrestlers are staging a protest in Delhi’s freezing cold, demanding action against the shameless predators harassing them. After years of suffering, they’re being heard. Heroes happen one step at a time when we discover we have the strength to resist wrongs, and disrupt the status quo.
The writer is director, Hutkay Films
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd