EMOTIONAL IMPULSE& REACTIONS

                                        EMOTIONAL REACTIONS

I write this note in continuation my earlier one on SURYANELLI CASE, the most discussed news in all the visual and print media.  The general public reaction on sudden impulses and the emotional expressions, go beyond limits unchecked, leading to disastrous situations.

The recent judgement on the reported case under investigation & trial for the past 17 years have finally given  rise to controversial  opinions from different sources .  Most of the people who comments on the case and the judgement may not be aware of the sequential stages of evidences and information that lead to the disposal of the case by the high court. Superficial knowledge and information may not give the correct picture of an incident that happened long back.  The team of officers and investigating authorities might have gone into threadbare details of the case and submitted to the legal authorities for their final decision.  The Rule of Law is the final word in any case that is referred to the Judiciary.

After going through the visual discussions and statements of men & women from all walks of life, I have a feeling that we must try to answer the following queries before we comment upon the present status of the case.

1.      What was the life style of the girl in her school days?

2.      Was there any threat from people to molest her sexually?

3.      Did she go out of the house with her boy friend with or without the knowledge of her parents? If the answer is NO was there any complaint lodged by her parents to the local police?

4.      Did anybody take her by force from her house?

5.      Did the girl inform her parents during the long absence from home?

All these queries are to be answered, after going through the girl’s past history, by the protesters before directly coming into action, by way of protest against the investigating officers or the Judge. The silence for the past 8 years or so does not reveal any special nature of this crime brought forth by any of the agencies finding fault with the legal aspects in pronouncing the judgement in this case..

The judges after going through the case with all available evidences and statements of the witnesses arrived at a decision (without any speculation or preconceived ideas or forecasts), as is normally done by any other Judicial   authority.  Human “error of judgement” may come up in any level of official action by appropriate authorities and there are solutions to rectify the error without prejudice to anyone. 

But without  patience to hear the factual position, if public agitation is mooted out , then things will go to an uncontrollable level  on account of the mob psychology .. Ill conceived reactions by public in such situations must be checked by the Leaders of different organisations to settle the issues amicably without any “strings attached”. Deliberate and un-whole-some remarks by men in authority, unless checked by self control, things will go out of reach and damage the tranquillity of social life..

Abraham Mangalath Philip