Convict 268

COIMBATORE CENTRAL JAIL:

15 MAY 2019:

When she was entering the prison along with her cameraman, she was stopped by a police constable. She asked the constable to convey her letter to the jailor, Ramanujam. The guard took the girl to Ramanujam along with the letter.

Ramanujam is a cruel jailor. He hates criminals. He never compromises with the criminals. He is a specialist to break the bones of convicts. His eyebrow wrinkled when he read the letter. He scanned the girl from head to toe with his query eyes.

The girl looked like 25 years of age. She was wearing a shalva, hiding her ample breasts. Her hair was long and black, braided down her back.

"Take her to Convict 286. This is an order letter from the upper department." He ordered the guard.

The guard followed his order. She was taken through a long room where on both sides small cells were lined up. Each convict from the cells ogled at her. It seemed if they were set free, they would pounce over the girl.

"They are the guys, who have brutally raped an innocent college girl, before a few days ago." The guard informed her.

She was stopped near a separate cell where a man was lying in a corner of the floor. He looked at both the guard and the girl after hearing the opening sound of the iron gate of the cell. The guard poked the man with his long stick. The convict woke up and squatted on the floor.

The convict seemed to be a man of 30 years age. His cheeks were pale. His beard and moustache were greys. He was a little bit stronger with his arms. Bruises were spotted everywhere on his whole body. Those were the clear evidence of his interrogation in jail.

"This girl had come to visit you," the guard told him in a cracked voice.

"I have no one. I don't need anyone either," he murmured.

"Please leave us alone. I have to talk with him alone." The girl requested the guard.

He, leaving the girl along with the convict, locked the gate from outside and left the place.

"Who are you? Do I know you?" The convict asked.

"My name is Swetha. I am a PhD student researching crimes against women in India. I was sent to interrogate you." Hearing this, the convict's brow tightened a little bit. He tells her, "I do not have the mindset to voice or raise my words against crimes. Since the society cruelly tortured me." The man verbally assaults her.

Finally, Swetha says, "Our lives are not just on the surface, their greater part is concealed from casual observation. I realize your pain well. Day by day, rape and crimes against women are increasing. I wanted to create awareness by doing a PhD course in it. For this, I needed your help."

"What you told? Our lives are not just on the surface, their greater part is concealed from casual observation. No. In moments of sorrow, we turn to what we call God, which is but an image of our own minds; or we find gratifying explanations and this gives us temporary comfort."

"My name is Janaarth. I was a brilliant student. I was very popular in my college, due to my bike racing skills and the Yamaha R15V3. My name was nominated in the college union only for my popularity. The members of the union decided on my name as the secretary. No one asked for my consent. I was reluctant for the union elections, but I agreed later to the demand of college students. I won the election and became the secretary of the college. Students needed me for any subtle matter. I became their leader. I even created awareness against rape and crimes committed against our women.

I and my friends were the only people to stand for women. Without anyone's knowledge, I exposed corrupt activities of political leaders and the drug trafficking mafia. Even I exposed the atrocities of human trafficking to the people.

My name spread rapidly due to social responsibility. I took Mahatma Gandhi, Subash Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh's ideologies as my inspirations to fight against evils. We protested against Pollachi rape incidents in February 2019. I met my friend Sharan there. He came from Krishna College of Technology. Since then, we indulged in lots and lots of social welfare schemes and activities.

On one hand, I was busy with my studies and on the other hand, I wrote a lot and lots of revolutionizing stories related to the pathetic situation of women in India. I, along with Sharan learned different martial arts fighting techniques and trained the women to defend themselves, whenever they are being harassed.

In June 2016, one of my close friends Anshika was abducted by a few rich people in Pollachi and they pushed Sharan into the bushes when he tried to save her. Those people raped her so brutally and strangled her to death.

Her family suicides unable to bear the humiliations and false accusations, posed by the politician's family to make their son escape from the law. Sharan became paralyzed due to the attack and I was left perplexed. Since one of the rapists is a politician's son, many people tried to hide the news and even tried to eliminate the evidence.

Knowing that the convicts would be let escape by the law, my anger increased day by day. Anshika's brutal rape came into my eyes. Her screaming, the way the guys tortured her and the violent harassment, that she could have gone through left me sleepless nights.

I was unable to concentrate on my studies and responsibilities. So, I took the decision to take the law into my own hands. Rape is the fourth most common crime in India. There is no timeship on trauma. So, I brutally killed those rapists to death, in front of an emotional Sharan.

Police arrested me and I was subjected to flogging. The judge though appreciated my vigilantism, I was sentenced to seven years imprisonment. However, many people praised the killing and I said them not to protest against my arrest. Since I respect the law and civil forces."

Janaarth finalized his story by telling her: "Don't be ashamed of your story. It will inspire others. But no matter how much evil I see. I think it's important for everyone to understand that there is much more light than darkness. I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it. There is no timestamp on trauma. There isn't a formula that you can insert; yourself into to get from horror to healing. Be patient, Take up space. Let your journey be the balm. You're not a victim for sharing your story. You are a survivor setting the world on fire with your truth. And you never know who needs your light. Your warmth, and raging courage. They took away her worth, her privacy, her energy, her time, her safety, her intimacy, her confidence, her own voice... until then. She was powerful. Not because she wasn't scared. But because she went on so strongly despite the fear. How lovely it is to know one day she will have a body you will never have touched. She has died. While, I am here now, punishing those brutal criminals."

Swetha started crying hearing the dark past of Janaarth. Tears spilt down her eyes. It seemed she also had a painful past. Janaarth asked Swetha to share her story. Swetha, wiping her tears, started her story.

"I am a Telugu girl from the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh. The arid, backward area of Rayalaseema in Andhra Pradesh is home to violent factional families that clash frequently. My father Bhuma Reddy was one such leader, while Abhimanyu Reddy is another. After getting a medical degree, my father, who hailed from Kurnool district, returned to the family avocation of factions, when his father was brutally murdered by opponents. Since then, the two fought and political tensions were high. My father was brutally killed in the factions and my sister was brutally gang-raped by the opponent. To stay away from this violence at once and for all, my mother and I shifted to Coimbatore district.

The word Rayalaseema will likely run a chill down the spines of members of Andhra Pradesh's business community. Government officials and teachers have dreaded postings in interior towns of the region. Rayalaseema is a law unto itself, a region of violent factions and gangs whose words reign supreme.

Crude country bombs, hackings and gory murders are part of Rayalaseema's culture. Since the 1980s, violence has been on the decline in the districts of Chittoor, Kadapa, Anantapur and Kurnool, although factionalism still rules large.

Violence may have abated to an extent, but the region is on the boil. And politicians, deeply rooted in the region, are now engaged in capitalising on the issues present, with each party wooing a specific powerful forward caste in the area.

I was determined to study well, after losing my father in the faction war and joined the college for my humanity course and doing PhD now, researching about the social issues and crimes in India." Swetha wiped off her tears after saying this and her cameraman felt emotional, after hearing of her tragic past. They silenced for a while.

Janaarth could understand that "The religions that we follow are created by the worship of authority, whether it is that of a saviour, a master or a priest, there come submission, acceptance and imitation. We are exploited in the name of God, revolution, movement, etc. Just for the sake of few selfish politicians and crooked people."

"We are all human beings, by whatever name we call ourselves, and suffering is our lot. Sorrow is common to all of us, to the idealist and to the materialist. Both the idealist and the materialist have their own ways of avoiding the complex problem of suffering. They are both responsible for the confusion and misery of the world."

Before they could say further, the guard reminded them about the end of their meeting time. Packing the things with the help of her cameraman, she goes out of Janaarth's prison. She, looking at Janaarth, finished her story.

"One day, my professor sir Kanagaraj came and told me about you. How much you have fought for the sake of women and how much you took up social responsibilities. It seemed a tragic story for him, as you gave vigilante justice to the criminals. I wanted to make you understand that, We want justice for the rape victims. Take responsibility for ending rape. Sex or Rape? The difference is consent. Ask boys to listen when a girl says no." However, Janaarth is reluctant to accept her words. She, before leaving the cell, looked at him. She wanted to say more but restrained herself.

"Goodbye. We won't be able to meet again. Yet, I wanted to remind you about Mahatma Gandhi and Nethaji. If they have given up their fight for freedom, we would still be a slave to Britishers. So, don't give up your fight against criminal activities." She whispered into his left ear and left the place along with her cameraman.

Janaarth, the convict 268, stared at her till she disappeared. He was dumb for a few minutes. His eyes got moistened. His heart filled with grief and deep regret. He lied on the floor again. But, he could not sleep, reminding the criminal injustice against women. He tossed the whole night. He could recall the screams of his beloved friend Anshika's brutal death.

FEW HOURS LATER:

A few hours later, when a convict goes to wash his hands in the nearby tap, he sees blood stains nearby the place and finds out the recent gang rapists of Coimbatore dead, with their heads been beheaded brutally.

He immediately brings Ramanujam and the guards to the spot and they inform the police. While, Janaarth peacefully walks inside his prison, recalling the way, he has murdered those rapists by unseating a nearby sword, that had been kept for doing reconstruction activities in the prison.

"My voice against crimes and domestic abuse would continue to prolong, even though I am a convict. Justice finally prevails, wherever we are. Whether in the prison or in the college." Janaarth said himself while resting.