Reddit Post Disturbed My Sleep

I have this habit of reading newspapers, articles, or Reddit posts or insta reels before bed... and tonight... a Reddit post disturbed my sleep. It was about the police punishing eve teasers physically.  I opened the comment section... and what do I see you know? People were clapping for it... literally praising the police as if they were heroes...

Wait... Am I supporting eve teasers here? Hell, BIG NO. But when the constitution or even the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita or Model Code of Conduct doesn't allow this kind of power to the police... isn't it wrong? If we justify this... aren't we indirectly saying that anything that violates the rule book is fine as long as it "feels right" to us in the moment? Where do we draw the line... then.. asala first of all, why the hell do we need to think about drawing the line? What happens when an innocent person gets caught and is beaten mercilessly for no reason? Do we just say... "Collateral damage... move on, bro..."?

People argue... "But they're rogues... They deserve it." Okay, fine... let's assume they're real criminals. But since when did giving the police the authority to punish without a proper trial become legal? Have we forgotten why we have laws in the first place? If you think this is justified... then what stops us from turning into a mob justice society like in medieval times?

You know what this reminds me of? A few days ago... I saw a reel on Instagram where a group of photo studio owners stormed into a xerox shop and forced the owner to stop printing photos because it was cutting into their profits. A few years back... I read something from Ambedkar's book where he talked about something similar... how power is often misused by those who have it... leading to oppression. Now... you may think... "What's the connection here?" I mean, dude.. It's Strenth & the Power.... Whether it's the police beating someone... photo studio owners ganging up on a small shop owner... or caste based oppression... it's the same pattern... using strength and authority to control others without any legal basis. And the scariest part? Most of the society not only tolerates it but celebrates it.

Let me take you back to history for a moment. Do you remember this? I mean, when the British imposed harsh punishments on Indians under laws like the Rowlatt Act? They justified it by saying it was for the "greater good" to control rebellion. Many people at the time even believed the British had the "right" to do it because they maintained order. But does that make it right? If we fought to throw off colonial control because their actions were unjust and oppressive... why are we now repeating similar patterns within our own country?

So... you say... "But police punishing eve teasers is good." Yeah... it might look good on the surface. But it's NOT CONSTITUTIONALLLLLL DUDEEEEE, ITS A VOILATIONNNNNN... If we really think the police should have such powers... then let's be honest with ourselves and promote updating the law... give them the legal power to do... As long as we haven't done that... why are we pretending to respect the constitution and the rule of law while cheering for unconstitutional actions? Why are we such hypocrites?

Here's what I see as the real problems I observed:

1. People don't know their rights... 

2. Those who do know aren't sharing that knowledge... 

3. Instead of fixing our own flaws... we waste time blaming others...

If we want India to grow... here's what we should focus on is what I firmly believe:

1. Get people around you to start reading... even if it's fiction. I don't care if they start with Harry Potter or Chetan Bhagat. The point is to get them comfortable with reading long form content. Once that habit sets in... they'll slowly start exploring real issues beyond the dopamine fueled short form videos and memes they consume today.

2. Teach kids about the constitution... When I say teach... I don't mean making them memorize articles and sections like a school quiz. I'm talking about making them understand what fundamental rights and duties actually mean. Plant the seed early. Even if 10 out of 100 kids grow up with a deeper understanding of their rights and duties... that's progress. And at least 40 be aware enough not to get exploited or manipulated easily and help the remaining 50...

3. Accept mistakes but grow from them... Look... we all make mistakes. I've skipped signal... you may have probably bought black tickets once. But as we grow and understand society better... shouldn't we aim to reduce these mistakes? Integrity isn't something you achieve overnight... but if we keep ignoring the wrongs (Let it be small or big)... we'll end up in chaos. It's like letting rats nibble away at rice without realizing the damage until the entire stockpile is gone. Remember, the true purpose of law and constitution is to improve lives by ensuring justice, order, and well-being, not merely to punish. When the system itself expects people to get better, why aren't we focusing on getting better and cleaning up our mess?

4. Achieve financial stability... This is where it gets practical. If we're financially unstable... we're always going to be vulnerable. I'm not saying money fixes everything... but having a solid financial base gives you the freedom to make better decisions and fight for right causes... I mean, whether it's standing up for the right cause or supporting others who can't. Even if you fail to bring large-scale change... fixing our financial situation is a contribution in itself. A strong individual leads to a strong nation.

Wait... I know... We've all been there... trapped in these endless loops where we know what's right... but something pulls us back... again and again. I'm no exception. I've done many things in the past that I'm not proud of... but what matters is what comes after that. Day after day... I've been working on it... pushing myself... controlling one thing at a time... not everything at once... but step by step. And trust me... it's not easy. It never is... I know how much I struggle on a few things to hold...

The thing is... nobody's asking for overnight perfection, even my hero, Chandra Shekar Azad... That's impossible. But what's possible is this slow... steady journey. Right now... we're stuck in a vicious cycle as said... All we need to work on is... how to come out of it or what is needed to come out of it... Just like how we try to come out of social media addiction... We should try our level best...

Remember... If we don't do it... rats don't stop eating the rice... and we are the rats talking about the rats...

Live.Long.India.