A burning pyre at the backdrop. Two pre teen children walking back. A dark sky. A bright moon. A small tear in their eyes.
That was the picture which came to my mind when I heard their story. The mother, not a very old lady suddenly became very sick. The two young children had been by her bedside the last few months. And suddenly when she died, they were left all alone.
The two young children had had their private body parts badly damaged in their school by other children. Their mother had married twice, and was living with the third one when she contracted the disease. The villagers refused an entry to her dead body, calling her bad names. There were not many relatives who will share their burden.
All that these two young kids have seen in their young lives have been violence. The society had not been good on them. Not many have reached out to them. Their schooling had been a bad dream. The villagers have been cruel. Their future is dark. The present darker!
Now, is it fair to blame them if ten years down the line they end up doing some thing anti social? A theft? Or worse, a rape or a murder? Should not the society also take up some blame if something untoward happens?
Don't mistake me; I'm in no way defending an anti social action. Every wrong action should be accounted for. Should be punished. But the fact of the matter is, the society and that includes you and me, have not been fair on many young people over the years; and that is coming back to bite us.
May be the criminal justice system should also look at the background of the criminal as much as they see the backdrop of the crime.
I'm just thinking out aloud!
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