SILENCE OR RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION: THE POWER OF CHOICES IN THE FACE OF INJUSTICE

By Karishma Mishra

3rd Year, BA Journalism Honours

Edited & designed by: Ayushi Rani

Anger is said to be the “stairway to hell” in the Bhagavad Gita and throughout history this has proved to be true especially when one looks at Indian mythology. But the same mythology also provides anecdotes of figures who have gained prominent place in history through showcasing anger at the right time. Such anger that is against injustice is called righteous anger, which erupts from a sense of justice and aims towards a positive result.

This concept is not something new, the mighty warrior Jatayu fought against injustice and till date he is remembered for his courage. But there are people like Bhishma Pitamah, who kept silent while injustice unfolded in front of his eyes.

Bhisma and Jatayu belong to two different time periods and both are seen as holy figures in the Hindu religion. Bhisma, a mighty warrior, is remembered for his commitment towards the throne of Hastinapur and his dedication to uphold Dharma. But did he really fulfil his oath to the throne, when he kept quiet while the honour of Hastinapur i.e. Draupadi was getting harassed and was disrobed by her brother - in- law? When she was dragged by her hair while she was menstruating and wore a single piece of cloth. The protector of Dharma did not even try to interrupt if not stop this heinous act.

On the contrary, the old and courageous Jatayu gave up his life in order to protect Sita from Ravana. He was well aware of the consequences but that didn't stop him from fiercely battling with Ravana. He was committed to his friend and the father of Rama, Dasharath but more than that he kept Dharma protected.

Consequently, the way they reacted to these situations also affected their deaths. Bhisma, having a choice to choose the time of his death, had to suffer throughout his life as his clan went to war against each other, and he died on a bed of arrows in the Kurukshetra battlefield listening to sounds of war and cries. Whereas Jatayu died in Panchvati in the arms of Lord Rama, the last vision he saw was of Rama's face and the last sound transported him to the world of calmness.

Both these characters beautifully portray the need to stand against injustice because at the end of the day, we are all humans and humanity is the value that connects the hearts of people. 

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