And so, they walked out. Heads covered. Eyes tired. Shoulders slumped—not in defeat, but from ten days of sleeping on cold concrete and listening to threats that would’ve shaken the average street-hardened thug.
But they were not thugs. They were not scamsters. They hadn’t set fire to buses or incited a mob. No, they were two elderly nuns. Caregivers. Peaceful women of prayer. And their crime? A vague accusation of conversion still not clearly defined, but which only the stupid believe!
But hey, the good news—they got bail! Cue applause?
And yes, across the tiny, dwindling, often overlooked two percent Christian community, candles were lit and ‘praise the Lords’ whispered. "Thank God for bail!" they cried. Bail, which in most functioning democracies is a basic right, here became a luxury.
A reason for celebration. Because apparently, if you're a minority in India, getting out of jail is now cause for national thanksgiving.
But wait, should this really be a time for rejoicing?
Let’s be honest. Somewhere in the musty corners of this country’s conscience, a Constitutional line lies ignored: Innocent until proven guilty. It’s written, enshrined, engraved even. But when you lock up women of God without trial, without proper evidence, and treat them worse than habitual offenders, what are we even following?
Certainly not the Constitution.
The nuns were not granted bail because new evidence cleared them. They were granted bail because ten days had passed. That’s it. Ten days of degradation, humiliation, and psychological trauma. And what do we do? We clap and say, “They’re free now.”
Free?
Would you celebrate if your grandmother, falsely accused, were thrown into jail and came out ten days later looking like she’d been in a torture chamber run by barbarians? No? Then don’t be comforted by this charade of justice.
Because, dear reader, here’s the uncomfortable truth. It’s not just about them. It’s about you. Yes, you who belong to the rest of the 98%. You who perhaps sighed, “Ah well, just another news item. Nothing to do with me.”
But remember this—today it was them. Tomorrow it will be you.
Your landlord thinks you’re trouble? A convenient complaint. Your boss wants you silenced? One whispered allegation. Your child has a spat with the wrong student? A ‘concerned citizen’ files a report. And suddenly, you’re not just behind bars—you’re beneath them.
No trial. No questions. Just jail.
So don’t get too comfortable watching two percent fight to stay out of prison. Because false charges aren’t picky. They don’t check your religion, caste, or WhatsApp status before they ruin your life.
Don’t hail the bail,
But put into jail,
Those who dared,
Our laws to derail.
Because justice isn’t justice if it’s used like a sword instead of a shield.
And a nation isn’t free if its innocent must rejoice when given bail…!
The Author conducts an online, eight session Writers and Speakers Course. If you’d like to join, do send a thumbs-up to WhatsApp number 9892572883 or send a message to bobsbanter@gmail.com
