A wake up call

The trial in the Keenan-Reuben case is scheduled to begin sometime later this month .Keenan(24) and Reuben(29) were brutally killed by a group of men,outside a restaurant in Andheri,Mumbai last October.

Their mistake?..Confronting a drunkard when he tried to misbehave with one of their female friends.

After being warned by the two,the drunkard swearing revenge returned with his accomplices,all of them armed with knives and sticks. Keenan and Reuben having sent the girls inside the restaurant,faced the mob all alone. Both were repeatedly stabbed and left to die. While Keenan lost his life the same day,Reuben died a few days later.

The most disturbing aspect of this horrific incident is that NONE of the onlookers came to the youngster's rescue. It is shocking that when two young boys were brutally beaten up by a dozen men in a busy area,not a  single passerby offered help. The public could have easily outnumbered the mob and overpowered them. Atleast had they quickly informed the police,the situation could have been bought under control. But it was only the girls who were inside the restaurant who had called the police.

Where is our country heading to?.We always remain mute spectators to the happenings around us. There are numerous instances when heinous crimes have been committed in full public view with no one coming to the victim's rescue. Why is this callous attitude so prevalent in the society?. I am sure none of us would have been taught to ignore the world around us or flee the place when we witness innocent people getting killed. But that is precisely what is happening. The sympathy for the victim is overshadowed by the fear for one's own life.

Being a good samaritan does not necessarily mean sacrificing our lives for others. But what we can most  certainly do is to try our level best to help others in every possible way.Humanity and compassion should not be only subjects taught at school. They should be cultivated from within and upheld all our life.

Living for ourselves will definitely make us happy and satisfied. But making a positive difference in other's lives will make our existence a meaningful one.