JUDGE NOT, THAT YE BE NOT JUDGED

JUDGE NOT, THAT YE BE NOT JUDGED

“God! Do good to all!” is second to breathing for Jagdish, who during the 80’s was trading in audio cassettes. He was; he still is one of my best friends. In those days we used to meet regularly though our businesses were different.

It was one of those summer afternoons; we were supposed to meet at the ‘Grant Road’ station at three. [for those who do not know, it is a ‘western railway’ local station, in Mumbai.] Jagdish probably wanted to buy some cassettes and I simply wanted to accompany him as it was a ‘weekly off’ day for me.

Oh! I didn’t tell you what I did for a living! It was a lovable job that I inherited from my father. I used to sell cultural goods which I did for over two decades. Though I have, since then, upgraded my profession and expanded my horizon, I still remember those days that were really memorable and enjoyable despite the daily grind of hand to mouth situation.

So, we were supposed to meet at the ‘Grant Road’ station at three in the afternoon, on platform no.2 near the tea and snacks stall. Jagdish was always before time for any occasion and under any situation and usually I used to be late under one pretext or another.

However on this eventful day, I reached the station at least 15 or 20 minutes earlier. The local train travel was relatively comfortable as the passengers were very few in my compartment. The first class compartment was almost empty which might be not only due to the afternoon hours, perhaps it was a ‘Bandra’ local. [Bandra is a very important junction in the western railway from where this particular local train might have started.]

Though there were people all around on both platforms, platform no.2 was comparatively less crowded than platform no.1 where more people from various vocations were waiting for the trains, to their destinations, to arrive.

The tea and snacks stall on platform no. 2, as usual, was surrounded with people either for the Rs.2 a cup tea or for the delectable ‘vada pav’ or for both. The big clock hung over the ‘train time’ indicator; the two sided wooden benches were occupied by waiting passengers. The tracks ran endlessly and seemed to get merged into one somewhere far away.

On one of the benches nearby an ugly looking woman dressed in tattered cloth, was seen lying in a gauche posture leaving rest of the bench vacant. No one was prepared to sit on the vacant space of the bench because of her presence there in that condition.

In the meantime two destitute looking males were seen sitting on their feet on the floor and chatting. Their posture resembled that of a wicketkeeper of the cricket game.  Since the platform was fairly approachable no one seemed to be disturbed by their presence on the middle of the platform. Soon a third guy, whose getup competed with theirs, advanced towards them from behind. Spotting him and turning to him, one of the two men cheerfully called out, “Boss has come”, and the boss joined them in the chat. The boss then ordered one tea which all the three shared. That told all about their financial condition; however they seemed quite contented with their situations.

Meanwhile the woman, who was lying on the bench, suddenly got up and went away and after a little while she came back and sat at the edge of the platform, not far from those three men, staring in the direction from where a train should be coming in a short while. Everyone practically seemed to ignore her.

I was still waiting for Jagdish to come, observing all that was happening around me, on the platform, nonchalantly. The train hadn’t still come. But the woman sitting on the edge of the platform, somehow, gave me a feeling that she might want to jump on the tracks at the arrival of the train and commit suicide. That feeling disturbed me and it didn’t seem that I could do anything about to save such a situation and that too for an insane ugly looking woman.

My mind wandered into the woods of thoughts about that woman but suddenly had to return and I looked concernedly as to what had caused my comeback.

One of the three men sitting there chatting might have glanced at the clock above and must have realized that it was time for them to part company and get to work. So they got up and one of the first two men noticed the woman and shouted at her demanding her to leave the place to which she instantly heeded and left the place.

The man continued to shout at her using some abusive language. Immediately the one who was addressed as their boss held his hand, perhaps in the attempt to stop him from using further abusive language, in a merciful tone told him “why indulge in such an act to the woman who is already at the end of her curse. Aren’t we already living the life of a street mongrel as a result of such acts?”

Without my own knowledge my eyes became wet. I thanked god and mentally paid obeisance to that boss for having taught me a great lesson; ‘why insult or try to correct others when there is already a lot about me to correct’. But I know that it is easily said than done. That requires effort; guts, like that boss.

Dale Carnegie, in his book, ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ quotes Abraham Lincoln’s saying “judge not, that ye be not judged.” He also adds Dr. Johnson’s quote, “God himself, sir, does not propose to judge man until the end of his days”. Dale Carnegie adds, “Why should you and I?”

 The train halted; Jagdish alighted from the train and called out, “hey! What are you staring at?” Silently I joined him and we left the station.

“The secret of success in life is for a person to be ready for opportunity when it comes.”– Benjamin Disraeli Have a Cheerful Day!!! Cheers Kashi