Chapter Seven, Section I.
The prison sojourn, in more ways than one, was a blessing in disguise. So far, I have mentioned only those experiences that were bearable. Some things would best be left unsaid and yet, it was the unmentionable traumas that helped me see more clearly the enormity of our Lord's sufferings. In the Mandya Jail, for the first time in my life I was confronted by real human brutality, not that I, personally, suffered much; I am referring to the sufferings of others.
We do not want our readers to think that Indian or Asian jails are any more corrupt or violent than those in the West. Human nature is the same, the world over. Ironically, the prisoners themselves perpetrated most of the acts of brutality. I can remember saying to myself during one shocking episode, "Oh, my God, that's what they did to Jesus!"
Many times I agonized with Him as I agonized with people - my own friends. Yes, they were my friends because we were "all in the same boat", as it were. But some were murderers, rapists, thieves, or bandits. You name the crime; they were there, and in that exercise yard we were all in together.
"How would Jesus relate to such people?" was the question I constantly asked myself. Always, without exception, the same answer would come back ... "He would love them." He may not be able to love some of their actions but he would love them as persons. And, by the Grace of God, that's what I sought to do.
The sufferings I witnessed in that jail made me obsessed with the sufferings of Christ. How could he have possibly forgiven his torturers? For meditation, I went through the New Testament, underlining every verse that pertained to the sufferings of Christ and there was one verse, which stood out against all the rest - Colossians, Chapter One and verse twenty-four.
It was this passage of scripture that helped change many of my concepts of the Gospel. On that memorable day, when the Holy Spirit, in an altogether new and living way, illumined my mind, I was reading from my Hindi translation of the New Testament. This was the same precious Book that had been read by the Jailer Sahib, Musta and Vishvanath. And now I was reading it from a different perspective - out of an experience of suffering. It was becoming increasingly clear that the Lord reveals himself as we identify with others in the Stream of Human Suffering - the "Bloody" Stream of Human Suffering, for it is there that we come into contact with the "Blood" of Jesus Christ. And that's what our faith is all about.
Jesus challenged his disciples to "eat his flesh and drink his blood" (Jn. 6:54), and theologians, down through the years, have stumbled over these words of our Lord. In seeking their interpretation, they have literalised and sacramentalised them. But for me, in that jail situation, it was all becoming clear. To understand the message of the Cross, the "Flesh & Blood" of Christ have to be incarnated in human relationships. The realization of the Christian faith is intrinsically bound up with "togetherness" with people in need. However, I could not fathom the depths of this aspect of the Incarnation and Atonement until I first stumbled over the words of Paul in Colossians I :24 and one particular word in that verse - "DEFICIENT":-
"It is now my happiness to suffer for you. This
is my way, in my own human flesh, of making up that which is DEFICIENT in the
sufferings of Christ, for the sake of his body, which is the
There was no doubt about the word in the Hindi. "Ghatti" means to be "deficient" and it was over this word, that I was in a quandary. "How could Paul have the audacity," I thought, "to suggest that there could be anything deficient in Christ's sufferings? Surely this must be a false rendering of the original text." I didn't have a Greek New Testament in the small library I was permitted to have and anyway, my Greek had become very weak, through lack of use. The word in the original is "Antanapleerow" and implies a "filling or topping up to make up for short measure".
"But there was no short measure in what Christ suffered to redeem us," I reasoned. The torture he suffered must have been mind-boggling and that was before they nailed him on the cross. Had he not been previously flogged most cruelly? (In. 19: 1). Are we not "Healed by his stripes?" (Isaiah 53:5). My mind was almost bursting to understand the passage. Those "stripes" about which we read, often all too casually, were a measure of the pain he endured and they are horrible - ghastly. Surely the ugly, raised welts would have made up for any possible short-fall in what he went through under crucifixion. And what about the spiritual aspect of his sufferings - the anguish of being rejected by the very persons he came to save and, in his understanding, by the Heavenly Father he represented?
Before turning in for the night, I had been
meditating over Isaiah Chapter fifty-three, asking the Lord to clarify my
thinking in the matter. It was around two in the morning when light dawned in
my mind. "The Lord is STILL suffering," I said to myself. The Cross,
the Atonement, the whole purpose of his sufferings was now becoming clear.
After I was released, I was able to compare all the various translations of
Col. 1 :24 which, in different ways, tell us that Christ's sufferings are
"STILL TO BE ENDURED" (N.E.B.) and there "REMAINS" much
more for him to appropriate in terms of human misery. He is suffering today
through his twentieth century contemporary body, the
I thanked God for this illumination. The King James'
Version also now made sense in that our faith in Christ is a "filling up
of that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ. " Too often, one
section of the
This is why so many of these churches could not be motivated to share in the famine relief program. Along with such theology, we get much talk about the Blood of Christ, a verbalizing of the Cross that has more relevance to ancient history than contemporary human need. At the other end of the spectrum are those who merely sacramentalised the sufferings of Christ, leaving his agonies on the altar or at the Communion rail. But the Apostle challenges us to "FILL UP" in our own bodies the "REMAINDER" (Living N.T. on Col. 1:24) of his ministry.
It should be remembered that there is nothing that we
as mere finite beings, can do through "works" to add to what Christ
has suffered. It is not so much WE who are suffering but CHRIST IN US (Col. I
:27). And it's the same Christ, doing the same caring, the same loving,
enduring the same suffering, agonizing the same death. Yes, it's the same
Christ, the only difference today is that he has a different body. No longer is
he limited by that physical body of Jesus of Nazareth, for he can reach out
world-wide through his twentieth century contemporary body, the
And a great privilege it is too, "For to you has been given the PRIVILEGE, not only of trusting in him, but also of suffering for him." (Phil. 1:29. Living New Testament). "Given the privilege" comes from the Greek word "Charis" meaning "grace" and always implies the unmerited gift of God himself poured out for unworthy persons, through unworthy channels. Again, it is Christ himself doing the suffering in and through us. THIS IS THE SECRET - "CHRIST IN YOU, the hope of a glory to come (Col. 1 :27)."
I thanked God for revealing to me the very Secret of Life itself.
Now, if Christ is in us, it is to continue the same ministry that he initiated when here on earth in the physical body of Jesus of Nazareth. I thanked the Lord once more for this revelation. Life for me never would be the same again. Even the persecutions we were undergoing, with all their trials and tribulations, took on a new purpose. Depending on how we were to appropriate such harassment, God could use them for his glory.
"Glory," I thought; I seemed to remember that even Glory, somewhere in Scripture, is tied up with suffering. Next morning I found that injunction in Ephesians 3: 13 (RSV) "Not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your GLORY."
The Christian ministry, also, came into a much
clearer perspective, through my term in prison. I now was convinced beyond all
doubt, that it is not an exclusive clerical role, reserved for the academic
male, gifted in teaching, public speaking and pastoral counselling, however
important those functions may be in the total ministry of the
To qualify for such an office means "crucifixion" - death to pride and the self-life and a willingness to bear Christ's cross in humble relationships with people. Paul sums up the Ministry in even more succinct terms in 2 Cor. 4:10 (NEB):- "Wherever we go, we carry with us death in our body, the death that Jesus died, that in this body also, life may reveal itself. the Life that Jesus lives." No longer did I see John 12:32 as referring only to Jesus and his impending crucifixion. "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth (on the cross), will draw all people to myself."
Of course, initially it refers to Jesus, but secondarily, all of us in Him are called to suffer the "Remainder" of his Ministry, to be "Lifted Up", as it were, to share his agonies as we empathize with him in the human dilemma. And so, when Jesus cried out on the cross, "It is finished", by no means was it the end of his sufferings, but rather the culmination of a redemptive process that was to go on and on down through the ages in the lives of those women and men who dare to take up the cross and follow him.
It was still dark as I continued to meditate. I just longed for the light of day to search the Scriptures so that all the isolated, heavily underlined relevant texts could be brought together into a homogeneous pattern. Dawn came early that day. I could not wait for thaw-out time and anyway, I really didn't need it, being warmed in my heart through this new experience.
My Bible was a mass of colours, each colour underscoring a particular theme. I like the Living New Testament translation of 1 John 3: 18 - "Little children, let us stop just saying we love people; let us really love them and show it by our actions." The Christian faith is intensively active - a "Ministry of Good Works". Certainly we are "saved by faith", not "works", but Faith is commitment to a way of life - to the person of Jesus Christ who went about doing good. (Acts 10:38).
"Works", in its Biblical connotation, implies activity with questionable motivation. We may perform a service in the community that is designed not so much to help the person served, as to gain favours for ourselves. These are the type of "works" that serve no real purpose in our Christian development.
Because of a serious misunderstanding concerning this important doctrine, many evangelical Christians, who are inspired to serve others in a practical way, are reluctant to get involved. They fear that such participation in the "social gospel" may weaken their relationship with the Lord. However, if Christ be in our hearts, we'll find ourselves being led into all manner of practical, positive, constructive service, because Christ Himself, is the One serving.
We are but the vehicles - the "Earthen
Vessels" of 2 Corinthians 4:7-12. That leads to another doctrinal concept
that was confirmed through those difficult days of persecution in fellowship
with a suffering
He was describing the ministry as a witness in
"togetherness". "Wherever we go WE (plural) carry with us death
in OUR (plural) BODY (singular in the Greek) - that in this BODY (singular),
life may be revealed, the life that Jesus LIVES (Pres. continuous tense)."
Paul is not referring to individual bodies, living in isolation from each
other, but one group - the
The Bible is full of such examples of just how much we as people need each other but the analogy of the human body best describes the growth we have in Christ through growth we have in each other. "He is the head and on Him the whole body depends. Bonded and 'knit together' by every constituent joint, the whole frame grows through the due activity of each part and builds itself up in love." (Ephes. 4:16 NEB).
Another thing that we learned through the
persecutions is that it is a special type of togetherness, which is conducive
to Christian development and
Almost at the eleventh hour, when about to "throw in the sponge", I received a letter from "Willie" Wilson, Chairperson of the Mission's Home Board in Britain. He quoted 2 Timothy 1: 6-8 (RSV), which was the passage that pulled me through.:-
"I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give you a spirit of timidity but a Spirit of Power and love and of self-control. Do not be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner, but share in suffering for the Gospel in the Power of God" PAUL
This injunction, from those who had commissioned me to serve in India as their representative, brought me to my senses. I began to reflect on all those who had gone before me, even as far back as Moses! What was my suffering compared with what he went through? He had much to commend him, having been blessed with the finest education and training that the culture of his day could afford. He was even heir to the very throne of Egypt but, like Paul, counted all that was to his advantage as so much garbage.
Moses made a choice that staggers the unregenerate and materialistic minds of our hedonistic Western society, which tends to support the wealthy and the criminals at the expense of the poor and innocent victims. Moses identified with "little people". He stuck up for the underdog. But his Strength was not of this world; it came from "brokenness" - from a spirit of deep humility. "If Moses could have so many Christian virtues in his day," I reasoned, "without even knowing the full nature of God as we do today, in Christ," how much more is expected of me?
The same spirit is exemplified in Jeremiah; chosen by God to be the "prophet to the nations" - chosen because of his humility. During one of the darkest periods in the Kingdom of Judah, the prophet's credentials never would have qualified him to be a top executive in our modern world. When challenged by God to lead his people, he cried out, "Oh, Lord God, I cannot speak for I am but a child" (Jeremiah 1: 6). That was the secret of his ministry - his "brokenness". "How desperately we need women and men of his calibre today, particularly in the area of Government," I yearned, "to lead our sick nations back on to the path of truth, justice, moral integrity and peace."
Or what of Isaiah, the prophet who perhaps reached the highest moral and spiritual peak prior to the coming of Jesus? In the Old Testament we see God longing to break-through into the human scene with a full revelation of Himself I believe that, in this regard, Isaiah, with his emphasis on God as the "Suffering Servant", had a most dynamic ministry because of his own "brokenness".
Like we ourselves, he also lived in evil days - among people with "unclean lips", but when challenged by the Lord to lift his people out of their pollution, he expressed his unworthiness for the task: - "I am a man of unclean lips" (Isaiah 6:5). That is the mark of a true prophet and a true leader; he identified with his people in their sin.
Of course, the supreme example of "brokenness" is seen in Jesus. Before commencing his earthly ministry, he approached John for baptism, a strange thing when it is realized that John's baptism of repentance was a rite to be performed only by Gentiles and "sinners". To understand why Jesus submitted himself to this symbolic practice of immersion in water, for which only those who considered themselves delinquents dared to apply, we need to get into his mind to understand how he looked upon wayward people.
His identification with them was true empathy - totally non-judgmental - and we, also, are to have this same mind of Christ who "made himself of no reputation". (Phil. 2:5-8). One of the most beautiful examples of Christ's humility is seen in John 13:4-9, when he took a towel and began to wash the feet of his disciples and particularly unworthy Peter. It was only to be expected that Peter would protest but Jesus was ready for that. What is most significant in Jesus' reply is a play on words that is not apparent in most translations from the original Greek.
To impress upon Peter the way we come to know Him in intimate human relationships of service, the Lord used two different Greek words. "Peter, now you do not 'know' (oidas = know intuitively) but later you will 'get to know' ('Ginosko' - which is the knowledge we gain progressively in intimate, human relationships of humility and service). "What Jesus is really saying to Peter is: -"Look, Peter, you don't yet know all divine truth, but when you are prepared to, as it were, stoop in humility to wash the feet of needy people even perhaps unlovely people, you will 'get to know'; you will progressively 'come to understand' " This is to GROW in GRACE & KNOWLEDGE.
Christian "knowledge" is not that which depends entirely upon the intellect. It is that which surpasses mere human knowledge, even scholarly, theological aptitude, for it is a "spiritual wisdom and understanding" (Col. 1 :9) and a "Spirit of wisdom and revelation" (Ephes. 1: 17), that depends more on our nature and behaviour than on our academic skills. This is not revelation apart from the Word of God; rather is it a spiritual illumination of what already has been revealed in the Bible. The written Word of God becomes the incarnate Word in experience as we grow in this "knowledge" gained in intimate relationships of suffering love with the Lord and with those for whom he died.
"My sheep hear my voice and I KNOW them' (Ginosko). In John 10:14, Jesus is using this word even in relation to his own knowledge. The Lord really gets to know us because, as a true shepherd, he has intimate concern even for the weakest one in the flock. And it is a concern with no strings attached. His love is unconditional - no questions asked. Bible study, meditation and prayer, triggered off by the suffering I beheld - His suffering - helped to retain my sanity in what otherwise could have become for me - a madhouse.
Chapter Seven, Section II
While in custody, I had no idea of the efforts that some were making to have me released. Of course, Sundabeti was doing her very best and could have had me released within 24 hours, had I been prepared to compromise, but neither she nor I would agree that the bond be signed. Ruth's mother travelled to Canberra and managed to gain an interview with General Kariappa, the then High Commissioner for India in Australia, who promised to have the matter investigated.
Several years earlier, in Mussoorie, Ruth and I had the privilege of personally meeting this very distinguished Indian gentleman and Sandhurst-trained soldier when, as Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces, he was inspecting fortifications in the Himalayas, during those difficult days when China invaded India.
Ruth's Aunt Alberta, in Britain, was a personal friend of the former last British Viceroy's family - The Mountbattens - and was exploring that avenue, a hopeful contact because the Viceroy, although the highest representative of the British Raj, at the time, really had a love for India and genuinely desired her Independence.
In Australia, the elder of our home church at Balmoral, was in touch with his personal friend, Lord Casey, former last Governor of West Bengal, during the days of British Occupation. Both these Australian and British former Raj Authorities were held in high esteem by many of India's top leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru. In this way, news of my imprisonment was taken directly to the Prime Minister.
While I was grateful for those seeking my welfare, I was uneasy about possible misunderstandings that could be conveyed by those not familiar with all the facts. I wanted both the Indian Government Authorities in New Delhi and the Australian High Commission to know that I was only one of a group implicated in alleged Case IPC 144 of Breach of Peace. I didn't want them to be overly concerned for me to the neglect of my Indian colleagues who, after all, were the real victims of the persecution.
Above all, I wanted it to be made perfectly clear that I held nothing against the Government of India for what was happening. Especially, I wanted the Indian Authorities at the top to realize that I had full confidence in the Indian penal system.
As it was, although unknown to me at the time, there
were those abroad, even within the
Nothing could be further from the truth. Although it was petty officials who ostensibly were harassing us, they performed only as pawns, being manipulated by powerful politicians, landlords, illegal traders and moneylenders with vested interest in a poverty stricken society. The same type of weak, gullible officials are to be found in any country, even in the Western World, where high police officials and even those at the top in the legal profession and penal system have been cleverly coerced by the drug - alcohol barons, bankers, industrialists and others of dubious reputation.
It was not the Government of India that was persecuting us as some ill-informed people imagined; it was actually defending us! We are so grateful for the way in which India's higher authorities stood by us two foreign guests, even though, ultimately, it meant reprimanding their own nationals in the course of their duty. How many nations have the grace to behave in that way towards their foreign residents?
Following my release from custody, for the next thirty years, Ruth and I never were refused either a "No- Objection To Return Permit" or a regular Visa which would never have been possible if the Indian Government had even the slightest doubt about our integrity. Similarly, we had no axe to grind with the Hindu Community, in fact, in all the towns where we worked, we had the most cordial relationships with non-fundamentalist Hindus from all sections of the public. Those who fabricated our alleged offences used religion to back their claims.
They had no real interest in the Hindu faith. In fact, they exploited their own brethren whom they sought to keep in abject poverty and ignorance. Their extortionist practices were threatened because the Gospel was liberating people from poverty and a slave-mentality upon which such capitalists depend for revenue. Before James and I could be cleared, the Government of India would have to take its stand with a minority community and that, with foreign connections. Finally it did, and it was this impartial stand, in keeping with India's liberal Constitution, that helped win India to our hearts - JAI HIND!
But our troubles were not over yet. It took several more years before the litigation ended and meanwhile, there was much to be suffered. My case was being heard before the Mandya Magistrate every ten days and it was these court appearances that I loathed most of all.
Ironically, we enjoyed such outings to the free world. It was like going for a picnic, and often the boys would sing, whistle and crack jokes. The armed guards also would enjoy these assignments and grasp the opportunity to be less officious – even to be “one of the boys”. Once a prisoner was "broken in" and had learned implicit obedience, he generally found that most of the guards were human beings - really nice guys!
But, while the march to court was real fun, in spite of us being roped together, much to the interest of the curb-side spectators, what bugged me in more ways than one were the putrid cells we were locked in off the court verandah, pending parade before the Magistrate. Of course, had I gone to Raxaul where I would have been classed as a VIP, I would have suffered non of this humiliating and embarrassing treatment which, after all, was just the norm for Mandya and other remote jails. So really, I had none to blame but myself.
Mere words could never express my gratitude to Premi whose clean, wholesome food prevented me getting diarrhoea or dysentery, which affected many of the others. Sometimes we were confined in those cells all day, with nothing on which to sit but the filthy floor or to lean on but walls besmeared with nasal wipings and red with spat-out betel-nut-pan juice and saliva. There were no toilet facilities except a bucket-full of evil-smelling sand in one corner, all in view of hundreds of gawking onlookers.
I was desperately afraid of having to defecate in that corner in full view of all the spectators and took a supply of toilet paper in my pocket but no hand-washing water was provided. It was to take twenty years before I was sufficiently indigenised to squat in public and unashamedly relieve myself. For a full day, therefore, prior to appearing in court, I would limit my fluid intake to the absolute minimum required to sustain life, but it didn’t make much difference at that cold time of year.
How jubilant I was when, after a month in that horrible prison, I was called into the Jailer Sahib’s office to be informed that, although my case would continue, I no longer would be held in detention, even though I had not signed the bond!
News of my release left me both elated and saddened" On the one hand I was overjoyed to be going back home to Ruth and the boys and being able to visit "Moussie" and the family, but I was sorry to be parting from so many friends I had made in the exercise yard. Happily, I was able to spend fifteen minutes with the Jailer Sahib who said he was sorry to see me go. He flattered me by saying that my presence had reduced the incidence of disobedience and violence among the long-term prisoners. How about that? In return, I thanked him for all the extra facilities he had allowed, to make my sojourn less uncomfortable. He apologised for any inconvenience I may have suffered.. I apologized for all the extra work I had caused him and in this traditional, Indian way, we achieved complete reconciliation, all debts being settled amicably!
"Oh, by the way," he said, in Hindi, "that 'Susamachar' (New Testament) you have. Is there any chance of you getting me one?" I assured him that I would send him a copy by the first post out of Bhavnagar. And that's what I did. What happened to that Precious Book after it reached the Jailer Sahib, is a story in itself and will be told later.
Meantime, James Russell's case was re-opened, this time in the Sessions Court at Aranchalganj, there being insufficient funds to take the appeal to the High Court, Nagpur. Frankly, none of us had any hope of justice being achieved in that small town where the extreme right-wing Rashtra Sewa Sangh (RSS) Party held sway, much as did the Arya Samajists in Mandya. It was the RSS Party that was held responsible for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. However, James felt that something should be done at least to placate his Indian colleagues who, because of the fear of beatings, continued to plead that appeal should be made to the High Court.
Janice was quite concerned for James because of an adverse heart condition that could be exacerbated under the eight months of rigorous imprisonment. There were, however, light tasks
for approved physically disabled prisoners and we believed that James would probably by given no more strenuous a job than making mail bags. The same would not apply to healthy Prabhu Das, Budhu and Saheba, for whom "rigorous imprisonment" could more appropriately be called "hard labour". Our hearts ached for our four brothers in Christ, knowing what their faith was about to cost them.
Much time was spent by the churches in prayer and the prayers were specific. No request was made that they be spared the beatings or hard manual labour. After all, that was all part of the Cross. Our churches petitioned the Lord that Truth may triumph and the name of Jesus Christ be glorified. In praying for a complete acquittal, virtually we were asking God to do the "impossible" - to perform a miracle!
The strongest evidence that contributed to the making of that miracle were the welts around the back of Krishnadeo, the border guard. If he had been beaten, as he alleged, with his own rigid bamboo "lathi", the welts would not have been around the curvature of the back. It was now clear before the court that Krishnadeo had been flogged with a whip.
That settled the matter. The case was over, James, Prabhu Das, Budhu and Saheba being fully exonerated. James' Lawyer, Shri Lobestrom, overheard one of the magistrates saying to another as they left the Court House - "The sentence (the initial one in the Lower Court) against those four had been cruel, inhuman and vindictive!"
My acquittal came in a different way, though no less remarkably. Like James' lawyer, mine too, was very clever. Shri Dharmpal Pande, although quite elderly, was very sprightly of mind with a real sense of humour. Knowing the case to be a complete fabrication, he worked on the theory that the prosecution witnesses would find it difficult to remember all the details of incidents that really never happened.
He set out, therefore, to systematically befuddle their thinking. All the fourteen prosecution witnesses had obviously been brow-beaten or coerced in other ways to say what they were meant to say -that I had gone to a certain field near Bundi to threaten Shri Kalinath Mehta with a gun. Unfortunately for me, I did actually possess a .22 rifle which I bought for protection after a rabid dog had charged at Ruth, only to be intercepted by our pet Golden-haired Retriever, just in the nick of time. "Saga" was bitten, necessitating a trip to Ranitola for anti-rabies vaccine, which saved our beautiful dog.
How fortunate for us at the time that it was the dry season when the Forest Department tracks were open, rivers crossable and kerosene available to preserve the vaccine for two weeks in our refrigerator. One of the most horrific ways in which to die is of rabies or hydrophobia. We lost one patient in this way - ghastly! I'm sure that, had there been no witnesses present, I would have clonked him over the head with the Jeep crank-handle to put him out of his misery. Even though we pumped into him massive doses of Chlorpromazine and Sodium Phenobarbital injections, we could not sedate him. Incidentally, because I never had taken the rifle out of the bungalow, only the Police Daroga knew I was in possession of a gun because it was registered under his authority.
In the Mandya Court, one by one, the Prosecution Lawyer questioned the fourteen prosecution witnesses in the customary way so that their answers, inevitably, would be against the accused. At the same time, a group of Christian brethren, with heads bowed and deep in prayer, was standing at the rear of the court. You almost could have heard a pin drop as the answers given were anything but the normal!
People who regularly visited the court were amazed at the bizarre response by simple tribal people to the stem questions fired at them by the police. They had seen nothing like it before.
"You were near the field, weren't you?" demanded the police lawyer. "You saw the Skillicorn Sahib threaten Shri Kalinath Mehta with a gun, didn't you?" yelled the court vakil in a most vehement manner. We all anticipated that the simple tribal standing in the dock, in fear and trembling, would give the usual answer expected of him, "Ha, ha, - yes, yes, I saw the Skillicorn Sahib threatening to shoot Kalinath."
But miracle of miracles, the first witness replied in a steady voice, totally devoid of the cringing attitudes generally seen in court, "No, I didn't see him and he doesn't have a gun!" "One down and thirteen more to go," I remember saying to myself. But those entire thirteen fell in much the same way, the first witness having encouraged the rest.
"You were near the field weren't you?" blasted the police lawyer. "You saw the Sahib with his gun aimed at Kalinath, didn't you? Answer me!" The second witness did answer but not in the way the officer wanted.
"No," came the innocent reply, "Why, the Sahib is my friend and he helps people!" "Two down; twelve more to go. Thank you Lord," I breathed out slowly in prayer.
"Next witness to the stand," the Magistrate ordered. Again, the police lawyer, in a similar arrogant manner, fired much the same volley of questions and in each case the unusual reply was given - "The Sahib never has been near the field; he could not kill anybody!"
By the time the last prosecution witness had fallen, the Magistrate looked dumb-founded. Finally, Kalinath Mehta himself took his stand in the witness box. He looked completely deflated, having lost the support of all his witnesses and Pande Sahib was out to take full advantage of the situation.
With a twinkle in his eye, our aged defence counsel launched a stinging tirade at the plaintiff. "Now you say that when the Skillicorn Sahib levelled the gun at you, his eyes were alternately 'flashing red & yellow' (a Hindi idiom to denote the expression of violent anger) in uncontrollable rage. Answer me."
"Yes," replied Kalinath.
"Now, if you were able to see the colour of his flashing eyes, the Sahib must have been very close to you. How close was the Sahib?" questioned Pandeji.
"Five feet." came the reply.
"Did you measure the distance?" "No."
"If you did not measure the distance, is there not a possibility of the distance being more than five feet. Correct?"
"Yes, it is possible"
"Now if you didn't measure the distance, is it not also possible that he could have been at a further distance, say twenty feet - even thirty or forty?"
"Yes, it is possible," came the same answer every time.
"Now, if the Sahib was as far as forty feet from you, that means he was not in the field but in the mango grove. Correct?" "Yes, it is possible."
"Now, have you ever thought why people take guns into orchards? Why would the Skillicorn Sahib want to take a gun into the orchard? Think man; use what few brains you may have. Don't stand there looking like a "beykhoof” (fool). Answer me. Why would the Sahib want to take a gun into the orchard. Would it not be to shoot birds?"
"Yes, it is possible."
Turning to the Magistrate, Lawyer Pande said, "Your Honour, let it go down." It may sound ludicrous, but that is how I was acquitted, through a judgment worded in English thus:-
"I believe that Skillicorn went to the area with
a gun, but as there is no evidence to prove the same, I acquit him of all
charges. He was probably there shooting birds!" My Indian friends and I
were cleared of all charges. Truth had Triumphed and an Impossible Dream had
been realized.
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