Bravery or Foolishness – Your Choice

Bravery or Foolishness – Your Choice: News item in The Times of India, Hyderabad: Cyberabad cop wins Prime Ministers police medal 2018. I am including the news report as picture for this article. You can read it. The facts as reported are as follows:

• On October 9, 2017, one Mr. G. Shekhar Goud accidentally fell into lake along with his bike due to heavy incessant rain.
• Mr. G. Shiva Kumar, a police officer who is posted at Shadnagar police station received a message about this incident.
• On receiving message, Shiva Kumar rushed to the spot.
• Upon understanding the dangerous situation in which G. Shekhar Goud was in, Mr. Shiva Kumar, without caring for his life jumped in to the lake and rescued the drowning man.

Somebody must have sent the message to the police officer Mr. G. Shiva Kumar. The person who sent the message either by electronic communication or in person did not try to help Mr. Shekhar Goud – person who fell in the lake. Till the arrival of Mr. G. Shiva Kumar, Mr. Shekhar Goud continued to drown. Anyway, let us leave it at that. I would like to congratulate Mr. G. Shiva Kumar for receiving the P. M’s police medal for the year 2018. It says “Every police man should try to win the confidence of the people by going beyond the call of duty to save the lives of people”. The way Kumar risked his life to save others was truly inspirational.

Telugu famous poet –Tikana wrote one in ‘Gajendra Moksham’ (Salvation of elephant king): One day when the elephant king was having bath in a pond a powerful crocodile caught him. In water crocodile is very powerful. They fought for a long time and out of desperation & as last resort the elephant king invoked lord Vishnu; lord Vishnu came rushing to save his devotee without telling his wife, without taking his fighting gear. Let us conclude Gajendra Moksh here itself. A lot of interpretations & lot of story here – let us not venture there to prevent from digressing from the point. Can we say Mr. G. Shiva Kumar was like lord Vishnu – he can save people in distress without any safety equipment?

The 60’s Indo China war. Indian soldiers with impoverished 303 rifles and the Chinese with machine guns. Is it the bravery of our soldiers to fight a losing battle or is it foolishness? They knew they are no match for the Chinese at that point of time. The shoes & the combat dress was not good; equipment was not good; our aero planes were no match for Chinese. Yet our soldiers went and fought. What do we say? Is it bravery or foolishness to volunteer to die? We can glorify this act of departed soldiers as bravery and decorate them posthumously with medals of our choice. Reasons are innumerable. Conclusion remains the same. It is foolishness. Chanting God’s name & jumping in to battlefield is an act of desperate foolishness, not bravery.

The case of Mr. G. Shiva Kumar who jumped in to water & risking his life – is an act of foolishness than bravery. It sends a wrong message to the society. Policeman’s job is a great job. He fights for good…and for the law. But foolish bravery doesn’t make any policeman inspirational. Foolish bravery makes police ridiculous. Policeman should have been prepared for any eventuality like jumping in to water. Did he carry any floating equipment with him? Or rope or people to help?

India had two most popular serials. Superman and Shaktiman – where the central character can fly anywhere from the roof or tree top. Children got inspired by the Superman and Shaktiman character, went up to the terrace to fly – to imitate Shaktiman. They took a leap – the leap of death. We say that the children do not understand; our duty to prevent them etc. Agreed. However, when a police man jumps in to water or a building in fire to save someone without protective gear, am I to conclude it as lack of knowledge or innocence or am I to conclude it as foolishness?

In India, we have the habit of glorifying these foolish incidents in the name of courage / bravery. Somebody jumped into the water or fire while risking own life to save the life of somebody. We glorify them, dramatize them -the police commissioner of Cyberabad called it as inspirational. They are not inspirational sir, they are foolish. I wish all policeman to have protective gear to save people. Finally, a word to the Prime Minister – please stop these bravery awards. This is not bravery, dear prime minister. This is foolishness. This is suicide. This is lack of knowledge. We can give a false name called inspirational but when you see this in black and white it is sickening.

I am glad that at least Mr. G. Shiva Kumar, the police officer, he could save the life of the person who was about to drown and his life too. Thank God!!!