Reliability
Wednesday November 10 2004 13:14 IST
By Karmayogi
Matters of money,
property, contracts, etc., are reduced to writing and often registered. All
these are essential, inevitable and even inescapable.
But the smooth enjoyment of that property and functioning of the contract
depends on the unwritten relationships that are hovering behind the written
word. This is an area where reliability alone counts. It is a reliability of
one's word, or honouring the plighted word.
All good men fully vindicate their honour. But most men respond to
circumstances or pressures from inside by desire or ambition. Thirukural says
the world is sustained by such noble souls of honour.
In the army, every order is in writing, to the last detail. Life is so rich in
its complexity that any perfect arrangement can become useless and only human
integrity will stand in good stead.
Hostile crowds armed with machine guns hidden in their dress shouted at the
American Ambassador at Yemen. To rescue the Ambassador and his
family, a Black colonel with enough soldiers was flown in by helicopter. The
colonel was one who had been decorated earlier for valour. His heroic fight
saved the Ambassador and the family.
The grateful Ambassador spoke to the colonel saying he would mention his great
exploit to Washington. In the conflict, the colonel was forced to fire
on the crowd after they opened copious fire with machine guns. The National
Security Advisor, in order to avoid a political fiasco for his country, felt he
should make this colonel a scapegoat and charged him with opening fire on
unarmed people.
To substantiate his stand, the Advisor burnt the videotape showing the
crowd's hostile firing. The Black colonel was court-martialled.
This spotless officer was now defenceless, as all his soldiers who could have
been valid witnesses had died as martyrs. The prosecution was venomous. The
colonel's lawyer had only a week's time to prepare the case.
Taking a trip to Yemen, he collected as much evidence as he
could, none of which was useful. The crowd, the doctor who had treated the
wounded and other witnesses were blatantly lying.
Some bullet marks on the Consulate building were photographed by his lawyer to
prove that the crowded was armed. The evidence could not be conclusive. The
Ambassador, knowing the view of Washington, betrayed the
colonel who had saved his life and lied in court, saying that the crowd was
unarmed.
The clever arguments of the prosecution were turned against them by the defence
counsel. The jury, sensing the integrity of the colonel, acquitted him of the
major charges, but awarded a minor punishment.
Reliability is a greater virtue than incorruptibility, which is itself a pure
virtue. A nation's cultural status is fixed by the reliability of its
men. Life acted, the National Security Advisor and the spineless Ambassador
lost their jobs. The colonel was at last exonerated.