Former Superintendent of Police, Ramachandran Nair P C, offered a thought-provoking reflection on the recent assault of the Trivandrum Mayor and her husband on a KSRTC driver and passengers. He highlighted the compliance of the fifteen passengers who willingly exited the bus at the couple’s command. Ramachandran believes this incident underscores a concerning trend of servitude among Keralites, indicative of a loss of self-respect and a growing spinelessness among Malayalees in recent years.

Let me share an incident that highlights the shifting mindset around us. Back in 1965, I recall a moment from my childhood in Changanacherry town. As an eleven-year-old, I accompanied our driver to drop off a relative at her home in Vazhapally. Upon our return, at Mathumoola Junction, we were stopped for a vehicle inspection. The Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI) noticed a discrepancy in our car’s documents and instructed the driver to stay put. Despite explaining that there was a boy in the car, the MVI remained unmoved. I asked the MVI to drop me home. MVI’s assistant drove the car. During the journey, he conversed with me and made me get off at Changanacherry main junction, from where I walked home.

It was the innocence of a child that prompted me to ask the MVI to drive me home. Contrastingly, today, even a child is aware of their influence and would likely avoid such direct confrontation. If a child were to speak up, elders might swiftly apologize, fearing upshots from the ‘government servant’.

As a society, we have yielded to such changes.                       

When will we reclaim not just childlike innocence, but the rightful and constitutionally granted rights of citizens?