“When public men indulge themselves in abuse, when they deny others a fair trial, when they resort to innuendo and insinuation, to libel, scandal, and suspicion, then our democratic society is outraged, and democracy is baffled”— J. William Fulbright
Since times immemorial sages have advised that before letting loose one’s tongue, carefully weigh the probabilities of outcomes but we hardly pay attention and are quick to grab the first opportunity to blurt out whatever comes to our mind. This seems more of a tendency to act smart even if it disrupts imagination. Our women, whose reputation and honour are delicately balanced, usually become victims of gossip mongering. Many lives have been rendered miserable on account of scandalous accusations that are spread by word of mouth by irresponsible persons.
If only we ponder over the repercussions of our careless whispers we can easily avert tremendous harm to many people. When anything is said about anyone, one should rely on one’s own judgement if the person is known and in the case of strangers, should refrain from believing blindly, anything related to them. Worse is when unverified facts are broadcast/spread with full confidence. It is easy to enjoy gossip but very difficult to maintain equilibrium, ensuring an atmosphere of peace and stability.
Worse are the cases where indirect remarks tainted with negativity are passed callously whether for the sake of humour or mere cynicism. These can be hurtful, misleading and often damaging for the subject person because instead of a straightforward statement it tends to give an indication, predominantly malicious in nature and that can be interpreted by the listeners in accordance with their own mindset. Referred to as innuendos and depending upon the situation, these can have a humorous side as in a stand-up comedy session which because of its very temperament is mostly taken in a lighter vein yet, it would be more appropriate to say that an innuendo’s harm does outweigh its harmlessness.
According to a news item, Ms. Wajiha Arooj won a legal battle spanning over a period of 17 years against the University of Punjab, located in Lahore, Pakistan. The verdict passed by the court ordered the university to pay Rs. 800,000 for damaging the plaintiff’s reputation. Pecuniary punishment aside, the good thing that has emerged out of this case is recognition of a felony that changed the entire course of the victim’s life. When such events occur it is extremely difficult for the onlookers to fathom the hurt that victims are subjected to when confronted with a situation that is heartbreaking as it happened with Ms. Wajiha. From being mocked to contemplating suicide are painful to endure by anyone, especially a young aspiring student pursuing her Master’s degree.
In our everyday life we deliberately or inadvertently pass judgements without weighing the intensity of our words and the ensuing consequences they may hold for others
Young ones, students in particular, usually dream of a fantastic future, high achievements and fulfilment of their ambitious dreams. In the case of males, this is quite within reach, but majority females have to struggle really hard. The family has to be convinced before they are allowed to pursue advanced studies and move on to higher goals in life other than settling down with a husband and children. Ms. Wajiha was one such aspirant who was dreaming of a career she had cherished since long but was forced to abandon it by the utterance of a few words that completely changed the course of her life and ambitions.
Ms. Wajiha was failed by Punjab University because she was declared absent in one exam while studying for her Master’s degree. Flared up, she visited the concerned office with her father to protest and challenge this allegation as any serious-minded person in her place would have done.
Instead of admitting their own mistake and being apologetic, a university official suggested to her father that he was oblivious to his daughter’s ‘activities’, words that were enough to cause concern. This remark that spread like wildfire at home and on the campus became instrumental in what followed.
She was met with suspicious looks by her kindred, faced taunts and curt remarks of her fellow classmates, bore gossip about acts she never committed nor ever thought of committing and was stopped from attending evening classes at the university thus frustrating any chance of a career. Represented by her lawyer father, a retired judge, she was left with no choice but to file a suit against Punjab University.
Four months later the university officials produced her exam answer sheet blaming a lower division clerk for the mistake and re-issuing her exam result the outcome of which was that the court ruled negligence on university’s part. Despite this correction, Wajiha could not reconcile with the stigma hurled on her character, so she sued Punjab University for damages.
Meanwhile, as it happens in our society and to avoid further shame on account of the ‘ill-repute’ of their daughter, Wajiha was married and packed off to Canada. The trial, however, continued in her absence in the Lahore High Court whose ruling although in her favour was continuously challenged by university but was eventually upheld by the appeals court in 2016.
One cannot help but admire Wajiha’s persistence in hammering the significance of callously uttered words and their repercussions on an individual. This deleterious episode in her life may have been a blessing in disguise but the toxic remnants of ruined aspirations do not go away easily.
In our everyday life we deliberately or inadvertently pass judgements without weighing the intensity of our words and the ensuing consequences they may hold for others. For a moment we must pause and look within our souls to understand exactly who we are. It is very easy to comment upon others but extremely difficult to walk in their shoes for a few feet.
People are prisoners of their circumstances, and it takes immense willpower to escape from this prison, the walls of which appear invisible but are highly impregnable. The stream of thought that develops in human minds is the product of their unique state of affairs that they are compelled to face from the day they are born.