The lynching

                      It took me by surprise. It was so sudden. Within minutes, a huge mob baying for my blood had gathered in the room. They were shouting loudly. Shouting that I was to be beaten up. Flummoxed, I was speechless. Never expecting such a thing in all of my life, I was in a quandary. "What do I do now?" My friends who were with me till that moment were in two minds. It is wiser, they thought, to disown me, at least in the present context. And they betrayed me with their silence.

                                               Those ruffians took up control. They forced me to go with them to a central place. The director of the institute was also totally surprised as they made me stand in the center of the conference hall.

                                               Let me explain. I was a middle-level faculty member in a professional institution. I had come to a nearby institution to plan a program of faculty development. We were sitting in one of the faculty rooms to discuss strategy. The sudden hostile response led by some student leaders took everyone by surprise.

                                               Their complaint was that I was sending some inflammatory material to some students to their hostels by post. They brought some old Christian magazine which was sent to a student in the hostel and alleged that I was behind the subscription. They quoted an article from that magazine and said that it was dishonoring their gods. Once their leader, a thin wiry ex-student leader with a backpack on his shoulder, mentioned this, all the fellows shouted in unison that they need to punish me. I recognized that half of the crowd trying to lynch me were outsiders who had nothing to do with the institution.

                                               All this was taking place in the conference hall of the institution, under the so-called supervision of the director. Knowing me personally, he was taken aback that such a thing should happen. But his hands were tied.

                                               *.     *.     *

                                               There was a huge hullaballoo in the institution. Though things like that happen ever-so often, it was surprising that a faculty member, who had previously served with sincerity in this same institution was being lynched as it were. Sunil, a friend of the persecuted faculty Raj, knew some top people in the Police department. he alerted them and asked for help. The local police were sent speedily to the Institution. A posse of about seven constables under an Inspector arrived. They were also surprised to see such a huge crowd. They were worried that it would become unruly soon. Violence may ensue, so the Inspector thought and started regulating the crowd.

                                               Sensing that their time was coming to an end, the crowd started to demand things. They demanded that Raj issue a public apology. They started shouting and the police was on the fringes, waiting for violence to erupt. The situation was tense indeed.

                                                                                   *.     *.     *

                                               I was in a fix. Rapidly in my mind, the probable reason for this fracas flashed. For I could see in the periphery that these louts were shouting also at some students who were my mentees. These were part of a Fellowship we had begun years ago to nurture the Christian students. We were a peaceful lot, meeting to study the Bible peacefully. But then I realized that all the members of the Fellowship became good at their studies. This rankled the others and could have been behind this communal uprising. The students who were being heckled at that time were from the depressed community.

                                         The leader looked furiously at me, shouting, "Hey Raj, give an apology, or else you've had it." I looked at the director and other faculty. they stealthily looked away from me. I took a deep breath and asked God to give me the words. And I began to speak, "I humbly apologize if I have hurt the sentiments of any one of you inadvertently. Please accept my apology."

                                   "Sounds like a radio announcement. Is he sincere?" heckled the leader.

                                   The Inspector strode into the room and hustled me away. He escorted me to the parking lot and pushed me into my car. The leader and some of the crowd were following us closely. I felt the pang of fear as I realized that the police were washing their hands off me. The Constable told me, "Disappear, as soon as you can. These fellows can be dangerous."

                                   As I was being pushed out of the building, I noticed that Paul, one of our Fellowship members was being slapped by the mob. I silently prayed that the Lord would come to our rescue. The police demanded that I leave immediately, for my own security. I had no choice. I slipped into my car and started driving away.

                           The Police were efficient. They dispersed the crowd effectively. Some small groups remained here and there, but the main mob disappeared. The Press arrived like vultures and were asking questions. The leader of the mob preened himself and made some statements, most of which the press faithfully covered in the next day's newspaper.

                                                                       A small group of hardcore would-be-lynchers was very disappointed. "How could we leave Raj so easily? He just made a statement. They went after Raj, intending to harm him for all he had done. They rushed out to the Parking lot and could see Raj slowly driving out. Hopping onto their motorcycles, they followed him. Carrying huge stones in their hands, two fellows sat as pillion riders.

                                                                       They stalked Raj and his car for a few minutes and then forced him to stop his car. When he refused to get out of his car, they forcefully seized his car keys and threw them into a heap of rubbish by the road. They then took the stones and threatened to hit him. He pleaded with them to let him go. But they insisted. "How can we let you go so easily?"

                                                                       A sugarcane juice vendor was nearby. He looked at the unfolding scenario with fear. He was wondering why that man in the car was being persecuted by these fellows. He wisely kept mum, in case they stone him, too.

                                                                                               *.            *.            *

                                                                       I was terror-struck. In all of my life, I was never in a state like this. Those wretches on motorbikes corralled me and made me stop my car by the side of the road. I did not want to come out of the car as I saw huge stones in the hands of some of them. Fearing that they would stone me, I thought that the car may afford some refuge in that case. The lead bully was enraged. he switched off my ignition and seized my car keys.

                                                                       He threw my car keys into a rubbish dump by the side of the road not far away. I covered my face with my hands and sat. Silently I was praying to God. "Please deliver me out of this predicament, dear Lord"

                                                                       They pestered me. They threatened that they would stone me. I pleaded with them. With folded hands, I told them, "Please leave me alone. I am not going to repeat what I did."

                                                                       Perhaps the Lord softened their hard hearts. I am not sure. But one thing I know. They suddenly gave up pestering me and left off in a huff, warning me of more mayhem on me if I continued such activities.

                                                                       Heaving a long sigh, I silently thanked God. "Thank you Lord for delivering me from my enemies," I breathed out. My next task was to find my car keys. Fortunately for me, the nearby sugarcane vendor took pity on me. He took a long pole and fished out my keys as they glinted in the sunlight. I thanked him and took my car and rushed home. Tired and battered I was, bruised emotionally and spiritually.

                                                                       It took months for me to recover.

                                                                                   *.            *.            *

                                                                       The vendor, good Samaritan that he was, now wondered. "What was this drama played out in front of me?"

                                                                       Another good Samaritan, Sunil, who had called his friend the Police Officer, later on, called and talked to his friend. Sunil also was flummoxed as to how this mob was formed. He found out later that a right-wing extremist alternative to the Christian fellowship was formed some time ago and they had plotted this attack. They had called other right-wing youth groups to help them and started gathering forces as soon as they observed Raj entering the Institute. It was a planned assault.

                                                                       The Director and faculty of the Institution were also bewildered. They did have strikes and unrests previously. But none targeting an individual like this. They marveled at what exactly was behind this. Looking at the local newspapers the next day, they found a small write-up titled, "Uproar in the Institution" They scrutinized that column but found that it did not give any details. It merely mentioned that a section of students and activists targeted Mr Raj that morning.

                                                                                   *.            *.            *

                                                                                   The Fellowship became dormant for a few months. Everyone wanted to remain inactive. But months later, it flourished again, thanks be to God. I was for many months averse to come anywhere near the campus. But God enabled me to go there again. He gave me the courage to take up other secular work there. But every time I went there, I remembered that horrible day and walked cautiously and tried to finish my work and leave the campus as soon as I can.