Apaghatha.

That's what the police sub-inspector (accident investigation) at the Adugodi Traffic Police Station told me. "It is afterall an accident. I did not intend to be there. The schoolboys on the cycle did not did it on purpose. There is no motive. That is why it is apaghata, accident."

It sure was, an accident. Wife and me heading back home on Hosur road towards in the direction of richmond road from Koramangala. Around 5:20 PM. We had to take a different route that day to do an errand on the way back home. As we passed the Adogodi traffic signal, there were 2 school boys on a cycle heading in the worng direction on our left. I saw them too late as they came up suddenly behind some people on the road. We were travelling pretty slow as the signal had just turned green. Before I knew it the handle of the cycle came in contact with the left rear view mirror. The boys fell down. I stopped the car got out to help and now comes the fun part!

The school boy riding pillion was hurt as his leg was stuck in the cycle. The traffic constable at the junction saw the whole thing and asked me to take the injured school boy to the hospital. WE put him in the back seat, along with a class-mate and passery-by took the injured school boy to St. John's hospital. At the hospital the doctors asked for initial money for the x-ray and registration. I paid for both.

After sometime, the boy's paternal uncle landed up. From the minute he saw the boy all he did was yell and shout at the boy. He screamed at him for being on a cycle. Before I knew what was going on, the story had changed. Now I was accused of hitting a hapless schooboy who was crossing the road. The cycle and cyclist out of the picture.

I was asked to take my car to the Traffic Police station. A constable from the police station drove with me, I suppose to make sure that I did not run away! Got to the police station, and when I walked in, the boy's uncle was there, and a complaint was being written stating that I had hit the kid while he was crossing the road. I protested, but in vain. I wrote my version of the accident, and the sub-inspector in-charge (Siddiah) refused to accept my complaint. I did not have much choice but to leave my car at the police station as the Inspector was away.

Later in the night, I went back to the police station with a friend of mine to meet the inspector. He took my letter that contained my version of the accident, refused to give any acknowledgement. He assured me that my statement will be included in the investigation. This was at 10 in the night.

The aftermath of Dr. Rajkumar's passing away.

The city of bangalore has witnessed mindless violence on April 12th and 13th 2006. I have been confined to home as most people in the city. People are fearful of stepping out as the steets seem to have been taken over by hoodlums and miscreants.

On the news channels, yesterday there was footage of people burning police vehicles. People were everywhere. My deepest sympathies to the neighbours of Dr. Rajkumar. The "public" were out and in huge numbers. They were pouring into the neighbouring houses. Eventually they got into Dr. Rajkumar's house too. For a moment the footage from the news channel looked like the movie critters or an alien movie where humans were replaced by this mob.

Today, the 13th of April, the city is virtually SHUT DOWN. The ones on the street are having a field day burning busses, pelting stones at cars and buildings. In today's newspaper, the chief minister had stated that police will deal with rioting very strictly. The story on the streets is very different. One BMTC bus was in flames, one KSRTC bus was being pelted with stones. The worst footage of all, two policemen jumped out of the KSRTC bus and were chased by the mob and beaten up. all on tape.

I am a great fan of Dr. Rajkumar. As a child I have watched all of his movies in the theatre and now I always am on the look out for some of his classic movies on VCD. The man personified the cause of Kannada. From what I know he is not a kannadiga by birth, but that did not stop him from taking up the cause. All of this violence in his name? Everytime he was involved in anything, there has been mindless violence in his name and now even as he passes away, there is violence in his name.

I am curious to know who these people are. They are shouting, screaming, laughing, dancing, throwing stones. Who are these people? Where did they come from? What do they do in life when they are not resorting to this acts of violence? What are they protesting against? Are they protesting against nature? Every living being must die, sometime, sooner or later. Did they really think he was immortal?

There is enough footage on camera. Footage of people attemting to overturn a police tow truck. Footage of people throwing stones at a bus and dancing in front of the news cameras. Footage of people chasing policemen and beating them up. Pictures in newspaper of a mob rolling a police car over. I think the police should use all of this footage and press pictures and go after these guys. IT only takes a handful of them to cause this mindless violence.

To when end? Were they protesting against an asbestos laden ship on its way to indian shores? No. Were they protesting against the narmada dam height being raised? No. Were they protesting against increased taxes? No. Increased petrol prices? No. Were they protesting auto-rickshaw drivers demanding excess fare? No. What then? What?

Looking at the faces of these faceless people, it is a truly mob mentality. I am in a mob, hence invincible, and INVISIBLE. Who burnt the bus? A mob did. Who overturned the police car? A mob did. Who beat up the hapless policemen? A mob did. who is this mob?

Wonder what 'Annavaru' has to say about all of this violence in his name. To be honest, he did not have much to say when there was violence when he was kidnapped. There are many conspiracy theories about that.

Sure hope his soul rests in peace, given that for the living it is hell unleashed by his "fans".