96. Police Complaint

"Yes, please."

"I want to give a complaint."

"Against whom?"

"Against my younger brother."

"What did he do?"

"He threatened to kill me!"

"What is the issue between the two of you?"

"There is a dispute about the border between my paddy field and his. He shifted the border one feet inside my land. When I questioned his action, he brandished the sickle he was holding and threatened to hack me."

The Police Inspector was silent for a minute. He then said, "Please write your name and address and the name and address of your brother on a sheet of paper and give it to me. I will conduct an enquiry."

"Sir, you should arrest him immediately."

"Will your brother be at home this evening?"

"Yes. But why wait till the evening? Come with me, now. I will show his house. We two are residing at adjacent houses."

"I will come in the evening. Will you be home?"

"Yes. I will wait for you."

When Subbiah returned home from the fields in the evening, he asked his wife, "Did any policemen come to my brother's house?"

"I didn't see any policeman. But a gentleman clad in a pant and a shirt has come to your brother's house. He has been talking to your brother for quite some time."

Subbiah wondered who the person visiting his brother could be.

'Perhaps, knowing about my complaint, my brother had called a lawyer to his house, for consultation!'

After a few minutes, there was some movement outside Subbiah's house. Subbiah saw that someone was standing outside the door of his house.

'Who is this person? Is he the one who had been to my brother's house? Why has he come here?'

Only after going near the door, Subbiah recognized the person standing outside his house as the Police Inspector!

"Sir, it's you! Since I saw you in the uniform at the station, I couldn't recognize you immediately!" said Subbiah, in an apologetic tone.

"Can I come in?" asked the Inspector.

"Yes, of course. Please" said Subbiah, again in an apologetic tone, realizing that he was standing at the door, blocking the entrance and moved away, giving way to the Inspector to enter his house.

After the Inspector came in and took his seat, Subbiah asked him, "You had been to my brother's house?"

"Yes. I met him and talked to him" said the Inspector.

"But you have not arrested him!" said Subbiah, showing his displeasure.

"Sir, be patient. I cannot arrest a person on the basis of a complaint given by another. Suppose, your brother gives a complaint against you, can I arrest you?"

"Did he give a complaint against me?" asked Subbiah, angrily.

"Not at all. I don't think he will ever do that. He has a lot of respect for you. He always refers to you in a reverential way."

"But, he threatened to kill me! You want an eyewitness to substantiate my allegation?"

"There is no need for that. He admits that he threatened to kill you."

"Why didn't you arrest him, then?"

"I can arrest him, alright. But before doing so, I wanted to have a word with you. That's why I have come to your house."

The Inspector then turned to Subbiah's wife and asked her, "Madam, can I have a glass of water?"

"Oh, I am sorry. In my anxiety, I forgot to offer you anything to drink. Will you have a cup of coffee? Or, do you prefer buttermilk or tender coconut?" asked Subbiah, his voice showing his embarrassment for neglecting to be hospitable.

"No. Thank you. I drank a glass of water at your brother's house. To maintain the balance, I will have one glass of water at your house also!" said the Inspector, smiling.

A smile appeared on Subbiah's face for the first time, since the conversation had begun.

"You said that before arresting my brother, you wanted to have a word with me. Where is the need for it? Have I not given you a complaint already?"

"Yes. But, I need to check with you about two things. Your brother told me that his speaking to you menacingly was done in a fit of anger and that he subsequently regretted it. He said that he would apologize to you for his words. If you accept his apology, there will be no need for me to take action on your complaint" said the Inspector.

"You said there are two things. What is the second thing?"

"If I arrest your brother, will it resolve the border issue?"

Subbiah was silent.

"Tell me, sir, which is more important to you, resolving the border issue or getting your brother arrested."

Subbiah did not answer.

"I think your father was a person who liked to think differently" said the Inspector.

"How do you say that?" asked Subbiah.

"Your father had named the two of you after Ganesa and Subramanya, the two sons of Lord Siva. But he named you, his elder son, Subbiah, after the younger son of Lord Siva and your younger brother, Ganesan, after the elder son of Lord Siva. That's what made me wonder that your father liked to think differently!"

Subbiah laughed out aloud. "Yes. Several people have made this observation."

"I think your father would have expected both of you to be always together" said the Inspector.

"It is not as if I was looking for a chance to fight with him. When I questioned my brother about his shifting the border inside my land, he threatened to hack me with the sickle. That is the issue."

"He is ready to apologize to you for his impulsive action."

"Will his apologizing to me solve the border dispute?" asked Subbiah.

"I raised this point with your brother. He said that because the mud partition was washed out in the rain, there could have been a mistake in his relaying the mud partition. He says this has happened to many people and that the border can be fixed by engaging the services of a government surveyor."

"If it is done that way, I have no problem" said Subbiah.

"The issue is resolved, then. Your brother will come to your house, apologize to you and then talk to you about fixing the border" said the Inspector, getting up from his seat.

Subbiah did not give any reply.

"What are you thinking, sir? Do you still have any reservations?" asked the Inspector, somewhat perplexed.

"I still have a doubt. I have heard that policemen would talk authoritatively and harshly. I came to the police station, only after some initial hesitation. But you spoke to me so patiently and pleasingly and resolved the issue. I am wondering whether my perception of a policeman as a tough and authoritarian person was wrong!" said Subbiah, the broad smile on his face indicating his happiness and satisfaction.

Thirukkural
Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 10
Speaking Pleasantly

Verse 96 (In Tamil)

allavai thEya aRam perugum nallavai
nAdi iniya solin.

Meaning:

Pleasant words, spoken with the objective of promoting goodness, will cause harm to recede and virtue to grow.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'subbiah koduththa pugAr' by the same author)

Verse 97
Verse 95