"Till now, you have filed so many public interest litigation cases and brought several scams to light. But what you are now embarking on is dangerous" said Sagayam.
"In what way?" asked Ramaswamy.
"You are asking me as if you don't know the implications of your action! Don't you know how powerful the business tycoon Velusamy is? He has political connections. That is why even honest officials shy away from taking action against him. Don't you know that Velusamy won't hesitate even to murder anyone crossing his path? You are going to file a PIL pleading that the government should not give permission for the factory proposed to be set up by him. Do you think he will keep quiet?"
"In the past, several leaders of political parties had made allegations against Velusamy. He didn't act against them!"
"Political leaders make vague allegation without specifically mentioning anyone by name. They don't make specific allegations after gathering evidence, the way you do. Most of the people won't take those allegations seriously. Even if there were to be an implied reference to Velusamy, Velusamy would dismiss those allegations as baseless allegations made with the sole intention of besmirching his reputation. The political leaders who make such allegations won't take the allegations forward, either. They are satisfied with creating a sensation for the time being. But your case is different. If you file a public interest litigation, people concerned will become concerned! Therefore, when it comes to allegations made by you, Velusamy won't keep quiet. You should also keep another thing in mind."
"What is that?"
After hearing Sakayam's reply, Ramaswamy reflected for a while and then said, "I will think about what you have said. I will defer filing the petition for some time."
Feeling happy that Ramaswamy accepted his suggestions, Sagayam thought, "After all, every one is scared about certain things."
When Sagayam called up Ramaswamy after a few months, he asked him in surprise, "Why did you do this?"
"I thought that it would be wrong on my part to not file a case, when I have such strong evidence. That's why I have filed the case. I have no doubt that in this case, the verdict will go against Veuswamy" said Ramaswamy.
"I am not asking about your filing the case. I am asking about your joining the opposition political party TNK!"
"The other day, you told me that people in politics enjoy a measure of protection and that even people like Velusamy would be reluctant to attack them. That is why I joined the TNK, before filing a petition against Velusamy. I am making use of the protection I get from being a member of a political party to further my objective!"
"But, you have often told me that you consider all political parties bad!"
"It is true. But the party that is now in power is extremely bad. TNK had not been so bad, when it was in power. If TNK indulges in misdeeds after coming to power, at that time, I will quit that party" said Ramaswamy.
Sagayam couldn't decide whether the compromise made by Ramaswamy for his protection while working towards a noble objective was justified.
Thirukkural
Section 2
Materialism
Chapter 50
Knowing the Right Place
Verse 497 (in Tamil):
anjAmai allAl thuNai vENdA enjAmai
eNNi idaththAl seyin.
Meaning:
If one chooses to do a task after considering all angles,
and choosing an apt place, he needs no aid other than fearlessness.
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