IN my lifetime, I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of mankind. And I have always wondered what makes some of us reach out to fellow human beings with such generosity, love, and sacrifice, even risking our lives to save another life in distress.
Yet, there are others so possessed with evil and hatred that they commit atrocious deeds against their fellow humans. We read daily of crimes against humanity – of murders, mass shootings, suicide bombings, wars, and genocides.
These are evil indeed, but worse still, are those against women and children, especially when the victim knows the perpetrator – a friend, relative, or family member.
Every now and then, a crime or a heroic deed grips the imagination of the world.
Six-year-old Arthur LabinjoHughes from England was murdered by his father, Thomas Hughes, and stepmother, Emma Tustin. In the trial of the two monsters, harrowing details of the torture of the little innocent boy emerged in court.
He was starved, beaten, and bashed about for months on end. He was even made to eat salt in an attempt to poison him. In a recorded message played in court, Emma complains about Arthur to her partner, who is at work. Callously, he tells her to finish him off.
Days before he was murdered, the heartbreaking cry of the little boy is heard, “No one loves me.” His stepmother did finish Arthur off, bashing his head against the wall, ending his brief stay on earth.
Juxtapose this heinous crime against the desperate attempts by volunteers who worked night and day to save the life of a boy, Rayan, 5, stuck for four days, 32m down in a well in a village in Morocco.
Thousands watched the rescue team working frantically to reach the boy. Using mechanical diggers and all their ingenuity and skill, it was a race against time. It transfixed the nation, brought Morocco and its unfriendly neighbours together, and captured the world’s imagination.
Hopes were high that the boy, who seemed to be still alive, would be brought up safely.
But as they got closer and closer to the boy, they had to move cautiously to avoid the earth caving in. And then, after a nerve-racking wait, rescuers finally reached Rayan on Saturday night. The nation held its breath. If 33 Chilean miners, trapped for 69 days in a collapsed mine in 2010, could all be brought up safely, couldn’t they save Rayan?
A loud cheer went up from the large crowd when the rescuers emerged with Rayan. But alas, there was no miracle. Rayan was dead. The anguished crowd fell silent.
Tributes have poured in from all over the world for the little boy from Morocco. Even world leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron have sent their sympathies to the family. Never before did a little unknown boy evoke such an outpouring of grief from around the world and unite a nation together.
T MARKANDAN | Kloof
Daily News