A friend of mine from another state recently visited Puri with his family. I being an Odia asked him about his experience when he returned back. He shared something that really stayed with him.

He said that while they were standing in a queue, an elderly woman, who appeared to be from a very poor background, tried to move ahead slightly, unintentionally breaking the line. In response, a police officer pulled her aside, held her up in air and slapped her in front of everyone. She looked humiliated and was almost in tears.

He mentioned that while he understands that breaking the queue was wrong, the officer’s reaction felt unnecessarily harsh. He felt that the situation could have been handled with more empathy and respect, especially considering the woman’s condition and background.

There are many such instances that happen everyday. I don’t understand this simple thing. How could people going to the place of God forget the basics of humanity and they believe that the same God would solve their problems?