Now you are right, now you are not...but the point of reference is same
By vanny
@vandana7 (100249)
India
January 10, 2013 12:03pm CST
Ok..this happened the day before yesterday...
Some repairs were done with cement and at the gate, and so my father asked the watchman to keep the gates locked for a while.
Around 11 am in the morning tenants of one flat returned.
They were drunk. So there was something the watchman told them, and then they shouted some bad words at him, and whatever happened...frankly I could not understand much at the pitch that the entire conversation went on...
Anyway...the watchman came to our flat crying..and he showed an elbow..with a small gnash..
My first reaction was to give him some money for tetanus..meanwhile dad went to ascertain what exactly transpired and to calm the situation.
In the evening my neighbor, the same lady who beats up her driver, fought bitterly with those drunken now sober guys. And when they raised the issue that she also beats up her driver ...she said he owes her substantial amount so she can share that kind of relationship with him. And she threatened to take the matter to police...
Watchman's hand is fractured...at the elbow.
Who is right, who is wrong, and would it have helped...
1 person likes this
8 responses
@savypat (20216)
• United States
10 Jan 13
i know what would happen in the USA, they would sue, the watchman, the tenants, the woman and her driver. Then they would all go on TV, and get to be well known, maybe even get a part on a show.
But in your country I don't know the laws so I can't really tell, right or wrong, legal or illegal? But it sounds like a mess. Blessings
But in your country I don't know the laws so I can't really tell, right or wrong, legal or illegal? But it sounds like a mess. Blessings@vandana7 (100249)
• India
10 Jan 13
You are right...your country is if I may say so, extremely litigant, and ours is not at all litigant...even though we have so many many cases pending.
Convictions and sentencing is rare here. Usually, judges are happy prolonging cases for several years so that they dont have to take a call on it, and therefore, they dont have many enemies to trouble them I suppose.
If the watchman had lodged a complaint, the tenant would have called up some influential politician. The policeman would have obeyed the politician, for the sake of keeping his job. The next hurdle would be FIR. So they would beat up the watchman some more to withdraw charges.
Effectively, it is worse than before. But without lodging a complaint, we the society can demand a decent compensation for the watchman, and the tenant, who is pretty ashamed of his act by now, will pay.
@hora_fugit (5862)
• India
11 Jan 13
The lady pays her driver too so the tenant should follow this as well 
BTW the driver is 'rewarded' for taking the assaults, that we know but who receives these rewards? In what form?
BTW the driver is 'rewarded' for taking the assaults, that we know but who receives these rewards? In what form?
@ZoeJoy (1392)
• United States
11 Jan 13
Sounds like someone should have called the police. It is never a good idea to yell at drunks. Nor should anyone beat up anyone else. Even if someone is wrong, doing wrong to that person doesn't make it right.
I am not even going to try to sort through this situation. Someone should have called the police to let the authorities handle the situation.
I hope that the watchman went to the hospital or doctor and got proper medical attention.
Nobody should have been injured nor beaten - that is for sure.
@hora_fugit (5862)
• India
12 Jan 13
Society makes a man.. to some extent. If only we could create an environment!
People think "I live here. I own this place. I can come and go anytime, anyhow." Shouldn't they also wonder "I live here. I make this place. I should make certain everyone here, including staff, should be treated fairly." It was not a private matter even...
@vandana7 (100249)
• India
12 Jan 13
Under normal circumstances yes...but out here, the police has lost its morale...there is a lot of interference from politicians and other influential people. So if we'd take the case to the Police Station, the drunkards would call somebody influential and eventually, there would be a phone call to the police station. Following those orders (because their job is at stake), it is more likely that the police here would beat up the watchman and ask him to withdraw the charges. That would be more painful because once the tenants become victorious, they would repeat such things any number of time.
@hora_fugit (5862)
• India
11 Jan 13
Would it have helped...?
The lady is setting a bad example as she is quite senior in age and position. But the tenants are not children to blindly follow such example, right? They were drunk when they assaulted the watchman, but when sober they must own up to that instead of justifying it with ridiculous arguments...
I think it's not the driver but his wife who owes her money.. has the lady beaten her as well? She is obviously pushing all three of them towards danger by compelling the driver to drink even more :-|
@vandana7 (100249)
• India
13 Jan 13
Yes...it is painful...I asked him last night. I felt the lady should not have raised the issue because it gave them an opportunity to hit her where it hurts and exposed her double standards.
Hope he recovers soon enough...otherwise he will leave, and we might have a major problem on our hands, i.e., finding a trustworthy watchman.
1 person likes this
@artemeis (4194)
• China
11 Jan 13
A crime is still a crime but I think you will agree with me that there's a difference in the extensiveness of the misdemeanor.
In the watchman's case, the assault is so severe that resulted the watchman sustaining a fractured hand. Also, the intent of the drunk tenants who should not be outside of their premises and unaccompanied to prevent an incident like this. Being drunk does not give anyone the right to misbehave and impose their will on anyone. Also, if the watchman wants to pursue with charging his assailants, it is right and prosecution will be due.
Compared to the severity of the beating to that of your neighbor, I believe there is a big difference. Also, the victim (her driver) has never made a police report on his employer's ill treatment. The driver in this situation is deemed by the law that he has given up his right to pursue his assailant and condone to his employer's treatment. In this area, there would be no case and comparison to the watchman's incident.
@hora_fugit (5862)
• India
11 Jan 13
Umm... seems I didn't get you. So if I didn't complain first four times I lose my right to stand up the fifth time?
IMO both the driver and the watchman still have equal right in all regards. Or maybe the lady will feel cheated...
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
11 Jan 13
Nothing would have helped. In today's world I would say that there is nothing right or wrong - it is just a matter of chance - who has the ball and how does s/he play it.
In India, we never had that thing called "Dignity of Labor" and will never have it anyways no matter what those Mayawatis or others say about those Dalits, or Ambedkars. So the watchmen, the driver and millions of others would keep facing such things (here acts of petty violence) against them - and the people with upper hand in social strata (the politician lady or the drunk lot) would continue manipulating and playing with them.
Today, the scenario is so entertaining (I will not say grim as you would see) - that neither of them want to lose their status. Ask a beggar on the street - will you work for an amount and see his reaction. Offer someone your support and see how s/he feels about that! So best, keep doing your own thing and do not look around.
@vandana7 (100249)
• India
12 Jan 13
Well...I was nasty to the drunken assailant. He was trying to tell me it was a small wound. But I insisted on the watchman leaving for tetanus injection, and when this tenant objected, I told him..."we are educated and so we naturally suspect tetanus with such injuries". I hope he got the message..because after that he never spoke to me.
@SViswan (12051)
• India
13 Jan 13
That's too little information to go by...but does it really matter who is right and who is wrong? Does any action need to be taken? If that's the case, then one needs to ascertain who is right and who is wrong. If not, leave it at that. I understand that the watchman's elbow is fractured....and that someone might need to pay his medical bills. If you ask me, the drunk tenants were responsible for it and they need to help pay for it.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
10 Jan 13
I don't think it's ever right to assualt somebody just because they're a subordinate or a service person.
@vandana7 (100249)
• India
10 Jan 13
I couldnt agree more...she of all people should not have raised that issue...no wonder those guys were not listening to her...and only arguing back.
Out here, law enforcement is not really good. So filing an FIR would mean these people being summoned to the police station where they would call somebody influential they would have known, and one phone call, and the watchman would take more beatings from policemen and change the complaint or withdraw the complaint.
I felt approaching the police would not have helped.
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