I was deeply hurt to read about a Delhi minister being attacked for the most ludicrous reasons a few weeks ago. An honourable (is there really any other kind?) member of the political class, the poor man has been in jail for reasons that don’t matter. What hurt me was that while this unfortunate circumstance ought to have prompted a wave of sympathy from everyone concerned, he was being met with scorn and derision on account of a few video leaks. The footage allegedly depicted the minister being given a massage in jail, presumably by another prisoner, along with other videos of him being given special food in accordance with his religious beliefs.

What does it say about us as a society when we have a problem with people in jail getting a massage? What is wrong with criminals being fed some dry fruit? Are cashews and almonds banned? Where is our sense of humanity? I admit that a very tiny percentage of our politicians may be intellectually and morally bankrupt, devoid of conscience, and committed to a life of corruption at the expense of the constituents they represent, but should we paint the rest of them as potential villains who don’t deserve a simple massage in jail? If we continue down this path, we may soon stop taking care of prisoners who are old or ill, and deny them basic human rights. Everyone knows India’s jails are committed to respecting human rights, and that solid standard shouldn’t change because of a few heartless people up in arms over a massage.