Coup On Law And Justice – 03 [The Spirits of Justice]

Another story of Maryada Ramanna.

అనగా అనగా …… ……….

In a village, there was a rich man. At the late age his wife had given birth to a son and died. The rich man had brought up his son with great love and affection. But when the boy was at 8 years age, he got affected a disease. He sensed his death arrival. He worried about his only son. He could not trust any of his relatives and staff. He thought in deep. If he writes a will to assure the assets to the son, the staff and relatives can show losses in business and swallow the assets. How to protect the kid? Then he called on his clerk and said “My dear clerk! I sense that my days are over. My son is too young to manage the assets and all. I’m handing over my assets and my son to you. You take care of the business, educate my son & bring him up. When my son gets the age about 20 years, then by giving the share of my assets to him which you like and you take the remaining.”

He prepared the will by making the clerk as attorney of the assets. He died. Years passed. The clerk had taken care of the business, assets, brought up the boy and educated him. When he got 20 years age, the clerk had shown the document to him and said “you father ordered me to brought up and educate you. I had done so. He asked me to give you the share of the assets, which I liked and to take me the remaining part. Hence I’m giving you that hut as your share. The rest of the assets are mine.” The boy got shocked about it. He thought well and approached Maryada Ramanna.

He heard all and called on the clerk. When he enquired, the clerk had shown the will and presented his argument. Maryada Ramanna asked them to come to the village assembly the next day.

On the next day, when the rich man’s son and the clerk came to the village assembly, Maryada Ramanna’s office was full of visitors. He offered them ripe guava fruits and told them “Dear visitors. You take one fruit which you like from this plate.” When the peon brought the plate to each visitor, they had selected one fruit from the plate whichever they liked. The rich man’s son and the clerk also had taken one fruit for each.

Then Maryada Ramanna said “Dear friends! When I asked you to select the fruit which you like, you selected one from the basket which you like. Isn’t it?”

All of they said “yes sir!”

Maryada Ramanna continued “In such case, the share of the assets which the clerk had taken is the share of the assets which he liked. Isn’t it?”

All the people in the village assembly said “Yes sir.”

He continued “Then, as per the will of the rich man, the share of the asset, taken by the clerk should belong to the rich man’s son. The rest of the asset that means the hut which the clerk had given to the late rich man’s son should belong to the clerk.”

People shouted with joy “yes sir.”

Maryada Ramanna ordered the clerk to give the share of the asset to the rich man’s son and to take the hut to himself.

People said that it was the real justice.

The clerk felt shy and after handing over the assets to the rich man’s son, left the village. He could not show his cheat full face to the public.

That’s the entire story!

When the clerk distributed the assets, at least he should think the reliability to divide the assets by considering his service to manage the business, assets and to bringing up the rich man’s child for 12 years. But he thought with selfishness and planned to swallow the entire asset. For such sin, he took his appropriate punishment.

In Telugu, there is an idiom ‘కీలు ఎరిగి వాత పెట్టాలి’ that means “Where there is the joint or hinge, there should be the application of hot rod as treatment.”

In the case of the clerk in the above story, he didn’t consider the reliability and justice while dividing the assets. He was particular about the terminal language in the will. To such deceive nature; Maryada Ramanna applied the appropriate treatment.

At present, we are watching such arguments on constitution, rules, law, Government orders and other documents without considering of its spirit, only referring the language of the laws and rules. For such deceive nature, there should be reliable hot rod as treatment. Otherwise, nobody can save the common man’s life in this world.