A TOWN SHAMED

 A TOWN SHAMED

 

Margaret Thomas, Director of the CIA, stared down at her three colleagues in the conference room. Sam Washington, Richard Stone, and Daniel Oliver, who had gathered to be briefed on the results of their investigations over several years in a shameful case where one of their young operatives, John Simon, had been stigmatised and rendered indisposed.

 

‘Washington brief me on the case, right from the beginning, ’ commanded the Director, with an inquisitive tone.

Sam Washington gave her a mock salute, looked down at his notes, and began narrating the sequence of events that led to the tragedy.

 

‘It so happened that on the orders of the government, our agency’s asset and his family were called to Oklahoma. He was supposed to continue pursuing his education while on our rolls. However, the situation in Oklahoma at the time was very fluid, and the scene was abuzz with student uprisings, politicking, and picketing; in other words, student politics were at their peak.

A couple of controversial youth leaders were at the helm of affairs and mobilising student movements. They controlled youth television, radio, and other broadcasting media.’

 

‘But how did our boy John get caught in the midst of the storm brewing here?’ interjected Richard with a perplexed look on his face.

‘I’m coming to that, ’ said Sam as he got up and paced the room, and continued, ‘John found himself at one of the media outlets from where these student leaders operated. Now, John did not fit in here; in fact, he stood out like a sore thumb and even got into an argument with a student activist, Neeraj Kumar. Now this tiff brought him to the notice of the other student activists.’

 

‘What happened then? ' quizzed Margaret, casually.

 

‘Now, seeing that John was an outsider and did not fit the bill of a local, the controversial student leaders decided to make him a rallying point against whom they would galvanise the masses. It would give them sufficient fodder to stay in power in the upcoming student elections and continue their unchallenged rule’ said Sam as if reading verbatim from his report.

 

‘So how exactly did they achieve their nefarious plan?’ asked Daniel Stone in disgust.

 

‘Well, for starters, they drew up a plan of action. Tabs were kept on John’s movements. His house was bugged. False stories and narratives were planted against him. The media joined hands, and a sustained targeted campaign was launched against him. The media was seeking a villain, and the student leaders gave them one. Stories about how a strange monkey kind of a man who was terrorising young girls in the town were leaked to the press, who went ballistic with it. Crooked cops joined in the fun; they were in the mood to taste some blood, and Pervez and Neeraj lit the fuse with their speeches on the media.’

 

‘Young John took the fall of mob vengeance. He succumbed to sustained pressure in a kind of environment where fear psychosis was manufactured. He sustained severe injuries to the head and was out of action.’

 

‘Why didn’t our agency get wind of what was happening in the town then?’ questioned a very flummoxed Richard Stone.

 

‘Well, the sad fact is that these student leaders were operating with the full support of the local politicians and other law enforcement agencies at that time, ’ said John as he paused to sip malt whiskey that Daniel handed him to steady his nerves.

 

‘But why didn’t our agency intervene, Sam? ' I’m asking you a simple question, Sam,’ asked a visibly shaken Richard Stone.

 

“Well, you must understand our boy John was a minor then, and the agency misread the situation on the ground. It chose to go with the media reports emanating from the town, then, said Margaret gravely.

 

‘Well, the story does not end here, ’ continued Sam as he began to pace the room angrily. ‘The town’s people then did the unthinkable. They allowed a group of witches and practitioners of dark magic to kidnap our injured boy. It pains me to tell you what happened next. I’m well aware that I need not spell out the despicable acts of atrocities and torture that young John suffered at the hands of these maniacs’ said Sam with anger rising inside him with each passing word he uttered.

 

‘Well, it’s payback time… heads will roll for every tear shed by our boy, ’ said Daniel as the Director nodded her head in agreement vigorously. The CIA Director called the meeting to a close as they left the room, totally aghast at what Sam Washington, the probing officer, narrated about the unforgivable incident.

 

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Meanwhile, in Oklahoma, Pervez Ashraf, Neeraj Kumar, and the other players in the incident that had occurred many years ago, continued with their routine lives, unperturbed by the young life they had ruined. Now they were respected citizens, on the verge of retirement. The town’s people had come to their senses and realised the folly of their ways. They went about their business as if nothing had happened. But unknown to them, the CIA had cracked the case, and it was a sensitive issue with them, especially when one of their own was involved. The Oklahoma local media, now under new management, is attempting to rectify the past wrongs. A new administration tried to soothe tempers and make amends. The law enforcement agencies attempted to sweep the terrible incidents under the carpet in which their forces were found wanting. The people chose not to speak of this incident in which the town’s people had acted like brutes swayed by rumours and prejudice. The shame was too much to be verbalised and dwelt upon. They chose to turn a blind eye and never talk of the incident. 

 

‘The townspeople may have forgotten …but God does not forget, ’ said Sam as he led a team of commandoes and marine seals into the town. 

 

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