Shahzeb Khan And The Beginning of Justice

“Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.”

― Benjamin Franklin

He was the only son in the family. Cherished by his parents and adored by his sisters. A living, laughing and loving soul looking forward to a bright future.

And then, suddenly, he was a symbol for justice.

The news that Shahzeb Khan’s family had withdrawn the case and pardoned their son’s murderer was met with disappointment. This was the first time a feudal went to jail for his crimes and was being held accountable for murder, the first time a ray of hope shone against feudalism.

But has that hope be quenched?

Who are we to judge Shahzeb’s family for their deciscions? Who are we to pass judgement on them? We may have prayed and hoped for justice too. We may have attended street protests and vigils but nothing amounts to having to face the overwhelming battles that his family faced: dealing with an irreplaceable loss and fighting against a system where justice is a mere word. Can you imagine the patience and courage it would have taken to even get this far?

To think that such courage is met with harsh judgement is despicable. As we watch the news on TV, we are but shown only one dimension, a mere half-side of the picture. For the family, there is so much more to consider. The burden to to fight the battles of a sleeping nation is not theirs to carry. They have suffered enough. And to say they achieved nothing is a grave mistake: it is because of their fight that a sleeping nation rose against feudalism and Shahzeb Khan did not become a statistic. He  was, is and will always be remembered as a symbol for justice.

If we consider their pardon as having given up entirely, then the only people who would actually have given up are those criticizing and passing such judgements. Forgiveness is an act of courage, not cowardice. If anything, this act of theirs should point us in the right direction. To try and do all we can in our power, even if there is no hope of winning and when loss does seem inevitable, to have the strength to do what is right and dignified.

Shahzeb’s family have lighted the spark, which given enough feul, can see the end of feudalism entirely. If anything, they have created a new beginning. Feudalism will not and cannot win, unless by-standers like us are silent and choose to thrust all our hopes and disapointments on a grieving family. They have fought their battle the best way they could. They have shown us just what a deep-rooted problem this is. Let’s stop judging and start acting. Let’s make sure we don’t let Shahzeb and other victims of feudalism become a statistic. This one step can lead us a long way.