COMMITMENT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The newspapers of the last two days are full of points/counterpoints on the Italian government’s decision not to send back the two marines who were to be tried in India for killing two Indian fishermen off our Kerala coast last year.

 Strange as it was, the two accused were granted some kind of parole to visit their home country and exercise their franchise. This leniency was predicated upon the act of commitment of the Italian government returning them to India after their sojourn in Italy for Christmas (as          promised to the Hon’ble High Court of Kerala). (That raises a big question – do we allow our accused to celebrate festivals with their kith and kin?).

 But this time, the Italian government chose to question the sovereignty of India and have refused to return them in spite of a solemn assurance to the Hon’ble Supreme Court Of India that the accused will be sent back to face trial in Indian courts.

 Hue and cry have been raised and one of the opponents of the government has gone so far as to hint at conspiracy between the Indian government and the Italian government. We seem to be a notion smelling rat in everything Italian. Let us concede it – it was a simple matter of accepting the solemn assurance, nay commitment, of a sovereign State through its Ambassador in India that thee accused will come back. And like professionals and gentlemen we accepted it. Why doubt the sincerity of our government?

Commitment is a pledge or an undertaking. And here we have the representative of a sovereign government taking full responsibility of ensuring the marines’ return. The delicacy and magnitude of this trust deeply concerns the political reputation and the intent of sovereign governments. Have we not seen dictators usurping powers through military coup state in their first declaration that all the international treaties will be honoured? How then are we to suspect that a change in government will result in change in policy like this?  

 This led me to reflect on commitments in life.

Most of us, in our lives, commit to do certain things and what is our rate of default? To commit is to pledge yourself to a certain purpose or line of conduct. It also means practicing your beliefs consistently.  I shall slim down, I shall not smoke, I shall do this, I shall do this are commitments that we make to ourselves only to breach them!

Then there is the sacred institution of matrimony. In India marriage is generally considered to be a life time commitment. But are not divorces on the rise these days?

 

We shake hands on business deals and are there no breaches of the contract?

But when you look at success stories of matrimony or business, you will find that a significant factor for success is commitment. Commitment is not something abstract. It is a commitment to a set of values and beliefs, results and to people. A combination of these is a sure recipe for success in any endeavour.

How do we demonstrate commitment in matrimony? It is through our words and actions, mostly actions. When you tell your wife that you love her, it is not enough to utter these words. You have to back it up with deeds – showing concern for her, helping her with household chores, appreciating, if not in so many word at least through gestures, what she does for you. Otherwise, the marriage vow, ‘till death us do part’ will mean nothing. Both will be waiting for that ‘apart’ and of course an ‘apartment’ as alimony!

The marriage vows have to be taken seriously and I believe that breaking of the solemn vow made at the altar means an invitation to divine punishment. Marriage is still equated with commitment in our country. May be in the Western world, it is treated as a contract from which one can walk out after ‘due notice’.

Commitment is not easily practised as hardships in life test our endurance. It is the tenacity of purpose a la the one shown by the captain of ‘The Titanic” – ensure that every passenger of the ship is sent to the rescue boats before he can think of saving himself.

From childhood we have been taught the importance of integrity, honour and the need to keep up our promises.

Back to our Italian marines!  Are we to believe, as some opposition parties would want us to, that the Indian government was naïve and the Hon’ble Supreme Court did not apply its mind before allowing them to go to Italy. Certainly not, is my view.  That a sovereign government would renege on its promise is something that would not have crossed the minds of even those that find fault with the government and now say ‘I said so” – in fact they never ‘said so’!

True we have been caught napping; that does not mean that we have been cahoots with the present ‘Italian’ regime that chose to repudiate international treaties. Let us wait and watch. Let us not prejudge our government’s capabilities to handle the situation.