By Mushtaq Hurra
The public prosecutor repeatedly persuaded the judge to issue the death penalty to the bear for mauling an innocent man. “Your Honour! The bear is guilty of mangling people; he is a beast, a deadly brute, a fiendish monster who inflicts pain upon weak creatures. Capital punishment is the least punishment he deserves,” exclaimed the prosecuting attorney.
The dejected bear stood up from the witness box and said, “My Lord, I should be allowed to plead my case because none of the homo sapiens came forward in my defense. So, I may be accepted as my own counsel.”
“Permission granted,” stated the judge.
The despondent bear took an unusual pause, as if he had forgotten everything. His throat appeared clogged, and he cleared it in a state of urgency to speak. “Your ho-o -o nour!” he fumbled and stuttered badly, as if he was apprehensive and skeptical about the system of justice prevalent in the court of law. The judge understood his trepidation and concerned state of mind and intervened instantly. “I assure you absolute justice; you are not proven guilty yet, so speak without fear or apprehension.”
The assurance from the chief jurist somewhat calmed and solaced the bear. He opened his mouth as if a volcano of emotions burst into a monologue. With a trembling voice, he exclaimed:
“My Lord, I am often mocked, taunted, and ridiculed as ‘Haput’ by the so-called Ashraful Makhlooqat. But today, I want to unveil the masquerader who rips up hapless creatures relentlessly. Let’s all know who the real beast is. I have been handcuffed and subjected to judicial trials for my attempt to extinguish the fire of my belly. But the fact of the matter is that the viceroy of God has forced me to retreat from my abode in search of food. His unnecessary and unwarranted attempts to satiate his ego have deprived me of my sustenance. Poaching and fowling have reduced my prey opportunities awfully. Green-gold is vanishing into thin air due to his rapacity, as if some Moorish sorcerer has cursed it with intense spells of black magic.
I have the courage to come down from the mountains, but weaker creatures are falling prey to inanition and starvation. Forage and fodder for animals have been exhausted due to his callousness and greed. Creations of God are perishing from the planet due to his insensitivity and avarice. He mutilates thousands in a jiffy. Yet, he is Ashraful Makhlooqat, and I am Haput.
Spilling human blood has become the trade of man. Brutal wars and battles have reddened the soil, with millions of innocent souls falling prey to his egotism and ambitious instincts. Carnage and genocide have become the norm of the day on the planet. Man butchers his own brethren to avenge an insult or add a few bucks to his bank account. There are thousands of instances of his brutal and barbaric character. Millions have succumbed to his egomania and conceit. Arms of destruction and demolition stand piled up to decimate life from the planet. Lust, libido, and ambition are the blinkers that obstruct his vision, preventing him from seeing beyond the animalistic and materialistic perspective. Murders, massacres, and assassination attempts have tarnished his heavenly appellations. Yet, man is Ashraful Makhlooqat, and I am Haput.
I am guilty of having sharp and pointed canines, but the toothless viceroy of God is tearing human flesh under his jaws. The disguised wolf is roaming with an open mouth, ready to devour anything that comes his way. He is plundering and looting the creations of God through deceptive and cheap means. The cunning man resorts to trickery and deceit to accumulate extra wealth and money. Food adulteration and contamination are gradually affecting the health of common people, but the honourable man is least bothered about it. Cyanides, pesticide residues, urea, brick dust, and sawdust are added to different food items to earn extra money. His mind is a nest of intrigue and treachery. Dozens of cancers and deadly ailments are caused by these foul practices. And man is Ashraful Makhlooqat, and I am Haput.
Jhelum, Dal, Wular, Mansbal, and high-altitude perennial lakes are choked and gagged. Man takes pride in filling the bellies of these water bodies with poisonous trash and garbage. Gigantic mountains of polythene and plastic have assumed dangerous proportions. The quality of air and water has deteriorated badly. Jungles and the dozens of animal species living there are facing the pangs of unnecessary human intervention. Many plant and animal species are either endangered or have gone extinct. The killing of innocent animals continues to be his chief hobby, and a cheap source of amusement. And man is Ashraful Makhlooqat, and I am Haput.
Molestation bids and forced rapes have exterminated the chastity and sanctity of Binti-Hawa. She is being subjected to inferior and stepmotherly treatment. Predecessors of man used to bury her alive, but Ashraful Makhlooqat has taken the attack to her conception. He eliminates Binti-Hawa in her mother’s womb. Thousands of daughters of Hawa have fallen victim to his libido and so-called masculinity. Masculine hegemony and brutality have become the fate of Binti-Hawa. He barters her modesty and purity to gratify his carnal desires. And man is Ashraful Makhlooqat, and I am Haput.
Ah! The visionary angels had raised their voices at the right time. I endorse their concerns and skepticism about the creation of Adam AS. I am reminded of Surah Al-Baqarah of the Holy Quran, verse 30: “And when your Lord said to the angels, ‘I am going to place in the earth a Khalifah (Vicegerent),’ they said: ‘What! Will You place in it someone who causes mischief and bloodshed? We glorify Thy praise and extol Thy sanctity.’ Allah responded, ‘Indeed, I know that which you know not.'”
The crown of creations has proven the apprehensions of the angels true. Our own land of Sufis, saints, and sages has lost its glorious legacy of values and ethos. Misadventures of man send shivers down my spine. I am, at times, ashamed of being his subordinate. His wicked and mean character has certainly disappointed his Lord Who created man in the best composition. Your Honour! Let you decide my fate based on the facts. Give your verdict on merit. Who shall be sent to the gallows? Who is the real Haput? I or the man?
The judge put his pen under his teeth and was drowned in an ocean of introspection and self-analysis.
- The author is a teacher and a columnist. He can be reached at mushtaqhurra143@gmail.com
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