Kiran Bedi’s son-in-law, Ruzbeh Bharucha highlights the plight of juvenile delinquents in his latest book
d_riddhi@dnaindai.net
Ruzbeh Bharucha is Kiran Bedi’s son-in-law and has written his seventh book My God is a Juvenile Delinquent. Three of his earlier books have been dedicated to various social subjects on mother and child in Indian prisons, on slum demolitions. His book deals with children who are in conflict with the law. He says, “Everybody keeps harping about the fact that children are the closest to God and children are created in the image of God and you have to be child like to enter heaven. So, if children are created in the image of God, and as I feel for abandoned children, for me a child in an observation home is also made in the image of God—thus, My God (the child) is a Juvenile Delinquent.” He adds, “Their capacity to laugh at themselves and the world around them even though they are virtually in a living hell, is amazing. Often the kids would be narrating really gory incidents of how they had been abused by society or the police or the staff at the observation or even by other children, and in a moment, they would start smiling and narrate a funny incident or talk fondly of friends or family. Their ability to forget and forgive and most of all, trust a world that very often has been really unjust to them, are things that I found very endearing.” Ruzbeh informs, “There is no literature on children who commit crime, in English at least, which focused on the emotional and psychological impact of crime and being locked up in observation homes.”
His mother-in-law, Kiran Bedi likes his sense of humour that is essayed in his writing, “Very strangely, she likes my so-called sense of humour and conversational style of writing, though often she wishes I didn’t use so many swear words in my books and slowed down on abusing the authorities. We discuss our work all the time and give advice and suggestions and often do exactly the opposite.” So does he share a good rapport with his mom-in-law? “She calls me her son and says that Saina (Kiran Bedi’s daughter) is her daughter-in-law. I guess that should indicate the relationship we share.”
He is also very bold about expressing his views about Kiran Bedi not made the Police Commissioner of Delhi, “The fact that she wasn’t made the Police Commissioner of Delhi, shows how daft the folks are. She brought about transparency to every position she held. The doors of Tihar were opened to social workers, NGOs, even the media.
She epitomises honesty and dedication.”
Ruzbeh plans to write a complete fantasy book for children. “Most adults are too boring and daft, to grasp the intricacies of fantasy,” ends Ruzbeh.
