The fundamental flaw with "Indianism"

True story.

Azad Yadav's son, a teenager nicked his father's unlicensed revolver and used it to settle a score in his school. Shocking and tragic, I know. But this part caught my attention.

"...Yadav also said he had noticed nothing amiss in his son’s behaviour that morning. “I had no idea that Akash had taken my gun. When I found it was missing, I went to a priest in Ballabhgarh for a puja -- hoping that he might be able to tell me where it was. In the afternoon, my wife called and told me about the shootout............”

This is either a plain lie meaning the father (justifiably) is weaving a story to avoid being indicted in 'aiding and abetting' the perpetrator OR this is the truth and in my opinion - a prime example of why India continues to falter. A firearm goes missing and the owner goes to a priest to find out where his firearm is? Through a 'pooja'? Through an offering? Through cosmic intervention?

Had he told that he went to the priest to pray so that nothing unfortunate would transpire from his transgression (keeping a gun at home), I'd have understood that. But the reason he gave - probably thinking that it would be acceptable to all - makes me wonder. Isn't this irrational? Had he gone to the Police or acted responsibly, the probability of such a tragic event happening could have been reduced. This is a clear case of Indians taking religion too seriously.

Father surrenders, says Akash will have to pay
NEERAJ CHAUHAN

Posted online: Saturday , December 15, 2007 at 12:00:00Updated: Saturday , December 15, 2007 at 12:36:01
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Gurgaon, December 14 After a few days in hiding, Akash Yadav’s father Azad Yadav surrendered before the Gurgaon police on Friday evening and told officers that the gun his son had used to kill classmate Abhishek Tyagi did not belong to him but to a friend.
At 7 pm on Friday, Yadav made a quiet entry to the Sector 40 police station and gave himself up. The police have charged him for illegal possession of a weapon and may also book his friend who holds the licence. Yadav’s friend had given him the gun for safekeeping while he was away.
South Gurgaon DCP Satheesh Balan met the media in the evening and said Yadav had been hiding because “he was scared of the police”.
Earlier in the day, Newsline managed to speak to Azad Yadav on his cellphone. He said, “I am shocked at what my son has done. It is shameful.” Yadav said he had sold off land in the village and moved to Gurgaon so that his two sons could get a proper education. “I did not think this would be the outcome,” he said.
Yadav said, “I am not in a condition to do anything for Akash. His mother Kamlesh is very ill and even my younger son Sunny is scared. Akash will have to pay for what he has done,” Yadav said.
Yadav also said he had noticed nothing amiss in his son’s behaviour that morning. “I had no idea that Akash had taken my gun. When I found it was missing, I went to a priest in Ballabhgarh for a puja -- hoping that he might be able to tell me where it was. In the afternoon, my wife called and told me about the shootout.”
Azad said he has a licensed weapon of his own, but it’s double-barrelled and not the handgun allegedly used in the shooting. The police have said the pistol used in the shooting was of US make and did not have a licence. Azad told Newsline, “The pistol used by my son belongs to my close friend Raj Singh Dalal, who gave it to me on December 6 before leaving for Hisar.”
He said Dalal was a wrestler and did possess a licence for the gun. Yadav said, “I called Dalal that night to tell him what had happened. He rushed back to Gurgaon and met police officers. Why are the police still saying the gun belonged to me?”