The drive was through beautiful scenery, alternating between rugged old hills, arid bush lands, eucalyptus forest plantations, noisy crowded villages and small farms. I was already beginning to feel sad that soon we would miss seeing those beautiful hills, the black small ponds with flowering pink and white lotuses, the memory of which I wanted to keep and cherish always. These I would miss when I succeeded in getting my freedom which, however, was the most precious of all.
Although I was free in a sense in India where I could travel wherever I wanted to, having to be present in court when required was a restriction. It was to me a terrible situation as my idea of complete freedom was close to the freedom as is in one's mind which is limitless and only functions through one's choices which cannot be dictated from outside. Nothing could be worse than losing that. Even the thought of it convulsed me.
I suffer when I see people dictated to by others. Freedom is the most precious thing on earth. It originated in that ideal state of man in the paradise that God created, where man was totally free and his relationship with God depended on that liberty that He gave to His creation. Man was at liberty to exercise choice where temptation was already present and the snake was ready to strike through the camouflage of pretending to free man from his obedience to God, but in fact leading him into bondage. Since God in His love grants liberty, He also expects obedience from man - no other response will suffice.
I can see all true freedom to come from God, but the devil leads us into bondage. Any attempt to lead man to God through any way except that of his own freedom, will and understanding, through his choice in love and liberty, is only leading him into captivity. God calls everyone to Him through love and freedom alone, never through compulsion. These are the most abused things in the world where there are forces ever ready to forcibly deprive people of them.
We arrived in the bustling city of Bangalore at Jacob's parents' home, and left Joanna and Mika there. After that we visited one of our dear friends, Shalini and her daughter Asha. Shalini is a Hindu and Asha had become a Christian, a Seventh-day Adventist. We chatted for a while. Just before we left Shalini told me that she was going to do her 'puja', the Hindu ceremonial daily prayers. She said that she would pray for me. Knowing that we were just going to court she asked me to touch the coconut that she was going to use in her puja. I was somewhat hesitant since I did not believe in it. Since it did not mean anything to me but it would mean something to her and did no harm to anybody, I touched the coconut.
After that we went to court. As I write this, I am beginning once again to get the same feelings that I had as I was entering the building, seeing people going in and out, walking up and down the staircase, each one busy with his or her particular cause, the police, the lawyers and the other people. I often wondered what a host of different stories could be told here. For every one their own case was most important. I hated being there and hoped that it would soon be over. We walked up to the top floor, entered the all too familiar court room, and found a place among the other accused.
I had hoped that my case would be finished that day. It had reached such a stage. After a long wait my name was called. I walked up to stand in the middle of the room where many others were also called at the same time. Tired of all this humiliating experience of waiting, being called up and nothing being done, was like torture to me. When my name was called again to say when my next appearance would be, I did do something that I was not allowed to. In fact, an accused is not allowed to say anything at all in the presence of the magistrate unless specifically addressed. One's lawyer is the one to do the talking and there was no lawyer with me anymore. As Jawad had put it, there was no case and so there was no defence required. He had no place there any more, as there was nothing to be done.
As I stood there facing the magistrate I asked him whether he could not see to it that the case was finally dealt with instead of allowing it to still go on and on, as this was just a registration matter which had taken nearly three years. This took courage for me to say it and I thought I was losing nothing by speaking out. The magistrate appeared to be boiling inside. Instead of responding to my request, he coolly gave the next time of hearing. Instead of it being done with that afternoon he delayed it further and required my presence the next day. I told the magistrate in my outburst of feeling that we had come 70 km and it was very inconvenient to spend so much time there. This only had the effect of him wanting to make it even more difficult.
Disappointed I went back to Jacob who was witnessing all this and waiting anxiously for what would follow. He let me have a piece of his furious mind for saying anything at all in court. He said that this could only make matters worse. In fact anything I said there could be used against me for contempt of court. I had not realised it could be so serious. Then I told Jacob that now that I had done something real they could deal with it accordingly. We left the court discouraged and rather helpless. After discussing all that happened on the way we arrived in Basavangudi in silence. The family was waiting for us for lunch and to hear about what had happened. Jacob did not want to tell his parents what had actually happened and make them worried. However, as we were sitting down after lunch with his parents we told them that things had not gone well and that the magistrate had again delayed the hearing for the next day - Tuesday morning, 20 March, which was, we hoped, to be the decisive day.
We had planned to go back to Maddur after the hearing was over. There was a lot of work waiting to be done. Now we had to stay on. As we were sitting there I told them that the magistrate was like the Pharaoh of Egypt. He was troubling me and would not let me go till he was forced to do so.
We went to court in the following morning. The magistrate made me wait there for several hours. He had called all the other names, and some names even twice, before he called me. As I was standing there in front of him, not knowing what he was going to do, he just called my name and asked me to return at three o'clock that afternoon. I was troubled. This was difficult to understand. We went back to Basavangudi, told Jacob's parents the situation, had some lunch, and prepared to return to the court. I tried to collect my thoughts, put them in order, and be calm.
Our two youngest children, Joanna and Mika, wanted to come with us to attend court, which was what we hoped to be the last time there. I tried to dissuade them from coming by telling them what an unpleasant place it was. I also wanted to save them from the sight of their mother called before the magistrate. I failed - they succeeded. So the four of us made our way to the Lower Court building.
It was a new world for the children. Joanna was 13 at the time and Mika close to 11 years. We walked up the stairs, took our place in the court room, on the side of the room opposite to the entrance. We were there well before 3 o'clock. We were silent; the children eagerly observed what was happening. The people started coming in. There seemed to be only a few cases being handled that afternoon. The lawyers and the policemen found their own places. There were briefcases and helmets on the tables in front of them. It was hot, bright and sunny outside. There did not seem to be a breeze. The windows of the court room were open. It was absolutely still there. The magistrate was seated at his table. The public prosecutor and the clerk of the court were in their places.
At three o'clock the court started functioning. I was doing my best to control my feelings which seemed to be getting the better of me. Already before we entered the hall I was almost overpowered by feelings of apprehension about what was going to happen. I should not have been worried at all since everything possible had been done, but there was the uncertainty over what the magistrate might still do. There was the certainty of what he had threatened earlier - that he would not accept the withdrawal of the case against me. There had then to be a good reason why the case was being withdrawn. The reason given by the public prosecutor was that it was 'in the public interest'. The judge was questioning as to what that meant in this case and was not ready to accept it.
Of course, the question remains open as to whether he would have accepted any other reason given for the withdrawal of the case by the police. There we were sitting at the mercy, opinion and ruling of this magistrate. Many thoughts were passing through my mind - thoughts about life and death: this was a case relating only to one person; I was only one small person among all these others; we have to die one day - all of us. Anyway, who would know, think about, remember or even care about what happened to me? When I am dead no one would even know that I had ever lived. This was how I was trying to keep myself and my thoughts under control and not to be ruled by terrible fears as to what might happen. I was looking at the judge and the public prosecutor and thinking that I ought to hate them but asking myself "Should I?" I thought of how much fear and suffering I had gone through, but should I hate them for what had been done or fear anything or anyone. The answer was NO. I told myself that they did not know whom I knew - Jesus Christ - and that I should love them.
"But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you." St. Luke 6:27
I was continually meditating along these lines. I thought that, if I love them why should I be afraid of them, or what could they do, and thought of the answers from the Bible to convince myself.
At last I seemed to be fully surrendering myself and everything into the hands of God. I went on thinking that:
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear:" I John 4:18
The next thought that followed was:
"..., Fear God and give glory to Him;..." Revelations 14:7
When I had reached this far in my thinking of what the Bible says in the Revelations, a strange silence descended on the court room. Suddenly I heard a sound like that of thunder when it is right overhead, but I realised immediately that this noise seemed to be coming from below. The sound was as though the very foundations of the earth were being scraped together. Without a moment's hesitation, I said loudly for all to hear "Earthquake".
I had never experienced anything like this before and did not know that such a sound could come from below the ground but it came to me immediately that this is what it was - an earthquake. This alarmed everybody and they were waiting for what would happen next. The awesome, dreadful rumbling sound continued and the earth started to move. The roaring sound continued and the earth started moving. Now I was not afraid. The people in the room were. I was sitting and watching them as if it were a film. The building started moving back and forth. People were running, grabbing what was theirs. Policemen snatched their motorcycle helmets, lawyers their briefcases and whatever else was important to them. They were running as fast as they could. We were sitting there and felt no need to get out.
Suddenly I saw Mika and Joanna hurriedly say something to each other and together they disappeared. Thinking about them and what may happen to them in such panic where people run blindly not knowing where, I got up and tried to walk. It was like a ship in a storm. I did not get very far. I managed only a few steps. I was trying to see where the children were to bring them back inside. I tried to walk and keep my balance, just watching the floor and my feet, when I had to stop, hardly able to stand. I reached a few feet from my bench and stood with my feet apart to steady myself. From there I called to the children, asking them to come back. Luckily they had not gone down the stairs but had only been hidden from our view behind the door. First one came in followed by the other. I told them to come and sit down.
In the meantime, Jacob seeing the people in panic, shouted "Don't run." Some people stopped. Soon after, the tremor stopped as well. We were all now sitting. We could not know whether it had stopped or would start again. We did not know what would happen. We calmed the children and told them not to be afraid.
One by one the people started coming back into the room. There was a lawyer who came from the lower floor and described what had happened there: how people had run out of all the court rooms and downstairs, a big crack had appeared on the wall of the building. It took some time before things settled and to know whether the court could continue with hearings.
Before the court resumed I asked the children if they had seen what the magistrate had been doing in all this confusion, as I had not particularly noticed him. I had been watching the people opposite us run. Joanna said she knew what the magistrate had been doing. In fact she had been watching him. She said that the magistrate had been holding the sides of the table tight and had been looking from side to side probably wondering whether to start running as well. But he had sat down, got up again holding the table tight while deciding what to do. Perhaps he saw us sitting there and not running. Perhaps he was wondering why we were not running. It was indeed of great importance to us that the magistrate had not run.
It would have been quite embarrassing if the magistrate had run away and some of the people, especially an accused person did not run at all. Had he run, would he have had the face to come back and continue the proceedings, was the question?
The earthquake had struck at about 4.20 pm and had lasted just 25 seconds. I would have loved to know what had gone on in his mind during those moments of and after, the earthquake.
The judge started taking cases again. He left mine to be the last. When he called me up it was five minutes past five o'clock. I stood in front of him for several minutes feeling quite confident. I was not afraid although the earthquake had been a frightening experience altogether - and incredible beyond words.
"Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and His ways past finding out." Romans 11:33
He was busily writing something, but he had given me some approving glances which could have been interpreted as a friendly expression compared with what I had seen always. At 5.17 pm the prosecutor gave a memorandum that the case against me had been withdrawn by the government to the magistrate. He studied the single sheet very closely for a full three minutes. Finally at 20 minutes past five, as if what was meant by the phrase 'in public interest' had suddenly dawned on him, he said to me "You are free to go."
What had happened was beyond human understanding. The more I think about it the more amazing it seems to be. Everything had to be just perfectly in place to follow the last thought that was in my mind before God continued his action according to the Bible. What had happened next was faster than my thoughts. God stopped me in my thoughts and continued from there Himself. He answered and spoke in His mighty voice
"...FOR THE HOUR OF HIS JUDGEMENT IS COME:..."
And it truly had. He had passed his verdict on this case which no-one could challenge or change and it was final.
"Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!" Psalm 71:19
"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." St. John 8:36
It was He that truly controlled all things. Everything was perfect to reach the final judgement. What I had said just the previous evening in the presence of Jacob, his parents and our children, about the judge being like the Pharaoh of Egypt, not letting me go till he was forced to do so, had now happened. God showed us who was the judge above all judges, who could shake the seats of those who believe their seats to be immovable and have the final word. God forced this magistrate into a situation where he had to let me go. He had been placed in a position where he did not dare to do any other. He could not help signing the paper for my freedom. It was so strange and wonderful. Had he any thought of refusing me my freedom, he might have had in his mind that the earthquake could start again! Anyway his seat had been shaken enough to make him ready to sign the withdrawal of my case and to set me free.
The important features in this case are:
Listening to the radio that same evening I heard it said in a news programme that it was the first time ever that the High Court of Karnataka had ceased to function. In fact the earthquake affected a vast area. It was around 4 on the Richter scale and had lasted about 25 seconds. So much had happened in such a short time.
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, That you shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy." St. John 16:20
Only a feeling of wonder and gratitude to God remained. I knew, in a very real and concrete sense, that the One I believed in lives, and that He acts and takes part in the daily lives of people in an unimaginable way. After this I knew and believed that nothing was impossible or too hard for Him to do when He saw it was good to do. I will always remember the words Jacob used as soon as the case was over and took hold of the important paper with the judge's signature. He said "God did this for us."
We left the court with a light heart and wanted to tell everyone what had happened. We first went to the police headquarters as we had been asked to do before to report the outcome. We discussed the events over a cup of tea offered to us by Additional Police Commissioner Chandulal. Next we went to Basavangudi where Jacob's parents were waiting to hear the news. Jacob's mother was waiting outside the house. The first thing she asked, looking disappointed, was - "What happened to your case now that the earthquake took place?"
Full of joy I said that I now had my freedom because of those 25 seconds. She looked surprised but was happy to hear it. We sat in the garden and I related the details of the events. Jacob's father told us that earthquakes were very rare in that area and it was at least 30 years since there had been one comparable with this. He too was amazed. There was enough reason for all of us to be overwhelmed.
From a point of view of law this had become a rather strange event. The police, a part of the government organisation which had been my original prosecutor had later become my defender. The judge who should have been issuing justice and dealing fairly, had become my prosecutor in an event where there was no case. It was as if he had been passing judgement really from outside the case without even having looked into it at all, accusing me by not allowing the matter to run through the usual legal course. He had insisted on a case where there had been none that had left any place for my lawyer to act in my defence. In this case the judge appeared to have wanted to pervert justice by becoming the prosecutor. Everything had seemed to have been reversed.