CHENNAI: In case the offendor and his family are unable to pay the fine ordered by the quarter panchayat, a ‘fair’ system ensures that the bottle supply is procured. “The money is given as a loan from the village and the offender has to apologise to each elder and give the bottle. From then on till the loan is paid off, all his fishing produce will be the property of his village or loan-giver,” adds Raja’s brother. While the system may be perceived as archaic, it is actually practical in preserving a “socialistic set up that enforces discipline and control”, points out Aloysius, a social worker who has worked in Pulicat. “It’s when judgments are passed on grounds of superstitions that it can get dangerous,” he adds.He recounts how a family of three fisherman were made to grovel for forgiveness and buy liquor after their father’s ghost was blamed for the death of another young man.Whether justice is served or not, it goes without saying that every offendor repents in the ‘spirit’.
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