A recent news story in France, in which a Sikh named Rajinder Singh was electrocuted following a confrontation with an Egyptian man who had approached a young female in a Metro station, prompted a flurry of outrage. French were hailing the Sikh – also known as Babu – as a hero for defending the honor of French women on the metro.
Press conferences were held, the man was hailed in France and abroad in the subcontinent, and the miscreant who shoved him onto the high voltage rail was arrested.
But all is not as it appears at first glance, and a video of the incident has surfaced that allegedly shows Babu starting the fight with Mohamed, a smaller man, and going after him with several other men. According to his attorney, Mohamed was accosted by an aggressive Babu and several other men, and did not strike the first blow.
Evidently, Babu was enraged by the hapless Arab, a small time hustler, junkie and gigolo, who was handing out packets of candy for some reason or other (skittles man?). After the Arab tried to give some candy to a young woman, Babu and some friends followed him onto the train and accosted him in a “menacing” way. When he tried to get away, they pursued him, a scuffle ensued, and Babu was pushed onto the live rails, where he was shocked to death.
This story demonstrates the futility of interceding on behalf of women for what are, when you put it in perspective, trivial annoyances. If the interpretation of the video Mohamed’s attorney gave is correct, Babu’s white knighting bordered on criminal, and although he didn’t deserve to pay with his life, it was a dumb decision. Of all the ways to go, scuffling with an Egyptian street hustler ranks fairly low on the scale.
What’s really unfortunate, however, is the approval French officials immediately bestowed upon this stupidity. A couple of ministers – Frédéric Mitterrand and Thierry Mariani – gave a eulogy of sorts, replete with flowers and babble about “compassion” and “courage,” for the late Babu. Hopefully, French men will see this posturing for what it is, and decline to put themselves in danger over some perceived slight of a woman.
