Morality of the unethical

The recent humanitarian crisis when a tunnel collapsed at Silkyara in Uttarkashi was horrendous. Forty-one workers trapped in the debris and the most advanced technology not able to drill all the way, seemed like an insurmountable impasse. At this juncture a last-resort kind of decision had to be taken.

Rathole miners were called in to burrow manually. Rathole mining is banned officially as it is environmentally disastrous. The people who engage in it are of low social status and are linked to mining mafias. The unlawful nature of their activity did not inspire much trust. Their skill came from informal mentoring and could not be showcased or advertised. The men came, and at great risk to their own lives, were willing and able to deliver. All the workers were rescued. 

This action may have been compensated by payment but the courage to put oneself at risk in a crisis is an act of morality. Morality of the unethical may come as a surprise to the conventional mind, which brackets and categorises everything, but it is not unknown. 

A tale from the Panchatantra captures this in a poignant way. Three friends, a prince, a merchant, and a scholar set out to seek their fortune. On a mountain in a thick forest, they did find precious stones. The issue of carrying them back was loudly debated. The scholar’s suggestion of swallowing it was accepted as the best.

A thief hearing it all befriended them and joined them with the intent of robbing them, and perhaps even killing them to do so.

As they passed through a village, the headman’s caged bird began to sing. This evolved bird knew that the travellers carried a treasure. The headman understood, and had the travellers arrested. They were stripped and searched but nothing was found. They were allowed to go. The bird started to sing the same song again. The headman who had great faith in the advanced nature of the bird, had the travellers arrested again. This time he decided to cut open their stomachs.

The unethical robber decided to save the three men he had planned to kill. He made a noble decision and begged that his stomach be cut open first. It was done and the headman, filled with remorse allowed the other three to go.

While robbing and rathole mining are both unethical and cannot be celebrated, morality coming from any source needs to be acknowledged.