by Double-Beedi Selva (DBS)

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Two Asian Human-Rights lawyer types were waiting for the Brussels-to-Paris fast-TGV train, holding their first-calls tickets in hand. Then they noticed two of the Tamil-refugee claimants (TRCs) that they had defended the day before, also appearing on the same platform, but with only one first class ticket!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ‘Dorei‘ said the short, genial TRC and bowed deeply to show respect, while the older TRC remained silent, yet bowed his head. The senior lawyer ignored them while the junior said haughtily

“if you guys get caught,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  don’t expect us to help you out“.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ `Don’t worry Sir,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  we never get into trouble, metthapperiya upahaaram‘.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ As soon as the train arrived the TRCs entered into a first-class wagon. The lawyers, being curious about `how to travel with a single ticket’ entered the same wagon and watched them closely. Within a few minutes, the two TRCs piled themselves into the nearest washroom and closed the door. However, the ticket inspector who came by within a few minutes did not miss the washroom. He tapped on the door and said “Tickets, Billets s’il vous plait“. The door opened a tiny crack, and a slender arm came out and presented the ticket. The inspector stamped it, and handed the ticket back onto the still stretched hand, and went on. A good five minutes later the TRCs emerged, and returned to their seats looking triumphant. The lawyers had watched the whole scene, but now avoided any eye contact with the TRCs.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Brussels-Paris distance, similar to that from Elephant pass (Alimankada) to Colombo was done in one hour and fifteen minutes. The lawyers went on their way to a sumptuous luncheon-meeting with their NGO bosses, in a renowned left-bank Parisian restaurant. The TRCs too went to meet their handlers who were waiting for them in a house in the Tamil quarter near the Gare du Nord.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Asian Human-rights lawyers were back at the train station for the trip back to Brussels. But this time they too thought `why not’, and they purchased only one first-class ticket. However, to their utter surprise, they found that the TRCs were also waiting for the train, but with no tickets at all!!

Even more surprisingly, the younger TRC seems to be holding a Norwegian passport, whereas heƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  has been claiming EU-refugee status! ‘Did he collect it in Paris’? May be he is going to forget about refugee-status and go under-ground with forged documents?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The lawyers had much to think about.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Once again theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  TRCs greeted and bowed, but the lawyers pretended to not to even see them. After all, even the very presence of theseƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  low-caste crooksƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  was `pollution’ toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  upper-caste Vellalar lawyers.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The lawyers entered a first-class wagon as soon as the TGV-train arrived. The TRCs entered the same wagon, and seated themselves not far from the lawyers. A few minutes later the lawyers got up, ignored the TRCs and went towards the washroom. The TRCs seemed to be oblivious of the lawyers,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  looking at the passing panorama. The two lawyers piled into the washroom and closed the door. A few minutesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  there was a knock on the door, and an official voice said `Tickets, Billets s’il vous plait‘. The door opened slightly and the junior lawyer’s arm shot out holding a ticket. The ticket was taken, and the hand remained stretched out for a while waiting for the return of the duly stamped ticket.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  After a while, the empty hand was withdrawn and the washroom door closed.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  A few minutes later the two lawyers came out of the washroom, looking sullen and confused. The two TRCs were no where to be seen.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Soon, a ticket inspector arrived. The distinguished lawyers apologized for an error that their secretary had made in failing to purchase the tickets on time;ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  explained that they had to get on this train, with or without tickets. They are lawyers, and there was of course no motivation to defraud the SNCF. They would of course pay any legally valid dues.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ They paid the full fare of the tickets as well as the fines.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The inspector continued onwards, and knocked on the washroom door and said `Tickets, Billets s’il vous plait‘. The opened a tiny crack, and the slender arm of the younger TRC stretched out and presented a ticket. The Inspector took it, stamped it, and returned the ticket to the hand. The inspector moved on.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The lawyers watched sullenly. Then one of them said, `why should we even defend these vermin’?

The senior `Asian-Human rights lawyer retortedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  “You know Pakiya, in the end we get paid by our NGOs. It is the money collected by the handlers of these TRCs that pay our NGOs. The web of life contains vermin at one end and more cunning species at the other, and all are inter-connected’. In effect, they pay our salaries, our tickets and even our fines. In the end it costs them more! It is a human right to make money.