Imagine there is a school (XYZ) which is reopening after the Summer Holidays. A new student (B) has joined the class 'VII', section 'F' of strength '40'.
Different is of two types - Positive and Negative. The latter causes menace to the society due to a variety of factors as social acceptance, validation, recognition, outright evil etc. But, B is different from the others in a positive manner.
Others are a bit wary of B as the new student isn't like how they are. Days pass on without any incidents though the class topper and class influencer (D) and her friends have the apprehension that B is a threat to them since the new student is unusually deviant from how they see themselves. Other than those students, none of them has any iota of doubt on B as the newcomer is friendly, cooperative and helpful.
Then, on one fine day, D's purse is stolen. Without any objective thinking but solely based upon her bias and stereotypical attitude that different people from the normal are bad, D comes to the definitive conclusion that IT IS B who had robbed of her cherished purse. She wields her undue influence to her advantage and convinces the rest of the students that B is the thief and should be strongly punished.
D lodges an official complaint with their class teacher (C) by showing evidence to her that the whole class is out there to give proof that B is a shady character as the new student is not like them and thus categorically proclaims that B is the culprit.
Had D given the complaint by herself, C wouldn't have taken any action but dismissed her claim as a mere allegation. But, when the whole class gives testimony that B is the true suspect, C has no other option but to take action against B.
Here, what the teacher doesn't know is that it was D and her friends who was chiefly responsible and instrumental in persuading the entire class that B is the one who committed the crime just because the new student is different and that besides D and her cronies, none of the class had even thought that B could commit such a crime in the first place despite the new student's starking dissimilarity. The teacher (C) is in the dark about these essential facts.
But, with a serious complaint coming up to her table with 39 other voices, C calls up B&B's parents and commences a detailed investigation in the Principal Office (PO) using threats, intimidations, the usual Good Cop/Bad Cop routine and every other tactic under the sun to force out the truth from B &B's parents. Unfortunately, B was nowhere near the crime scene when D's purse was robbed and had no clue what was being asked in the first place. With the drill of an expert investigator, C and the Principal squeeze B&B's parents for the truth to be retched out in the open. The interrogation lasts hours together.
By a quirk of fate, one of B's classmate stumbles upon D's purse in D's bag itself and presents it to the PO.
The Thought Experiment is over.
Who should be punished and who should not be punished in this highly stimulating situation?
The delightful answer to this mind-numbing question is in Part 3.
X---To Be Continued & Concluded---X
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