Stealing is a sin. It is an extremely bad habit. This habit is often formed in a person from the childhood itself if he is not checked and guided by elders.
Stealing is a recognized crime in law and as such leads to some very serious results. It damages a person’s image, destroys his self – esteem and curtails his liberty.
Often it starts with pinching some articles like rubbers, pencils or sweets of class- fellows and playmates and grows into a habit. Once it becomes a habit, a person becomes a thief. He is chased by police. When caught, he is punished and sent to jail. He loses his liberty to move about freely for as long as the law ordains him to be behind the bars.
Dinu, the son of a poor farmer, was sent to a primary school. He did not like to study, instead wasted his time in bullying and bothering other boys. He would often steal toys, books, pencils, etc. he would sell the books to ‘Kabari’ and use the money to entertain himself. He made some boys join his group. They started stealing things as Dinu would want them to. Soon the school came to know about the group as complaints of stealing poured into the Principal’s office each day.
The teacher and parents discovered their dirty game. The Principal called Dinu, he ring leader of the gang and warned him to mend his ways, but he didn’t care a bit. It went all in vain. Dinu was not prepared to give up his habit of stealing. He was more attracted towards the little money that he made by selling stolen things.
By the time he reached higher classes, he became full – fledged thief. He would steal things from the houses in neighbourhood and sell them in the market. He got more money and the temptation kept him at the game. He soon became an active member of a gang of thieves and ran away from home and left his studies. No good advice was followed by him.
As for Dinu, his life became very bad. He had to live in hiding as the police was always chasing the gang here and there for petty crimes. Unmindful of it his habit made him none the worse. He became a criminal and joined a gang of notorious dacoits who used to murder and loot innocent people on the lonely roads and highways. Dinu became a notorious robber with a price on his head.
How long can a criminal escape the long hands of the law? A day came when Dinu had an encounter with the police. Some members of his gang were killed and Dinu was very badly injured as a bullet hit him on his shoulder.
He tried to run safety in the jungle but became unconscious and fell down in the bushes nearby.
A member of the police party noticed Dinu and he was arrested by the police.
Dinu was tried for his various offences. He was found guilty of murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. He felt very bad for himself. It was too late to do anything. He recollected the incident of childhood when his parents and teachers had advised him to give up the bad habit of stealing.
He understood now that ‘habit is a web. We weave a thread of it everyday and at last we cannot break it.’
One should never have the urge of snatching other’s possessions. Everybody has got his or her possession for use, then why must one think of taking other’s things without their knowledge. Keep off this temptation and you will grow up to be an honest and selfless person.