The Hindu : Assessment of truth

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 20, 2002

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Assessment of truth

Sir, — T.V. Somanath's article on (un)truth reminds me of an old story about the famous Brazilian footballer, Pele's experience in a witness box before a court of law. He was cited as a prosecution witness in a referee assault case and the defence lawyer cross-examining him, asked him: "In what position do you play for your club and in what position do you play for your country?" "I play centre forward in both." "How good a centre forward are you?" After stammering a bit Pele said, "I am the world's best."

When Pele came out of court, one of his friends asked him, why a man who had always shown an enormous amount of humility in appraising himself boasted about his being the world's best. Pele said, "After all, I was on oath."

His dissertation on "truth and untruth" should drive every educated Indian into introspection of his own `elastic' conscience, which has given rise to accepting falsehood as a necessary part of human existence.

Charuhasan,

Chennai

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