Travel Tales From India

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

A Tribute to Courage

Before you read any further, here is the site devoted to Manju Nathan, please go and extend your support there and make it count.

http://manjunathshanmugam.blogspot.com/

I saw the 1.5 hour special coverage given to the issue on Zee News. Well, der aaye durust aaye (better late than never). My heart goes out to Manjunathan's family. And the secretrary for the ministry of petroleum sucked big time and so did the minister. Now they are linking to the story from the first page of Zee News website

http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=258321&sid=ZNS

---------------------------------------

Gaurav Sabnis pays a tribute to his senior, at Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow, 27 year old Manju Nathan.

Rest in peace, Machan. Whatever place you are at right now, I am sure you are rocking it. You staked your life on your integrity. I really doubt if I would have done the same, had I been in your shoes. Hats off, and bye, Manju.

The 27 year old was murdered for doing his work and we debate that India will become a super power by the year 2020 or some such ... (well I do not use curse words on my blog but I can think of nothing else).

He was a manager with Indian Oil Corporation (a government owned unit) and he had ordered to shut down a petrol pump because they were selling adulterated petrol.

Manju was shot dead for it. One Indian newspaper, The Indian Express has covered the story and you can see the details at:

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=158004

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=158210

It is so tragic to see someone, all of 27 years getting killed because he was trying to do his work. I do not think I have that kind of courage, because I would have known the odds and corrupt scenario only too well to do something like this. And he could have easily looked for another job in India or abroad. I do not think I will let my nephews to work in the government sector units ever.

In India there is a huge debate about education at IIMs and IITs (Indian Institute of Technologies) being subsidized by taxpayers and the graduates not doing much for the country (they get good offers in the private sector and abroad). Well, do they have many options? Before this, goons got down Satyendra Dubey for doing his work and now Manju. Where will it end?

And the punch line with which IOC sells its petrol? For you and me it is Xtracare!
http://www.iocl.com/images/library/xtracare-L-5.jpg

28 Comments:

Alka said...: Today, in my new home(our forst day here)I, scanned three newspapers, but Abu Salem was claiming the headline and all the valuable space.Of course, this news is unworthy enough to carry any weightage. I hope, one day, blogs may give a terrific competition to these so called "Main Stream Media."; 1:06 PM
Nilesh said...: Alka, i agree with you. let you guys (i mean bloggers) raise this issue like you did for Satyendra Dubey case and IIPM.

i see issues like pre-marital sex statement from Khushboo being publicised more than this because there is more publicity involved. this has to change and i am sure bloggers can do it.; 2:49 PM
indiacorporatewatch said...: He joins a long list of Satyendra Dubey's
and chandrashekar

I don't if you know about Chandrashekar
But here is his story

http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/1997/271/271p23.htm

Something must be done......
Anything......; 7:08 PM
indiacorporatewatch said...: This post has been removed by a blog administrator.; 7:09 PM
indiacorporatewatch said...: One more article about other that
covers people the media has forgotten

http://www.cpiml.org/liberation/year_2004/March/student_youth.htm; 7:11 PM
indiacorporatewatch said...: One more link

http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2004/601/

I was thinking I too will post about
this issue but on second thought I feel its better to put our efforts behind your post

So if you find the links useful do include it in your post for your readers; 7:47 PM
viji said...: hey Mriduls...
its a real sad state of affairs that such atrcities continue to happen. I scanned the papers looking for this news & failed to find any.
We can only spread the msg with blogs.; 10:25 PM
Kamesh said...: This is the state of affairs that we are living in. We need to ponder and think about this seriously. There is something somewhere wrong in the system that needs immediate remedial measures. But who is going to deliver that is the question.; 1:14 AM
GREATBONG said...: Kindly add my
link also; 2:35 AM
Abi said...: Yet another sad day for all of us.

Manju Nathan -- and others like him -- who paid for their honesty with their lives deserve better than what they got from the MSM so far.; 12:06 PM
Gangadhar said...: Very sad..; 1:04 PM
Minal said...: Hi Mridula,
Could you add my post as well. It's a very disturbing event.; 1:53 PM
Ranjit Nair said...: Hi Mridula,
Kindly add my link too.

http://occupiedspace.blogspot.com/2005/11/honesty-is-not-best-policy-not-in.html; 8:08 PM
Mridula said...: Hi All,

I will definitely add all the links I get in my comments and that I can search for.

I also wish to share that Aaj Tak covered this today (23/11/2005) in its 8.00 pm news briefly.

My only request is that have patience, it takes me time to add these links as I have a very lousy internet connection at home and I am swimming in the copies that I have to grade. So, please have patience with me.; 8:59 PM
Anonymous said...: While it is really sad and unfortunate that Manju Nathan got killed, to rope the IIT/IIM graduates working for PSU and still not cared for is not fair argument the issue. It is naive.

For Manju's parents none of these debates that you(and others for that matter) are basing on doesn't matter.

It is a law and order problem, irrespective of whether the victim is from IIT/IIM or even an uneducated person.

For that matter do you think people else where don't get killed because they are doing their job.

Wonder why none of Manju's friends never brought out this argument of him working for PSU till now.; 9:48 PM
Slice Of Life said...: our society has become intolarent to whistle blowers....it is bad sign...there was a law passed to protect such people with conscience ..but money and muscle power wins ....
uma; 10:12 PM
Mridula said...: To Anon, I agree whatever we are doing is not perfect. Manju went to IIM is incidental but it is a fact and hence our arguments revolve around it. If he would have studied at some unknown place and met the same fate, doing the same thing, I still would have cared.

I still feel putting half baked arguments like mine is better than not doing anything at all. I sincerely hope his parents find the courage to face this impossible situation.; 10:52 PM
Anonymous said...: dear mridula. great work. however i noticed this as a post you have linked -

http://themaanga.blogspot.com/2005/11/integrity-death.html

the post is downright smug demeaning and insulting towards manju. please remove it from the list.; 11:26 PM
Mridula said...: Hi Anon, I know, but I linked it on purpose, and it has already got some flak apart from yours. The only post I left out on purpose was mostly about Sania Mirza and Khushboo (and the issues they were in news about recently) with a brief mention to Manju. Have a look at this.

http://www.writingcave.com/archives/2005/11/22/this-is-what-ails-india/; 11:31 PM
JB said...: I don't know much about the story in this post, but I wanted to say that I read "How Exam Copies Are (Not) Graded Sometimes" and I was shocked.

How can students get a score on a test that wasn't even graded?

It really made me think about how much depends on the integrity of the professor.; 12:11 AM
Mridula said...: JB, this one is sad story in every way you look at it.

The places where things like not grading the copies happen, it is possible because they have very weak systems and not really care about education.; 12:19 AM
Anonymous said...: Hi,

A debate has started whether grads from premiere institutes should join govt. organisation... or stay in country and do service to nation.

Well if you look it at the other way should honest people join govt. deptt. and risk their life and limb... I would say absolutely you should do that...

We all crib about corruption all the time and expect some one would come and solve all the problems while we earn dollars or hefty salary and enjoy our life.

Corruption cannot be removed by wishful thinking.... we need to have courage to fight. Unfortunately we do not tought lesson of courage to our kids. We grow up as legions of cowards and those who got the guts like to be other side of the fence and be a corrupt guy.

We easily forget sacrifices of these honest and courageous sons of India. How many of you remember Satyendra Dubey...
http://www.rediff.com/news/dubey.htm
Hope we would not forget Manju Nathan's sacrifice and more than that his sacrifice should not go waste.; 9:55 AM
Mridula said...: No, I am the first person to admit that I am not going to tell my nephews (they are the closest that I can claim as mine) to join a govt. sector and get killed fighting corruption.

If you read the posts, so many of us remember Satyendra Dubey.; 10:08 AM
Mridula said...: Gaurav have written more about what anonymous 2 objected to. Here is the link.; 12:29 PM
Animesh said...: For latest updates [including the setting up of a website for this purpose and a petition] and an appeal, please visit: http://animeshpathak.blogspot.com/2005/11/another-one-bites-dust.html

Here's to Machan!
Animesh; 2:33 PM
>|' ; '|< said...: what a pity...to think that we are part of this society...poor man.; 9:10 AM
>|' ; '|< said...: and a very courageous man; 9:10 AM
4afteruse said...: leave alone the content of dis post, but u relly take time off to read thru dis many blogs and actually get convinced to post their links, way too good!!
read ur ladakh trip on nomad! appropriate! kudos!!; 7:59 PM

Links to this post:

<$BlogBacklinkTitle$>: <$BlogBacklinkSnippet$>
posted by <$BlogBacklinkAuthor$> @ <$BlogBacklinkDateTime$>

Create a Link

<< Home

Top Travel Offers

: Name: Mridula; Location: India

I started 'Travel Tales from India' my India Travel Blog quite reluctantly. But it has become an anchor for my writing now. I use this blog to write 'off topic' stuff too. I have two passions, to travel in India (mostly) and then talk about it. My second passion is reading. My India travel blog was once linked at BBC and The Guardian. All my stories published at Gonomad can be viewed from this writer profile page. Interested in more India Travel Blogs?

View my complete profile

Subscribe in a reader