Help Komal Singh Sengar
Rahul Bose - September 14, 2006
The murder, unintentional or otherwise, of Professor Sabharwal in Madhav College in Ujjain has thrown up some pertinent issues, some which this country has been talking about in the last few months, and others it has not. The most obvious of the latter is the entire question of student politics and whether it has become the sole preserve of political parties using the college campus to play dangerous power games.
More important, are the people behind student elections bonafide students or have they been planted by political entities to further their party’s cause? That the answer to both questions has been fairly obvious for a few decades now – student politics has almost entirely become non-student politics with its players interested in anything but the pursuit of knowledge – is not enough in the light of the incidents at Madhav College. It is time to ask why college elections have been allowed to become politicized to such an extent that people’s lives are on the line during campaigning and voting. Speak to university authorities across the country and you will hear how their hands have been tied with a mix of intimidation and political pressure. So what is the solution?
It is indicative of the deep-rootedness of electoral politics in this country that while many political leaders have condemned the attack in Madhav College, not a single realistic, constructive step has been mooted to empower college administrations to uproot this reign of terror in campuses across the country. As a liberal I would be the first person to fight any draconian measures designed to silence the voice of the student or the practice of student government, but there has to be a way to distinguish the participatory student from the overgrown bully. Look further and the news gets more shameful. Not one political party has stepped forward and said they undertake to permanently step out of dirty college politics. How can they? It will imply they were involved in that arena in the first place. But who is fooled by all of this? Not a single Indian who has studied beyond secondary school. So while everybody, from the Prime Minister downwards knows what is going on, nothing is done to rectify things. This then is the bottomline about the worst of India. This is what shapes an Indian’s psyche from his or her teenage years – the sickening knowledge that no matter how many suitcases full of cash are paraded in front of the media, no matter how many sting operations show corruption occurring on all rungs of the administrative ladder, no matter how many politicians are named as illegal beneficiaries of thousands of crores, the powerful will get away scot-free. The law strikes you only if you are poor or middle class, the law clinically works against you only if the law makers know your vote does not count, the law works beautifully to put you away only if your absence will not inconvenience the powers that be.
Professor Sabharwal’s murderers had absolute confidence his demise would not inconvenience their pursuit of power. But it has - thank the media and the voice of those who are still independent-minded in this country. But if the senseless killing of an elderly academic in broad daylight has been received with condemnation, why not an equal amount of outrage and support for Madhav College peon, Komal Singh Sengar, an eye witness to the attack, who had the courage to file an FIR against the professor’s murderers, when he alleges there were other witnesses who have chosen to remain silent? When he alleges his life has been threatened by those implicated by him? When he says he had to hide in a water tank for six days for fear of being killed? When he says he was offered a bribe in the form of all expenses paid for both his daughters’ weddings in exchange for the withdrawal of his testimony? When he says with anger-choked resignation that he knows he will be killed once the media glare on him lessens? Surely we haven’t sucked all we wanted from this story and moved on? Because the question that Sengar’s words throws up is the question that we are most scared of asking ourselves - what are we going to do about this?
While the Jessica Lall and Priyadarshini Mattoo cases must be fought with tenacity and vigilance they are cases that cannot save the lives of the two women in question. But tenacity and vigilance can and will save Sengar’s life. Tenacity, vigilance and financial support. Financial support so that when the threat perception to his life is ordained to have lessened to ‘mild’ and the armed guards are withdrawn from his protection, we, all of us, some of us, any of us can reinstate his security detail. Realistically? It will serve only to give him some relief from a life of continuous fear, because that’s what awaits Sengar through the course of the oncoming trial and its result. Everyday this man goes to and from work in Madhav College he will look over his shoulder for the accomplices of the people he has incriminated in his testimony, men and women who will bide their time before devising an unrelated cause of his death. The terrible beauty is that Komal Singh Sengar knows this. What a chance then to tell him something he does not know. To tell him in the form of the guards who we arrange to continue to protect him that India, we Indians, some of us any of us, stand with him, stand for him, his honesty, bravery, his incorruptibility. This is a moment we cannot miss. This is a moment where we can lock the stable doors before the horse has bolted When we don’t have to wait to fight for justice in the case of the butchering of an intrepid eye-witness in Ujjain. This is a moment when we can step in where politicians fear to tread - reversing that sickeningly familiar sensation of wrongdoing happening in broad daylight and nothing being done about it.
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Posted by Rahul Bose at September 14, 2006 11:00 AM
Comments
1. Posted by
hari
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on
September 14, 2006 12:42 PM
Well expressed Rahul. The law in this country operates on the principle "Show me the man and I shall show you the law". Don't you know the BMW case where the perpetrator, son of a billionaire got away despite mauling several people under his car.
Student politics is a farcas and a breeding ground for criminals. Why should that be deemed an entry point of politics in the first place?
This reminds of the "Reperesentation of people's ordiance" which was against the criminalisation of politics and was returned by President Kalam to the best of my knowledge. Yet it was passed because of the unananimous "consent" of the political parties. One major politician also commented of the "ground reality" of the need for criminals in politics.
Though what you have said in terms of financial support to Komal is correct, only a major catastrophe can bring about a radical change. You cannot go northwards until you go southwards. I may sound cynical but unfortunately its true.
One thing I forgot to mention, Rahul.
Your observation
"student politics has almost entirely become non-student politics with its players interested in anything but the pursuit of knowledge "
Pursuit of knowledge is a dangerous expression to use. Your own film Industry is a fine example-Amitabh Bachchan is an untrained actor, Subhash Ghai, Salim Khan, Shekhar Kapur, A.R.Rehman, Shanker of Shanker, Ahsan, Roy, Singer Abhijeet are all examples of people who were qualified for something totally different but they became famous in a totally differenct capacity. Even the great Balraj Sahni was a career dabbler.
Pursuit of "intelligence", "Talent", "Working identity" or in the words od Daniel Goleman, author of the book "Emotional intelligence" , the word emotion whose literal meaning is something that moves you or your innermost passion is in my view more appropriate than knowledge.
Many problems in socity are because of the snobishness of knowledge based intelligence over trait based ones. Today it has come in the papers that some girl commited suicide by jumping from the third floor because of failing in the board exams thrice. In the last five years thousands have killed themselves all over India similarly.
This happens when you follow knowledge foolishly and blindly- the obseesion of degrees and qualifications. Hope you won't mind- incorrect pereptions are like a computer virus and should be nipped in the bud. You don't have to agree with me.
Rahul,
An outspoken piece that I lend my support to, on both counts.
I saw the first interview by Sengar on TV and my heart went out to him. His courage and honesty were humbling and the same doubts and fears you express went through my mind. I think no matter what others can do, the pressure really has to be applied at the local level. Much as happened in Arun Bhatia's case in Pune. Local people, from the humblest to the highest - outside of politics - took up the cudgels on his behalf and almost won. What defeated them in the end was politicians who took refuge in a little known law which said that if 75% of the corporators wanted him replaced it could be accomplished and that is what happened.
This case is a little different and I doubt if politicians can effectively muzzle him legally and that is why the man needs help and protection. The community itself can provide that most effectively, the rest can help in lending and giving support but ultimately it is the local support which will be the deciding factor in my opinion.
dear rahul, give your good proposal a concrete shape. tell us where to send the money. then engage best private security agency you know for snger' protection. dont let it remain on paper.
Kudos to Rahul,Harb and the likes...
Let me remind the Intent bloggers of a Murder of a brilliant engineer for being a whistle blower, who other wise could have chosen a well paying and comfortable job( As many indians would do) instead opted for Govt. job to work on National Highway project commissioned by Vajpayee Govt. He wrote to "THE PRIME MINISTERS OFFICE" about the corruption and irregularities and the details of the letter were leaked, which led to his murder by the contractor/Administration/politician nexus .The case till date remains unresolved and the culprits remain unpunished .WELCOME TO INDIA SHINING.
Indrakaran.
6. Posted by
indrakaran
on
September 15, 2006 08:18 AM
I second Harb. Let us know how we can help.
7. Posted by
hanania
on
September 16, 2006 07:08 PM
Thanx Rahul for writting this blog and raising a very valid and important point.
It is time now we should do something to reward people for honesty and to ensure that they live long enough to see their efforts being emulated by others.
And also we should not forget Manjunath, the IIM alumnus working in IOCL who was murdered by some petrol pump owner in U.P. when he had threatened to report about the quality of product he was selling.
Its truly the time to do something so that we do not have any more person being sacrificed at the altar of honesty.
Rahul
How can we help
9. Posted by
Priya Sanil
on
September 18, 2006 10:58 PM
You know the root cause of all this? Lack of proper and efficent administration. Forget about college politics, if something like ragging is looked upon as "college culture" which implies that any form of physical/emotional/sexual abuse is just fine and dandy then its not suprsing that college politics are in such a pathetic condition.
The word on everyone's lips is - show sympathy but dont even think about going out of your way to do anything about it, in case you get in trouble.
10. Posted by
Shreya
on
September 19, 2006 05:28 AM
Dear Rahul
Since publicity is currently keeping Komal Singh Sengar safe, can an organization be created, that has the purpose of keeping those who've reported crimes in the public eye?
It's so much less expensive to create publicity these days, due to the web, that an effort that might have been impossible to fund 5 years ago could be feasible, now.
Long-term benefits of an organization like that: By helping increase the chance of surviving for those who testify, the numbers of those willing to speak up will increase. The effect can deter crime, as well as act as a source of justice.
In the US, two things that are not considered part of government's arsenal of crime-fighting tools have unexpectedly helped reduce crime: Crime-solving shows on TV (like "America's Most Wanted"), and cell phones, especially those with cameras. Both these things empower people, by giving them direct lines to those who will act on what the citizens report. And both also carry the potential for further publicity about evidence, which motivates responders who might otherwise be tempted not to act, to think twice and act.
love, Heather
11. Posted by
heather
on
September 19, 2006 12:25 PM
@ Heather
I completely agree with whatever you have said in the above comment.
Yes, there should be some permanent way to ensure security of all the people who are willing to stand firm on the court about their testimony of the crime of which tey are the key witness.
Lets discuss about this point seriously and i am sure that we can find some way. I am now currently trying to start an NGO, so i can make arrangements of collection of funds. But i dont have any experience and idea about security agency. so lets discuss about it and lets see that we achieve this goal
Rahul, Most of us who read about such incidents do feel the same...We feel, we think we should do something and some probably even look for an opportunity to do but in reality..... then we all go back to our lives, our problems, our fights forgetting that maybe one day such a thing could actually hit our lives...
13. Posted by
coffeegirl
on
November 1, 2006 06:26 PM
Rahul, we hear, see and know only a handful of incidents. So many unfortunate events go unnoticed. Although every cry builds the momentum towards awareness. Hence your thoughts are heart rending and commnedable.
On another note what do you have to say of the Bihar events - children below 6 years taken to task by the police with false accusations and complaints with charges of rape, molestation, kidnapping etc. A child then asked to report to the police station.... what a tragedy? And this is when we have the new law protecting child against child labour. How many more laws need to be implemented to safeguard a child.
How ironical it sounds.....what more to say!
14. Posted by
maina
on
November 3, 2006 12:06 AM
..but the very idea of going out of ones way to lend a helping hand sucks...really..it is sooooo self-congratulatory thing to do...
15. Posted by
alice
on
March 17, 2007 12:27 AM
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Recent Comments
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alice commented on Help Komal Singh Sengar
..but the very idea of going out of ones way to
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maina commented on Help Komal Singh Sengar
Rahul, we hear, see and know only a handful of
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coffeegirl commented on Help Komal Singh Sengar
Rahul, Most of us who read about such incidents
-
dumka commented on Help Komal Singh Sengar
@ Heather
I completely agree with whateve -
heather commented on Help Komal Singh Sengar
Dear Rahul
Since publicity is currently
Thanks for posting.
How can we help?