Youth Is Directionless But Not Irresponsible.

Usually I don't write down personal incidents on my blog but series of confrontations with a few questioning minds made me to express my views through an incident that happened with me two days back. On friday morning, me and my classmates were eagerly waiting for our advertising class which is taken by a very experienced and charismatic person. For his introduction, I would just like to mention that he headed Public Relation Society of India (Delhi Chapter) and this is just a feather in his cap.

He started off the class with enormous energy as he usually does discussing the 'publics in public relation'.While explaining further he cited the example of 'Anna Hazare Movement' and his first statement was-"This movement is going to die off, nothing will happen." One or two of my friends, (who volunteered  with me at Jantar Mantar while Anna was on fast) tried to convince him that revolution starts from somewhere but their mincing words failed to do so. He put his point more strongly by making one of the volunteers to stand and asked, "What have you done for the movement since you have come back from Jantar Mantar? Did you write a single letter to editor or even a blogpost? " The expected answer came from the boy-No! 

The sir went on- "You people just create euphoria, if you want to do something start from your own home.It was just a 5 days fest and now everything is gone." I was listening to all this and ultimately can not resist myself from raising my hand while saying, "sir, I want to say something." He allowed me to speak and I started, " Sir, I am connected to this movement from past six months when it started in November last year. Since then, I have written ten letters to editor those have been published in Hindustan Times. I have made the people aware of 'JanLokpal Bill' through a special facebook account and Google buzz.I attended the India Against Corruption rally on 30th of January at Ram Lila Maidan.I have been writing blogposts twice a month adressing such issues and I don't think I have done anything special because I am not the only one. " Suddenly, he stopped me and smilingly uttered, "In the language of advertising, your product has been sold. Lady you will not let this movement die and I am complimenting you." Normally, he never gets convinced so early still I preferred to halt myself.

After few minutes, again he touched the wrong strings. " A simple bill can not curb corruption.Nothing will happen because corruption is so deeply rooted in this country. One or two people can't bring the change".You can call it my stubbornness, but I raised my hand again. This time he said, "lady you can put your point but I won't say a word." Still I asked him, "Will you agree sir, inspiration can be positive or negative?, He moved his head in affirmation and I continued, "When last time I went for IAC, only one person followed me, but this time at Jantar Mantar, four of my classmates came along with me.Something positive inspired me to volunteer there on my birthday rather than partying with friends. But the way you are treating this issue, next time I won't find a single person from this class to accompany me because of negative insipration. My only question is why to be so cynical?". He didn't say much but just smiled and said, "I am not spreading negativity, I am just motivating you people."

Though I expressed my viewpoint but frankly speaking, I was a bit scared because I knew that my teacher is going to complain about me to my Director and I will face a tough time.In that 3 hour class, we get a break of 10 mins after one and half hour is over.In the break, he called me up and asked my name.He also asked me about my career plans and gave me some nice suggestions regarding the same.He offered me his help in case I need it in future. If I am not wrong, he was convinced!

The only point to explain the whole incident is to make the people realize that Youth can be directionless,lacks inspiration, contentious and sometimes rude but is not irresponsible. Once it gets a direction, a goal, a particular way, youth is the best asset any country can have to curb any social menace. So, please don't distrust them rather than provide them a direction, a platform where they can voice their aspirations. I know a 18year old, modern young boy teaching small kids at a village on his birthday and filing more than 120 RTI petitions. I have seen a 19year old actively working with a NGO for the betterment of environment.And this list is endless. How can I be cynical? Let us fail, let us struggle.Even if we return with nothing we have the courage to start again. Remember, with experience you never start with '0', you always start with '1'.If you can't do anything for us, atleast don't be cynical. As I always say, If you can't talk positive, atleast be neutral rather than spreading negativity. You never know, who gets inspired from you.

-Penned by

Anubha Shukla.

Truth Buried Under The Graves ?

On April 7, former telecom Minister A Raja's nephew died of  severe heart attack while working out at a gym in Chennai. Pushpanathan Deepak was an engineer by profession and was working for Etisalat DB Company. Here, it is important to observe that Etisalat DB is the telecom company that is being grilled by CBI in gigantic 2G scam which according to CAG cost 1.76 lakh Crore to the country. DB group is owned by Shahid Balwa, who is currently in jail for helping Raja.Though Deepak wasn't a suspect in the case, however CBI had raided his Chennai home in December, 2010 along with Raja and Sadiq Batcha.After Sadiq Batcha, Deepak's death is the second casualty connected to tainted A Raja in high profile 2G case.

Sadiq Batcha, a close aide of A Raja and a prime suspect in 2G case was suspiciously found dead in his bedroom in Chennai on 16th of March. It appeared a suicide but Police didn't overrule the possibility of murder. Sadiq Batcha owned 'Green House Promoters Company' , one of the beneficiaries in the whole 2G debacle. Raja's wife M.A Parameshwari allied the board directors of Green House in 2007.In his suicide letter Batcha said that he could not bear the shame and embarrassment of 2G scam and hence decided to end his life. His death has raised many questions. Is it a suicide or has he been killed by those who were fearing his cracking up before CBI? As Janta Party President Subramanian Swamy puts it, "Suicide and murder will be a part of the 2G investigations as reputations of too many  people are involved."Surprisingly, Dr. V Dekal, the doctor who performed Batcha’s autopsy resigned from the government service to fight Tamil Nadu assembly elections. It’s interesting to note that doctor's father was once a member of A Raja's party DMK. 

From Police to opposition parties, everybody is expecting something fishy about the sudden deaths but this is not the first time when truth is buried under the graves. There had been many such instances when the sudden mysterious death of a prime accused, witness or the suspect has changed the direction of high profile cases. There are innumerous examples where judiciary became vulnerable in front of 'lack of evidence' factor. Obliquely, this lack of evidence factor arises when a key accused,witness or suspect dies during the investigations taking the justice away along with his own life. Lets throw some light on a few such high profile cases.

Do you remember 1996's Fodder scam? Misappropriations worth 950Cr was observed in Bihar's animal husbandry sector in which Ex CMs Lalu Prasad Yadav and Jagannath Mishra were the prime accused. CBI  filed 69 cases against 76 accused regarding the scam. Harish Khandelwal was one of those accused.CBI got formal sanction from the governor to prosecute Lalu Prasad  in May 1997 and the same day Harish Khandelwal was found dead on railway tracks with a suicide note claiming he was fed up with the CBI grilling him to turn into a witness. Finally, Mishra and lalu were released from the CBI custody because CBI could not prove anything against them due to lack of evidences.

Next in the list is PF scam of Ghaziabad. Ashutosh Asthana, the prime accused in the case was arrested in April 2008. Ashutosh was the treasury officer at Ghaziabad court and was charged for draining off Crores from the PFs of class three and four employees within the span of 7 years from 2001 to 2008. During investigations, CBI found that 36 judges were named by Asthana as beneficiaries. Among those 36  judges there was one Supreme Court judge and three Allahabad Court judges. The charge sheet was filed against 78 people. In November 2009, Asthana was found dead at Dasna District jail. Police claimed it was a heart attack but the doctor who did his postmortem didn't deny the possibility of poison consumption. Even Asthana's brother Shishir alleged murder.

1n 1993, Shashi Nath Jha who was PA to Jharkand Mukti Morcha Chief Shibu Soren, disclosed a deal between JMM and Congress to rescue PV Narasimha Rao government. In May 1994 ,Jha was abducted from Dhaula Kuan and was killed in a jungle in Ranchi. In December 2006 Shibu Soren was given life imprisonment by Delhi Court but this decision was changed by Delhi High Court and Soren was acquitted due to lack of evidence.

As years went by, people forgot about Fodder scam, alleged JMM-Congress deal, and PF scam. After giving a few nightmares to the government,2G scam might also be forgotten soon. But what about the exchequer's money?  Most importantly, what about the concealed truth under these graves?We say that the justice delayed is justice denied but what would we call it if justice is being killed?

Penned by-

Anubha Shukla