People - Salute An Indian Hero

In the midst of all the hype and hoopla surrounding the Cricket World Cup and India's decidedly underwhelming performance, one very newsworthy event that happened a couple of days ago went almost entirely unnoticed. The eight murderers of Manjunath Shanmugam were convicted.

Who was Manjunath Shanmugam? He was a Sales Officer for Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) stationed in the lawless badlands of Western Uttar Pradesh - in the town of Lakhimpur Kheri. In 2005, the honest IOCL officer noticed large-scale petrol adulteration taking place at one of the town's petrol pumps. The pump was owned by a local mafia lord-cum-politician. Manjunath warned the petrol pump owner to stop adulterating petrol - threatening to shut down his pump if he did not abide by the law.

Manjunath was a lone voice of honesty and courage, crying out in the wilderness. He was threatened and harassed by the petrol pump owner and his henchmen. However, Manjunath refused to cow down. One night in November 2005, he was gunned down by the petrol pump owner.

Despite political pressures and delays, justice has prevailed in this case. The murderers of Manjunath have been convicted - seemingly against all odds. This is a victory for justice in our country - where fair play is often punished and corruption is frequently rewarded.

Manjunath held a Masters' degree in Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) - Lucknow. He could probably have chosen a much more lucrative career in India’s booming private sector. However, he chose to join a Public Sector Unit (PSU) because he thought he could make a difference.

He was a true hero - because he fearlessly battled corruption – despite threats to his personal safety. He ultimately paid for his courage with his life. Would any of us have been as uncompromising in our fight for truth and justice? Would we have stood up to evil, murderous forces and refused to be cowed, irrespective of the consequences? Probably not. Which is why Manjunath is a true hero.

In our ‘instant karma” age of heroes with feet of clay – cricketers and Bollywood stars with overblown egos, it appears that the only thing that one needs to be a hero is appear on television or on the silver screen. In a nation (and world) starved of true heroes, we often confuse celluloid heroes with the real thing.

Manjunath came from a middle-class family. He was never on television or in the movies. Nobody cared about what brand of shampoo he used, or what car he drove. He was never on Page 3 of the newspapers. Nobody asked him whether he preferred to vacation in Switzerland or in Paris.

He was an ordinary man who did something extraordinary. He was probably frightened and in fear of his life when he took on forces much more powerful than he was. After all, true bravery lies not the absence of fear, but in overcoming it. Manjunath did all this and more - and paid for it with his life. He was only twenty seven years old.

The Government of India and Indian Oil Corporation itself appear to be very lukewarm in their recognition of Manjunath. However, the IIM Alumni Association has constituted an award in his memory – the Manjunath Shanmugam Integrity Award.

True heroes are hard to come by, and often remain unsung. Salute a true Indian hero.