The South Asian: Hunger Fast to Protest Killing of Upright Official

December 04, 2005

Hunger Fast to Protest Killing of Upright Official

The murder of Manjunath Shanmugam who canceled a petrol pump licence to a dealer engaging in corrupt practices has drawn the ire of various civic society groups. Pressure is being built to have the administration proactive root corruption through increased transparency.

Lakhimpur-Kheri, the location of much corruption, violence owing to repression of bonded laborers and the recent multi-crore food scam, is now the site where an upstanding Indian Oil officer was murdered in cold blood for following his duties.

This is the second murder of a public sector officer engaged in honestly doing his duty that has caught the Indian sentiments – the first being the killing of Satyendra Dubey, an engineer working on highway construction projects.

A number of websites, articles and blogspots by various friends of Manjunath are describing his life, his work and his commitment that led to his murder. All of these, besides hundreds of others are demanding that the administration to take steps to increase transparency, reduce corruption and ensure that honest officers be protected and culprits be brought to book.

In this context, one group of non-resident Indians has called for a hunger strike to focus on corruption at all levels. In a press note, it has given a call for citizens and civic action groups to take action:

Has the situation in India downgraded to such a level that any person trying to resist corruption is either tortured or killed? Couple of years ago, Satyendra Dubey was killed in the Golden Quadrangle Road project for exposing Rs.55 crores corruption scam and now we have lost yet another socially conscious citizen, Manjunath Shanmugam.

This has to end sometime and as responsible citizens of India, the onus is upon us to put an effort to end these atrocities. Although we are far from our country, the least we can do from here is to express solidarity with Manjunath's family and demand justice.

We are organizing a "Global Hunger Fast" to protest the heinous crime and spread awareness. Volunteers around the globe (who like you and me have been shocked by the nature of the crime) have decided to fast in relay fashion starting Saturday, December 3rd 2005, for one week.

I would request you all earnestly to join us in this protest for Manjunath. This might not end all the corruption but at least it will be a starting point for the authorities concerned to take a stricter hold of the situation.

Hunger Fast Plan:
December 3rd 2005: First Day of the Hunger Fast.
December 4th -9th 2005: During these six days, Volunteers around the globe, at least one person at all time, observing fast.

December 10th 2005: Final Day of the Hunger Fast. On this day, all of us would assemble in front of Gandhi Statue of Indian Embassy, Washington DC and observe the fast together. We will end the fast in the evening with a nonviolent demonstration to demand justice for Manjunath and punishment for the culprits. We encourage volunteers elsewhere to show nonviolent, public demonstration on the same day in solidarity with others.

Goals of the Global Hunger Fast:
1. Justice for Manjunath Shanmugam and his family.

2. Punishment of the culprits involved.

3. An appeal to Govt. of India to better protect honest individuals like Dubey and Manjunath

If you interested in observing the fast with us, please let one of us know. You can select any one of these days and join in the relay fast.
We will keep you all posted about the developments. Please feel free to get in touch with any questions or suggestions. Thank you for joining us in this effort to fight corruption and save innocent lives.

The organizers of this fast may be contacted at somukumarATgmailDOTcom and brundaDOTKattekolaATgmailDOTcom

More Info on Manjunath
http://fastforjustice.blogspot.com/
http://ManjunathShanmugam.blogspot.com/
http://gauravsabnis.blogspot.com/2005/11/bye-machan.html
http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20051202&fname=manjunath&sid=1

Posted by collective at December 04, 2005 05:56 PM

Comments

I believe that unless we remove Corruption, India will remain where it is, and will never reach it's potential.
Have any one seen recently any posting on Telghi case, where this person defrauded stamp paper worth 50 thousand crore, rupees? To get a feel the total Right to Work program budget allottment for the year is 10 thousand crores.
The case was transferred to CBI from the Maharastra Special Task Force(STF) which was doing a great job and since then it has disappered from Public Eye. Mr. Bhujbal, the Dy. C.M of Maharastra who had resigned for his complicity, is back. And the power of 50 thousand crores is enough to take the case out of public eye and soon the papers will start getting lost. The arrested presons will get released and they will murder any one speaking up or any one reporting in press. Such cases are the desease and the rest is symptom. I appeal to those doing fast in Washington D. C. to bring such cases to the fore and add to the memorendum. The vigilence commission similarly has gone to sleep.
Why are they not publishing the fate of the corrupt so the dishonest will loose social respect (for their money)?
This will encourage honesty?
Posted by: Sandip K. Dasverma on December 15, 2005 01:16 AM

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