A Beautiful Life Wasted

One of Harshit's (my kid brother) classmate at IIML was shot dead on Saturday for doing his job. Manju worked for the Indian Oil Corporation in rural Uttar Pradesh and had recently ordered one of the Petrol Pumps under his jusrisdiction to be closed as it did not meet the required safety standards. He received some threats from the Petrol pump owner and bribe offers too, but he refused to change his assessment and was shot dead by the owner's son on Saturday night.

In today's world, where do you see this kind of courage and bravery - To say no to someone with a gun, because you know you are right? Did he believe that God will help him because he is right ? I am pretty sure he did , He must have some kind of belief that nothing will happen to him because he was right and only doing his job with all sincerity. Then what kind of God lets things like these happen ? We would like to believe that there is justice in this world - The people who do right will be rewarded and the people who do wrong will be punished - Not in another life or in heaven or hell , But right here - And this would have been such a simple black and white case for God - The 27-year old man, who worked hard all his life to get into the best schools, and colleges in the country, got a good degree, doing his job with sincerity , maybe saving other people's lives by closing down the petrol pump Vs 2 scum-bags with guns . Who should have God chosen to make this world more beautiful , to reward for his hard work and living a good simple noble life? Sometimes nothing makes sense at all.

Manju Nathan - May your soul rest in peace - Your life was exemplary and it gives us all that little bit of hope knowing that people like you do exist.


कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन ।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि

TRANSLATION
Your right is to work only, but never to its fruits ; Let not the fruits of action be your motive , not let your attachment be to inaction