Save our guts

• As a 15 year old girl, I am absolutely shocked and shattered by the Satyendra Dubey episode. It has crushed my hopes for my country. I believed in President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s vision for India 2020, but now that seems very distant future. As a young citizen of India, I would like to ask our government and bureaucracy: for how long will we continue to hear tragic stories of martyrs like Satyendra Dubey? For how long will honest people have to sacrifice their lives for the nation? I believe the government is answerable to me as well as a billion other souls out there, questioning the credibility, sincerity and reliability of the ‘‘largest democracy of the world’’.

Dubey was a man we could idolise, a man whose qualities I have seen tons of times in Hindi movies but have never met. But is being a sincere man a crime today?

We look up to, admire such people. But 20 years down the line would I have the guts to risk my life similarly? The question has been nagging me since I first heard the news.— Vasundhara Sharma, New Delhi

Waiting for a Dubey fund

• It makes us all happy — and I speak for a community of 500 boys from a school in Mysore — to see how The Indian Express is fighting a lone battle for justice. It is good that it has stuck to issues rather than resort to half-naked women to sell the paper. Keep up the fight. I will be glad to contribute if you begin a Dubey fund to fight this legally.— Rajesh Nair, Mysore

Impolite eloquence

• Mr Jha, who is also a part-time writer, should have known better than to display his virtuosity with words on such a mournful, helpless occasion. It is somehow inappropriate to have such a polished casual essay, sparkling with wit and urban smartness, for this tragedy. Jha was writing for himself.— Raghav Aras

Hope is alive

• When I read about people like Dubey, I am convinced there is hope for the country still. May his soul rest in peace.— Sanjota

Enough of this

• Right from day one the face of Satyendra Kumar Dubey has been haunting us. Why can’t our Prime Minister initiate action against the scoundrels responsible. Telgi, the CAT scandal, Judeo, Laloo and now the murder of an upright citizen. We have had enough of this.Staff & students, Blue Bells School, Jaipur

Ethical future

• The article by Raj Kamal Jha (Letter to a murdered mate, December 5) served its purpose. It made me feel like a creep doing what I am at the moment, sitting in an AC room with my desktop, reading you and just hoping that one day even I can contribute as ethically as Dubeyji.— Shishir Manuj

Home truths

• Jha’s article strikes a chord amongst many of us who started out with grand plans to change our country but ended up seduced by the lure of that foreign degree, slaving it out today in glass and chrome prisons. Do continue on the brave path you have chosen of speaking about those Indians who are not the Gucci, Armani, page 3 types. More power to The Indian Express.— Bindu Venkatesh

Hard to forget

• You have paid a glorious tribute to Satyendra Dubey’s life (death) by writing this wonderful article. The last time an article/book moved me to tears was when I read A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. Thank you for writing such a beautiful piece and I join those people who are hoping against hope that something will be done to those who have committed such a ghastly crime. Dubey will be remembered for his strength to fight against corruption while not caring about his life or the outcome. I would like to end by quoting Swami Vivekananda, who said ’ Strength is life and fear is death. Life is so mean a thing, existence is so servile that I wonder and smile that human beings, rational souls, should run after this self’’. Dubey has followed this completely and has not compromised on his principles to satisfy the ‘self’. — Prasad Nandula

Lethal honesty

• Thanks to Raj Kamal Jha for the very thoughtful analysis on Dubey. But nothing seems to have changed in our system nor will it ever change. If I am not wrong it’s the third murder in Bihar for showing courage. The first one was a young Bengali, a budding Chartered Accountant whose upright head was crushed under the blow of a hammer and left lying on the railway track in Dhanbad some twenty years back. Then it was that student from JNU who shot from a point blank range by a very powerful politician in the centre of village. And now this! In all three cases the cause and reason was same — honesty and an attempt to expose dishonesty at highest level. All have come from rather poor families for whom all our leaders beat breasts! — Vijay Kalia

Nothing has changed

• My name is Zamir Ansari. I am 65 years old. I was born and brought up in Azamgarh. We lived in a kachcha house with a khaprail roof. The story of Dubeyji is the story of most of us lower middle class people. In my student days in Aligarh University, a friend graduated from the Engineering College with a brilliant record. He was a civil engineer. His first job was in Bareilly. He refused to fall in line with the corrupt officials. He was sacked on some trumped up charges. If that had not happened, the goons would have got him. This was 40 years ago. Nothing has changed since.— ZA

Now not another one

• I dare not say that Raj Kamal Jha’s article addressed us through his soul but certainly it was an eye-opener to many like me. Satyendra Dubeyji is now a ghost but a much publicised one, a soul which the mafia — if given a chance — would like to kill once more. However, a very special mention of appreciation from my heart goes to The Indian Express, though it may not bring any solace to the victim’s parents. But we shall not forget Dubeyji’s sacrifice soon enough to allow another one to happen.— V A Krishnan

The way to honour him

• I am deeply moved by Raj Kamal Jha’s letter. I hope everyone reads it and is able to bring out the ‘‘Dubeyji’’ in himself and pay a tribute to this son of India by being honest atleast. I will try my best on my part. This incident, apart from bringing out the apathetic attitude of the sick babus sitting in Delhi and the so called representatives of people sitting in Parliament, raises the hope that honesty still prevails and there are people who still support it. — Abhijaat

Just keep the heat on

• Raj Kamal Jha’s letter (The Indian Express, Dec 5) brought tears to my eyes. A PIL petition in the apex court is a right tool for redressal if we can use that word. The road that Dubeyji was building should be named after him, to say the least. Express can do a lot in this regard. Nabbing the culprits is not difficult, if Laloo wants so, but the media should turn the heat on him. And all concerned IITians must contribute a day’s salary at least and build a fund to looks after Dubey’s four sisters and brothers. That stretch of road must now be completed post haste and your paper can bring out a fortnightly update on this so that everyone is on his toes.— JK Dadoo

His soul will prevail

• Definitely Dubey’s ghost is going to educate a few of our voters who choose Laloos to be their saviours. If I remember correctly, more polished leaders like Inder Kumar Gujral were instrumental in Rabri’s coronation to buy a few days in PM office. I wish our media emulates The Indian Express to enlighten our masses.— Ranjit Pun

This deadly equation

• In the end there is only one thing I could think of. I wish Dubeyji were the last honest person India ever saw. After all if the price of honesty is life, then it may not be worth it. If honesty doesn’t mean anything for those puckered-lip flunkeys and those caught-on-camera-but-ever-so-shameless people we better save our honesty for a day in future when India will not be ruled by the likes of Laloos and Mayawatis. But then Laloos never die....they just change their faces and names. A truly commendable effort by The Indian Express.— Vikalp Jain

Why it should bother us

• Not to clear my own guilt or complicity in this whole affair by hanging on to the ‘‘why bother’’ mentality. Your article has reinforced the pain which one gets when some part of you dies and some part suddenly awakens with a severe jolt. Jolt I have received since my family and background sits right at the centre of that social context which resulted in SK’s brutal murder. I spent my life growing up in IIT Kanpur campus, went to Roorkee and was in Delhi. Shared the same house with him when SK was preparing for engineering services. I want Dubey’s ghost to haunt me everyday.— Brij

His friend, yours too

• Incidentally I’m Dubeyji’s batchmate but from IIT Mumbai. The fact that I refer to him as a batchmate though we are from different IITs, makes me soon realise that he has transcended the IIT clan long time ago. He was a person with integrity. I never knew him but I feel as if I am in mourning. There are several IITians who actually follow up on those long cack session in IIT with some good work, later in life. They may not do it with at the league of a Dubeyji, but they do believe that drops make an ocean.

After work hours, my wife and I teach kids. We run a informal mentorship program for underprivileged children in Pune. A few of those kids will make it to IIT. Here we were trying to inspire these kids by telling them they can dream and follow their dreams. Since several other IITians teach at this place, they are their role models. Now they know that even if you study, get into an IIT, live life with integrity...you’ll get killed. We need to turn it around. Instead of letting Dubeyji’s life go to waste, we need it to let it inspire us.

If Dubeyji was around, I am sure he would approve of that. — Prem Andrade

Count me on

• Can I join your efforts to commemorate Satyendra’s memory, try to create a platform of Indian whistleblowers. I wish to contribute to his family even otherwise.— Anil

Is Bihar to blame?

• You wrote a powerful tribute to Dubeyji. It is hard for me to type this letter amid tears. Let me too call him Dubeyji, since I am also an IITian...an MTech from Kharagpur. Why doesn’t it surprise me that he was murdered in Bihar? His death may be the wake up call the country needs.— Sardul Minhas

Deeply moved

• I am Amita Patel, currently living in the US. I was deeply touched by your ‘‘letter’’. You are right about the fact that Dubeyji did what most of us would dream of! Also, the first thing that crossed my mind when I read the story was that he could have easily came to US instead of serving in India (where it seems that politicians don’t even care about what happened to him). You are also right about the part that he would have been on the front-page of the top newspapers, if he had the three things you mentioned! I guess I write to you because I cannot write to his parents nor can I do anything to bring him justice, I found lots of comments on your article that were similar to how I felt about all this. I sincerely hope that the project that owed him his life gets done the way he wanted in the first place and people who are in this are put behind bars.— Amita

What about us?

• I am also an engineer pursuing my Masters in Korea. I think we need to ask ourselves only one question...do we really deserve people like Satyendra? — Mohib Uddin Ahmad

It’s a lesson, not scare

• For four years as a student in REC-Surat I got a copy of The Indian Express delivered to my hostel, but frankly speaking I never much cared for anything except for what Peter Vidal had to say. Today, your paper has touched me deep. I am just trying to be honest to keep the spirit of Dubey alive for some days atleast. To say that I am angry would be putting it too mildly.

I am outraged, disgusted and disappointed, and maybe like you Mr Jha, I am a bit ashamed of myself of choosing the easy way out, coming to the US for a PhD. The promised Ram rajya is there to be seen by everyone, where honesty has its price — a life. Maybe you are wrong Mr Jha, one might actually make a movie on this story, and people will also come weeping out of the theatres. But what kind of solution will that be?

Whistleblowers pay a price, whether in UK or in the US or in India. Perhaps, people like me don’t matter. And those who do, get killed like Dubey. I hope that someone pays heed to all these e-mails that are being exchanged over the web, at least they reach some deaf ears. I appreciate the effort that you and your newspaper has taken for this cause. As a fellow engineer, all I can say is that hope Dubey inspire us all, and not scare the limited few on whom the fate of a brighter India rests. — Vivek Pant

A lonely fight

• I missed The Sunday Express of Nov 30. I read the Express on Monday and learnt about Satyendra. Since then I am upset. It is shocking. We are a strange nation; on one side our leaders are proudly protecting Judeo as ‘‘simple man framed by cunning and clever Ajit Jogi,’’ and on the other they are silent about the real hero of the nation, Satyendra. It’s absolutely bewildering that no other national paper has joined hands with the Express in taking up the cause for which a young IITian was murdered. Corruption is no longer an issue, I suppose. But all likeminded citizens must resolve to further the cause of Satyendra.— Rakesh Kanwar

The lost beacon

• I read Letter to a Murdered Mate (The Indian Express, Dec 5). I did not know Dubeyji, and certainly do not know the author. But the piece brought tears to my eyes. Imagine a 63 year old, alpha male professional bawling like a child. Dubey’s story is an inspiration, and the piece made it possible for that inspiration to travel thousands of miles so effectively. — Dr Sher Bahadur, Associate Director, Advisory Committees (ACRS/ACNW) US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC

Salute him for what he did

• We cannot bring Dubey back. But at least we can salute him for upholding the values for, which he died. I suggest that a chair should be instituted in his name at IIT Kanpur in the Civil Engineering department. Funds can be raised through a foundation and one can request the alumni to also contribute. A bust should also be installed in the campus to inspire the future students to always remember the values of this man of integrity. I am willing to contribute to the best of my ability towards the same. Also this can be extended to every IIT so that all the students of future can imbibe such values.— Viren Madan

‘You have a million questions to answer, Mr Prime Minister’

Four thousand IITians will graduate this year, and will be offered jobs. Within the next two years almost every one of them will have an option of a career abroad; many have it now. Give a reason Mr Prime Minister, to these 4,000 IITians to stay on and serve their dear country, where a fellow IITian is killed brutally for standing up against corruption. Give them a reason Mr Prime Minister, to not take up lucrative jobs abroad where the dollar is still greener than rupee. When I graduated from IIT Kanpur, HRD Minister Dr Murli Manohar Joshi was there for our felicitation. In his speech he expressed deep concern over the brain drain among IITians — that IITians should stay back and contribute to the development of their country. Few days back, an IITian who had stayed back and was working on infrastructure development was shot dead. We are yet to hear a single word of your concern for that Mr Joshi. I worked in Bangalore earlier. Now I am in US with Bank Of America. They want me here; I wanted to get back to India. I remembered one of my batchmates. All through our four years at IIT, he never wanted to go abroad, all he wanted was to work for the country. Finally he joined Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). I was proud of him. I mailed him, ‘‘What is the kind of projects you guys are doing? Do you think we should try and work on cryptographic modules for wireless messaging?’’ Three days later, Satyendra was killed; I have now second thoughts. My batchmate e-mailed me yesterday, ‘‘Is there a position in Bank of America?’’ Give a reason Mr Prime Minister, to him and to thousands of other hardworking scientists in various research organisations throughout the country to stay on and work in constrained budgets and constrictive bureaucracy. The world beckons them; the scientists at ISRO are offered positions in world-class research labs abroad, at thrice the current salary. I know of no one who have accepted, they have worked by the day and toiled by the night for India. Give them a reason Mr Prime Minister, to believe that their work still holds sense. The results are out; BJP won in Madhya Pradesh, Congress won in Delhi. Sweets and celebrations in both headquarters. Garlands and good food. In a lonely house in some remote village somewhere in Bihar, people are sad. A mother weeps over the death of her brave son; a father has to attend his son’s funeral in old age. The village school next to it weeps, its dearest child was shot dead while working on your dream project, Mr Prime Minister. For standing against corruption. Don’t you owe an explanation? Why was he killed Mr Prime Minister? For ensuring that the contractors who have bribed the officials do not get away by laying inferior material? For ensuring that official records are in order, and that a truckload of cement is accounted for just like that, and not like a truckload of silver or gold? For ensuring that there is no another thousand crore ‘‘Highway Scam’’ in the string of endless scams that has plagued our country? For ensuring that the world’s biggest highway project gets executed efficiently and on time, and not ends up with bloated costs, overshot deadlines and misspent public money? You have a million questions to answer, the most glaring one concerns your own office, Mr Prime Minister, ‘‘Why after all was Satyendra’s identity not protected?’’ Did the band of highly-placed bureaucrats at the PMO think that only people with Z grade security are the ones to be protected. How can the highest office in the country be so highly irresponsible in its behaviour? Do come out to the public and let us know what are you doing about the murder of Satyendra Dubey? Satyendra Dubey is dead — dead but not defeated. I have lost faith. Only hope remains now. Do tell us Mr Prime Minister, what you are doing to reinstall my faith in Indian justice? — ANIMESH SRIVASTAVA

(If you want to read more responses or write in yourself, log on to www.expressindia.com)

• 'Satyendra Dubey is as brave as a Kargil martyr': Express Your voice Part-I • ‘Satyendra’s murderers are like terrorists’: Express Your voice Part-II • ‘In the end, India rid Satyendra of his pain’: Express Your voice Part-III • ‘Did the PMO think that only those with Z-grade security need to be protected’: Express Your voice Part-IV