A tribute to Yashwant Sonawane

An Additional Collector was burnt alive by petrol and diesel adulteration mafia at Malegaon in Maharashtra when he raised an objection to the illegal activity. He was on his way to some place when he saw people adulterating petrol and diesel and like any dutiful officer reacted against it and had to pay the price with his death.

I am enraged by this piece of news. This is totally unacceptable! Can we now expect some action by the government? It's a free for all here in this country. When this is the fate that an Additional Collector can meet with in the country; what can be said about the common man? The petrol mafia is too strong in the country and powerful people are a part of it. So am really sceptical if the real culprits would be punished. And the real culprits here are not those who set Yashwant on fire but their bosses who operate the mafia and who have given them a free hand to remove all the 'obstacles' foolish or brave (depending on one's percetion) enough to come their way.

I do not know Yashwant Sonawane. I had never heard of him before today. But I feel that an invisible connection has been established today between us after his death. I would have acted the same way had I been in his place. How would he have known that the crooks would murder him for trying to stop them from committing a criminal activity in the broad daylight? Criminals usually flee away when they see authority against them. But here they had the audacity to kill him! This just shows that they knew they could get away with it. This is what hurts me the most.

These are troubled times for the country. The goons are getting increasingly powerful and men of integrity are being prosecuted. The scam ridden polity of the country is scaring the investors away. The credibility of our politicians is at an all time low. Corrupt people go scot free with a smirk on their faces. Here lex is not rex. Law is subservient to the interests of those in power.

My heart goes out to all those who lose their lives for serving the law. Be it Yashwant sonawane or Satyendra Dubey or Satish Shetty, all of them are people who believed that law would be on their side. Alas, it failed them! Youngsters want to get into civil services because they think it would give them power and prestige. But as this tragic case shows that one cannot really be powerful unless one colludes with the corrupt individuals. I wish that justice prevails in this case and the culprits are nailed.

It is getting a little suffocating now. It is really painful when one cannot take actions against the thugs who are calling shots in the country. In a few days, the leaders would pay tribute to Yashwant Sonawane. Some promises would be made to his family, which invariably would remain unfulfilled. However, a real tribute to the Yashwant Sonawanes of the country can be made only if the goons of the country are prosecuted for selling our beloved India for pittance. Bit by bit our country is being lost to a coterie of a few with money and muscle power when the rest of us are looking helplessly at this shameless barter.