Shanmugam Manjunath paid the price of his honesty and integrity. As a manager of IOC he had shutdown a pump that was selling adulterated fuel. He was killed. SIFF dedicates International Men?s Day, his martyrdom day, to the honest son of India.

IT WAS International Men’s Day of 2005, when Shanmugam Manjunath sacrificed his life for this country.

Who was Manjunath?

Manjunath was just like you and me. He was a son, a brother and a professional like anyone around us. He was a popular student, noted for his passion for music, sincerity and integrity.


He completed his engineering from JSS Engineering College, Mysore, and an MBA from IIM, Lucknow (2003 batch alumnus). As a manager with the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), he ordered the shutdown of an IOC petrol pump in Lakhimpur Kheri (UP), where he was posted, for allegedly selling adulterated fuel. In three months Manjunath had shut down two IOC dealer petrol pumps in Lakhimpur for selling adulterated fuel.


November 19, 2005: Fateful night:


On November 19, 2005, evening, Manjunath was beaten up and then riddled with at least six bullets. His body was found in the backseat of his own car. He was shot and killed in Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, by a dealer of Indian Oil Corporation, the company he worked for. His only ‘fault’ was that he did his duty. He did not accept bribes for turning a blind eye to the adulteration of fuel being carried out by the dealer.


Government inaction, his friends take charge:


Seeing the inaction of government, his true friends came forward and registered a trust by name of the Manjunath Shanmugam Trust (MST). It was registered on Feb 23, 2006. It is an international IIM alumni initiative and works to improve governance in Indian public life.


His friends worked relentlessly to ensure quick justice in the case and the trial was completed in a record nine months. All eight accused were found guilty. The main accused, the petrol pump owner, was given death penalty. The others were sentenced to life imprisonment.


His friends who formed trust in his name got in touch with noted a NGO Parivartan, whose founder, an IIT-Kharagpur alumnus Arvind Kejriwal won the 2006 Magsasay award (emerging leader category) for launching first national RTI helpline number. This first national RTI helpline number was launched on November 19, 2006, (International Men’s Day), the first death anniversary of Manju. Unfortunately, after good work for a year, the first helpline number was closed due to poor response.


His friends at MST have instituted the Manjunath Shanmugam Integrity Award to honour and encourage person/s or institutions like Manju, who are working to uphold the values of truth and honesty in Indian corporate, government or public life. The award carries a citation and a cash prize of Rs. one lakh. The first award was presented to Prof. RP Singh (then) vice-chancellor of Lucknow University, for his sterling work in cleaning up the University. It was presented on March 24, 2007, by NR Narayana Murthy, chief mentor, Infosys Ltd.


What Go I did for Manjunath?


Literally speaking, the government of India has done nothing for Manjunath and people like him. It would have not been possible to give justice to Manju, if his friends had not taken charge of the situation at that time. We have seen hue and cry of Indian government and machinery on recent rape allegations (nobody knows whether these allegations are true or false) at Goa, but doing nothing for men who die for this country.


I am sure no one has forgotten Satyendra Dubey (IIT-Kanpur), who was also killed like Manju for his fight against corruption. I am surprised to know that even today (after more than three years) the accused are not arrested. I can understand how it will be possible to arrest real killers, if the police is busy in ensuring arrest of more than 1,20,000 women to break the previous five year record.


The Indian government is always busy in providing concession to feminists backed bills/legislations and not recognising the conditions in which men work in India. It is the men who do all the dangerous work and put their life at risk for family and country. But the government simply wants men to pay taxes and keep mum. They do not want the men to express their feeling and ask for welfare. The government does not want to provide any communication channel to men and yet when confronted about large scale suicides of men, it simply ridicules them by saying, those men are weak, irresponsible and do not communicate.


Manju has got nothing for his fight against corruption. It would a true tribute for Manju and to the people like him if government of India recognises ‘International Men’s Day’ and announce a ministry for men’s welfare as a real tribute to him.


If GoI chooses to remain silent, then the Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF) at Bangalore salutes, gives tribute and dedicates the International Men’s day to Manju, as it was on November 19 when he sacrificed his life for the country that have a ministry for animals, but not for the men like him!
SIFF, Bangalore also understands that the loss of this son (Manju) to his mother is not any less than a mother who loses her daughter. We dedicate International Men’s Day to you, Manju!