Gandhi is not dead...

For some of us, who do not know the background ...

- March 2009 - Aman Kachroo, a first year medical student from Himachal Pradesh, was subjected to brutal ragging session, and lost his life.

- November 11, 2010 - the court gave a sentence of 4-years imprisonment to the 4 seniors who were involved in the ragging.

- November 11, 2010 9PM - Dr. Rajendra Kachroo, father of Aman Kachroo, was interviewed on NDTV about the court’s judgment.

I have been following Dr. Rajendra Kachroo's response (deliberate choice over ‘reaction’) to the tragic, horrific incident of Aman’s death. Losing a son to an incident like this will make most of us lose 'santulan'. But Dr. Kachroo is not most of us. Satya, a dear friend, often uses a phrase called 'functional deployment of anger'. Dr. Kachroo is a role model for this phrase.

In his 'response' and in his 'functional deployment of anger', he has focused all his energies on eradicating the evil of ragging, rather than focusing on the 'punishment' meted out to the 4 perpetrators of the crime. I want to clarify something here. Anyone who has suffered a loss like this has all the 'right’ to go after the perpetrators legally, and I am not belittling their cause; I respect it. It is just how Dr. Kachroo is different that is amazing me.

In the interview (on NDTV), although he felt that punishment for one individual among the four could have been sterner, but he was careful by reiterating many times that he does not want to deflect the debate away from ‘eradication of ragging’. He welcomed the judgment as one step toward the purpose.

What struck me the most was he was less angry about the not-so-severe punishment, but deeply pained and angry about the actions (rather inaction) of bureaucracy. The Supreme Court had asked authorities to create a 'All India crisis hotline and call center' for students affected by ragging. Dr. Kachroo said he was shocked and horrified to note the manner in which the 'hotline and crisis calls' were being handled. Apparently authorities wrote an ordinary post letter to Principal of the college whose student had called the hotline, that too after several months! Outrageous! Can you believe this… a letter by ordinary post in response to a ‘hotline and crisis call'! No wonder Dr. Raj Kachroo was pained and anguished at the pathetic quality of implementation.

As I watched the interview, I was pulled between two extreme emotions, one that of 'utter respect' for Dr. Kachroo’s response, and the other of 'anger and pain' about the authorities’ apathy. I could not deal with these extremes. For the moment, I decided to focus on the emotion of utter respect.

Showing anger to the callous attitude of authorities, and exercising restraint about his personal loss and deploying his anger for a better cause, I saw a Gandhi in him, maybe even greater than the great man (though MKG evokes different political opinions, but he has impacted me big time)

I was moved, touched, pained and humbled. I salute you Dr. Raj Kachroo.

I wish someone made a documentary on your struggle; I wish you were all over in the media; I wish you got as much national mindshare as some of the 'celebrities' do. (Incidentally, when you google for Rajendra Kachroo, you get 31,000 pages as against SRK - 8,440,000, Salman - 5,150,000, Abhishek - 2,990,000, Rakhi Sawant - 4,840,000).

I wish you are heard even more than before, louder than anyone, as there is a great strength in your purpose… he is fighting not for his dead son, but for all the living sons and daughters of India. What I am asking for might be a tad childlike, but I am angry... I am no Dr. Raj Kachroo.

I salute you sir, and wish you and Aman’s mother all the might in your fight.

Sorry Aman, you were subjected to a brutal death. You were denied to live, and you were denied to live with a great man like Dr. Raj Kachroo.

PS - My two cents to the cause…

1. My work takes me to many colleges and many people. I will do my bit in spreading your message sir to whomsoever I can.

2. Sometimes I do participate in discussions with friends when we recall college days and chapters of ragging in a lighter vein. Even though it was harmless in college, but an impressionable listener would take what he/she wants to. I shall refrain from this 100%.

This is my way to deal with the other extreme emotion of 'anger and pain'...trying to functionally deploy the same.