IIM Ahmedabad
Students pledge to fight corruption
November 19, 2009
Ahmedabad
Manjunath Shanmugam was a well known and respected alumnus of IIM Lucknow, batch of 2003. He is described by his friends as an amazing singer whose voice would bring a smile to your face and light up your hearts. His was an unwavering voice that spoke out fearlessly against the oil adulteration practices that he observed in his area, as a Marketing Manager of IOCL in Lakhimpur, Uttar Pradesh. On November 19 2005, the light was blown out and the voice silenced forever when he was brutally murdered, his body riddled by six bullets.
Manjunath’s death shook the world and once again brought the corruption rampant in our society onto the surface. What happened was not something out of place. Several people in PSUs and several other organizations faced menacing threats to prevent them from speaking out against malpractices. But Manjunath, unlike most people, remained unfazed by threats, and did his job honestly.
Manjunath’s death was a wake-up call to the nation, especially the young generation, reminding them of the importance of integrity in each action of theirs. The onus is upon this generation, to set an example of exemplary ethical conduct and to report any unethical practices that they come across so as to take India forward into a corruption-free era.
On 19th November 2009, students and faculty across 25 colleges nationwide came together for candle light prayer meets to commemorate Manjunath’s fourth death anniversary and to take an integrity pledge to remind the nation of what Manjunath died for.
At IIM Ahmedabad, one of the institutions where the candle light prayer meets were held, students of all years and from different programmes came together and observed silence to pay respect to Manjunath and to pledge to fight corruption in every form.
As Prof. Abraham Koshy, PGP Chairperson of IIMA said, “If we want to move from being one of the most corrupt countries to a corruption-free one, the onus for the move will lie on the youth of the nation. They need to raise their voices against corrupt practices and strive hard to make a change. The youth need to sow the seeds of integrity right in the beginning to ensure a corruption-free development.”
Manjunath Shanmugam Trust
To ensure that Manjunath was delivered quick justice and that his killers were appropriately punished, the Manjunath Shanmugam Trust (MST) was formed on 23 February 2006, Manjunath’s 28th birth anniversary, by members of the international IIM alumni network. The broader vision of the trust is to build on the network, skills and resources of the professional corporate community, to help improve governance in Indian public life. MST has a small, focused group of Trustees and Advisory Board members drawn from corporate India. Volunteers are spread across the U.S, UK, Europe, Singapore, Hong Kong and India. The Trust has instituted the Manjunath Shanmugam Integrity Award to honor and encourage person/s or institutions who are working to uphold the values of truth and honesty in Indian corporate, government or public life.
MST also set up India’s first national RTI Act helpline in association with noted NGO Parivartan on Nov 19th 2006, to mark Manjunath's first death anniversary. This was discontinued after a year to opt for a more decentralised approach, by funding local initiatives across the country.
Students pledge to fight corruption
November 19, 2009
Ahmedabad
Manjunath Shanmugam was a well known and respected alumnus of IIM Lucknow, batch of 2003. He is described by his friends as an amazing singer whose voice would bring a smile to your face and light up your hearts. His was an unwavering voice that spoke out fearlessly against the oil adulteration practices that he observed in his area, as a Marketing Manager of IOCL in Lakhimpur, Uttar Pradesh. On November 19 2005, the light was blown out and the voice silenced forever when he was brutally murdered, his body riddled by six bullets.
Manjunath’s death shook the world and once again brought the corruption rampant in our society onto the surface. What happened was not something out of place. Several people in PSUs and several other organizations faced menacing threats to prevent them from speaking out against malpractices. But Manjunath, unlike most people, remained unfazed by threats, and did his job honestly.
Manjunath’s death was a wake-up call to the nation, especially the young generation, reminding them of the importance of integrity in each action of theirs. The onus is upon this generation, to set an example of exemplary ethical conduct and to report any unethical practices that they come across so as to take India forward into a corruption-free era.
On 19th November 2009, students and faculty across 25 colleges nationwide came together for candle light prayer meets to commemorate Manjunath’s fourth death anniversary and to take an integrity pledge to remind the nation of what Manjunath died for.
At IIM Ahmedabad, one of the institutions where the candle light prayer meets were held, students of all years and from different programmes came together and observed silence to pay respect to Manjunath and to pledge to fight corruption in every form.
As Prof. Abraham Koshy, PGP Chairperson of IIMA said, “If we want to move from being one of the most corrupt countries to a corruption-free one, the onus for the move will lie on the youth of the nation. They need to raise their voices against corrupt practices and strive hard to make a change. The youth need to sow the seeds of integrity right in the beginning to ensure a corruption-free development.”
Manjunath Shanmugam Trust
To ensure that Manjunath was delivered quick justice and that his killers were appropriately punished, the Manjunath Shanmugam Trust (MST) was formed on 23 February 2006, Manjunath’s 28th birth anniversary, by members of the international IIM alumni network. The broader vision of the trust is to build on the network, skills and resources of the professional corporate community, to help improve governance in Indian public life. MST has a small, focused group of Trustees and Advisory Board members drawn from corporate India. Volunteers are spread across the U.S, UK, Europe, Singapore, Hong Kong and India. The Trust has instituted the Manjunath Shanmugam Integrity Award to honor and encourage person/s or institutions who are working to uphold the values of truth and honesty in Indian corporate, government or public life.
MST also set up India’s first national RTI Act helpline in association with noted NGO Parivartan on Nov 19th 2006, to mark Manjunath's first death anniversary. This was discontinued after a year to opt for a more decentralised approach, by funding local initiatives across the country.