There is something about the Satyendra Dubey story that highlights the best and worst in us. That gives rise, almost simultaneously, to hope and despair. Despair at a system that is not just corrupt and malevolent, but apathetic to boot. Hope over the fact that even under such circumstances, a young engineer could find the courage to speak out against wrongdoing while being fully conscious of the dangers that this entailed. The letters this newspaper received in response to its reports on this story faithfully reflected this bipolarity. There were many who expressed their deep pessimism over the capacity of the system to deal exemplary punishment to Dubey’s murderers and correct itself so that incidents of this kind do not recur. Many writers were convinced that “nothing will change”, that the “whole structure is corrupted”, that the state of Bihar is beyond the pale and that the country itself is thoroughly compromised. Indubitably, there is truth is what they say. But such a response does not take account of the fact that it was this same system, this very soil, that gave rise to a man like Dubey. As one reader put it: “We need to be inspired by Dubey.” Many others believe that Dubey’s murder is a wake up call, not just for the decision-makers but for themselves. Of course, the system is apathetic but hasn’t the apathy of the citizen contributed to this? “Shouldn’t we as educated Indians be shocked into action?” asked another reader. Indeed, as many pointed out, that would be the best tribute to Dubey’s memory. Already there is indication of concerted action. Readers want to know how they can help the Dubey family in its moment of grief. There are online petitions protesting the murder and the apathy to it. People want to ensure that Dubey’s killers are apprehended, that the concerns he raised about corruption within the National Highway Authority of India are addressed. At a broader level, there is the demand that the mafia is taken out of road building in this country and that those who speak up are ensured state protection. We can hear this rising tide of angry voices. But do the authorities?
