Help Required - Manjunath Shanmugam

Hi Everyone,

Most of you must be familiar with the name Manjunath Shanmugam. He was the bright young lad from IIML - 2003 batch who was killed for doing his job honestly & trying to clean up the system. I am sure that when you read the stories in the newspapers last November you would have reacted to them in some way or the other. You might have admired his honesty, felt sorry for the loss of an innocent young life, despaired over the situation in India which allows such things to happen or a million other possibilities.

But did you do something about it ?

Didn't you feel a tiny twinge, a prick of the conscience ?
"What can I do to change the system ?"

Anjali Mullatti - IIML class of '93 is one of those who decided to do something concrete about it. I have pasted her mail below, so you can read in her words, what they are trying to do. It is an onerous task that she has undertaken, the least we can do is help in whichever way that we can. It need not be just financial but also through your network of contacts.

Karthik Karunakaran of the XL 93 batch knows Anjali as a batchmate (albeit a different college) and a friend. He will vouch for her genuineness. If any of you would like to verify any details with him before making a contribution, Karthik can be contacted at
Karthik Karunakaran (BMD'93)
email: kkDELETETHIS@stringinfo.com
mobile: +91-98410-72439

Anjali can be contacted directly at
Anjali Mullatti - IIML class of '93
Catalyst Consulting
Dir: +91.821.4288688
Cell: +91.98801 91323
anjaliDELETETHIS@corporateacademy.com

Now that someone HAS taken the initiative, let's do what we can to help.

Regards,
Karishma
XL 99

-----Original Message-----
From: Karthik Karunakaran

Hi - Here is an appeal for a good cause. Anjali, who is spearheading this, is a friend of mine -KK
-------------------------

All,

Feb 23rd is the birthday of Manjunath Shanmugam - an IIM L (2003) alumnus who lost his life for his fight against corruption. He died on November 19th, 2005.

As a Sales Manager with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL), Manju turned down bribes and ignored threats, to do his job – check rampant adulteration of petrol. He was shot dead in Lakhimpur Kheri by a petrol pump owner and his gang.

To most of us, though we never met him, Manju is extremely familiar and is, in part, within every one of us. This is one cause we CANNOT turn away from. We have no excuse. We must ensure that his death does not go in vain.

The Manjunath Shanmugam Trust is now a legal entity with 2 trustees - Anjali Mullatti (IIML '93) and H. Jaishankar (IIMB '91).

The immediate and urgent focus of the trust is to take up the legal battle and ensure quick justice for the murder case. The murderers must not go free.

The broader objectives of the trust are

a . To establish and maintain an award for individuals/institutions working to uphold the values of truth and honesty in the face of danger to themselves.
b. To provide aid to individuals fighting a legal battle to uphold the values of truth, honesty or justice in the Indian corporate, government or public matters.

For updates on what we have done to date and our next steps, please visit the trust website:
www.manjunathshanmugamtrust.org

How can you help?
Firstly – funds are needed to pay lawyers' fees, case costs, build an award corpus.. this will be a long and tedious battle. Please donate just one day's salary for the cause.
Our first donors: Rs. 44,500 ($ 1000) from Sanjay Khanduri, Wharton Class of 2006, and Rs. 30,000 from Akhil Krishna, IIML 2003.

Secondly, if you can commit time and effort, please write in and be part of the team.

Thirdly, if you have close contacts in media, police, legal, judiciary who can help, please let us know.

It is heartwarming that so many people have already reacted immediately and generously – across the spectrum of media, legal, police and the IIM fraternity. Be part of that group.


How do you donate?
Write a cheque favouring 'The Manjunath Shanmugam Trust' , and courier it to:
2909/1, Raghavapriya, 3rd Main, V.V. Mohalla, Mysore 570 002, India

Write a cheque favouring 'The Manjunath Shanmugam Trust' , and deposit it in any HDFC bank drop box, with a deposit slip, account number 0651000091870.

Do an online money transfer, to the HDFC Bank a/c, from your ICICI /HDFC/Citibank a/c. Account number 0651000091870.

Currently FCRA regulations prohibit us from accepting foreign remittances - we're working on getting special permission. For now, please route all overseas donations via your regular Indian rupee accounts.

We have also applied for income tax exemption for donors under Section 80 (G).

Please contact me for any further clarifications - anjaliDELETETHIS@corporateacademy.com.

Regards,
Anjali Mullatti - IIML class of '93
Catalyst Consulting
Dir: +91.821.4288688
Cell: +91.98801 91323
www.corporateacademy.com

Caferati British Council Flash Fiction Contest

Caferati conducted 2 contests, Flash Fiction and SMS Poetry as part of the Kala Ghoda Festival.

Theme for Flash fiction was "Black Horse" and an entire story had to be told in 300 words. For The SMS poetry contest the theme was "Love" & it had to fit into one sms (160 characters)

Read the shortlisted SMS Poetry Entries
The winners were
1st, Rohinton Daruwala
2nd, devashish makhija
3rd, Rinku Dutta
You can read their poems on the shortlist page, http://www.caferati.com/contests/SMSlist.htm against these code
numbers: 53, 18 and 32 respectively.


Read the shortlisted Flash Fiction
The winners were
1st, Misha Singh
2nd, Annie Zaidi
3rd, Pawan Sony, Shiladitya Chakraborty and Anita Vasudeva
You can read their stories on the shortlist page, http://www.caferati.com/contests/FFlist.htm against these code numbers: 57, 71, 30, 89 and 77 respectively

The judges scoring can be seen at
http://www.caferati.com/contests/SMSscores.htm (SMS) and http://www.caferati.com/contests/FFscores.htm (FF)

(I was one of the finalists for the flash fiction but scored quite miserably on the second round of judging...)

My Shortlisted story at Caferati

In the twilight, Nazneen quickly walked past the Royal Hamam (bathing room) to reach the maids' quarters. She was wearing the harem guards' uniform. Those unfortunate castrated men.

She quickly changed into her royal robes and hoped that no one had recognized her at the stable. The eldest daughter of the kings favorite wife, there were restrictions on her deportment, dress & behavior that were just too much to bear for the hot blooded 16 year old princess.

She often wished that she had been born male for then she could have roamed the palace grounds freely, conversed, argued or consorted with whomever she chose. She would have had a 100 nubile maidens around to do her bidding. How unfortunate to have been born a girl was her constant grouse in life. And she always felt it the most when she wanted to visit the stables.

The young Madhavan called & beckoned to her even in her sleep. He was so handsome & virile. His smell was intoxicating & better than all the ittars & flowers sprinkled around the harem.

Madhavan could not come into the harem & so she was forced into donning the guards' uniform whenever she could get away for an hour or so without being detected.

She walked into her favorite maid Lalitha's room & saw that Lalitha was trembling on the floor too scared to look up. Nazneen turned right, to stare straight into the Maharani's furious gaze. “Ruin upon the royal family. That is what you have brought upon us, you filthy wretch!” She commanded the guards “Off with Madhavan's Head”

The next morning when the Maharani went to the Hamam, she found the body of her beloved daughter floating with the head of a black stallion.