Part 48: The gift, which he got for his hard work and honesty!

Krishna Swamy (42years, my one more colleague, very nice person and I used to call him as Kishan Ji), was traveling by rail across his native overheard a couple of fellow passengers. They were complaining about official corruption in a massive irrigation project.

Krishna swamy was surprised. Local party leaders had claimed to have beaten a drought by building a system of 70000 reservoirs to supply water to orchards and farmland. He had little reason to doubt them-until that day in the spring of 2003.

As provincial chief of the states run news agency’s political and legal affairs department, Krishna swamy felt compelled to investigate: State chief minister, had urged reporters to expose corruption. So armed with a notebook and camera, he visited more than a half dozen parched districts. The cement cisterns seemed impressive, but they were not connected to any water supply.

In fact the tanks were little more than props built at the behest of the local party leader.

Krishna Swamy ‘s report, published in our leading news letter read by states political elite, charged that the 34 crore project was no an irrigation effort but rather a “political project for the sake of the leader promotion in at that area.” Half –dozen newspapers and magazines picked up his story. State central television sent its own team to that area, and it verified Krishna Swamy’s findings.

Krishna Swamy ‘s expose should have earned him kudos. Instead he was arrested and charged with bribery, embezzlement closed trail he was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Krishna Swamy’s wife Uma was left to care for the couples10year old daughter. She had to write to senior government officials pleading her husband’s case, had received no reply. By trying all our staff’s level best Krishna swamy had to remain in a prison cell unless the rulers consider his case.

There is a saying that says when tragedy occurs in comes in a row! It was same in the case of Kishan ji. Just after a week of this incident a groups of strangers entered his home at midnight. They raped his daughter of just 10 years old in a row and later killed her in front of her mother and robbed the house. Uma could not tolerate and committed suicide the very next day! A very happy family, a dream was shattered within a gap of just three weeks.

Kishanji was present for the funeral.I could not see Kishan ji in such depression, as he was such a nice person. Later when we went to meet him at prison after few days I noticed that he had lost every hope in his life. When his lovely wife and daughter were not alive anymore then how he could live?

Everybody left one by one. I was still standing over there.

Kishan ji asked me, ‘Why, Hari..Why you are not going..?’

What could I answer..? Just said, ‘I want you also to come back to your home very soon. It will happen. Very soon.’

Kishan Ji just smiled at me “No, Hari..May not. I don’t want to come back. Don’t want to live in that world. Life is meaningless for me. No meaning in living.’

I was shocked after listening to his words.. , ‘No, Kishan Ji..Don’t talk in such a way. Keep faith in god. Everything will be alright.’

Kishan Ji just looked at my face. ‘God? Is he there? Then why all these things happened? No, Hari. Truth has lost its' value today. I don’t think I may live for many days.’

‘What?’ I was shocked. Even before something I could ask I have informed by the securities that meeting time was over.

I had no choice. I Left the place. But his words put me in a shock. My heart was saying that there was something going to happen. My sixth sense was giving me the clear indication.

I could not sleep that night at all. Only I know how much I suffered that day. The things happened in Kishan Ji’s life was really shocking and very tragic, which we never expected.

The gift, which he got for his hard work and honesty!

But the fate was yet to begin its dance. Just a difference of a day!

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