Death of a doyen - K.G.Kannabiran

An year after losing K.Balagopal, we lost yet another voice of reason and justice - K.G.Kannabiran. Hardly a few weeks before, SR Sankaran passed away. The brave good men are indeed getting fewer.

In an age where governments are getting more unscrupulous by the day in their greed and declining moral centre, it is all the more tragic that we don't have souls like these anymore to defend what is right and show the silent majority that courage of convictions is not a lost virtue. Their clarity of thought and courage of convictions is what that keeps any democratic civil society inspired and hopeful about a gradual transformation of our establishment for the better. They have shown with their struggle for civil rights that truth indeed would triumph if persisted with.

My earliest experience of Kannabiran is in my adolescence when I was plagued with questions about state's violence and social unrest around. Around 15 years ago, I heard him speak in a seminar in Warangal lucidly touching upon a question he said he was asked time and again by the press. He was asked why are the Naxalites seeking 'rights' cover under the constitution when they are in fact waging war over it and its product- the state? Mr Kannabiran in his eloquent style said the state has its constitution under which it should act. It should try outlaws as per its constitution. If it goes out of its way with fake encounters and extra-judicial killings, may be it feels it's constitution and it's system are inadequate! And that it's sense of law and justice is flawed! And that only would vindicate the left wing argument that the state is exploitative and discriminatory against the powerless and the poor. Thus, Mr Kannabiran stressed, the state should act within its limits while dealing with the Naxal 'outlaws', for its own good. The objectivity was striking and his defiance was inspiring. 

That is precisely the feeling he did not want the crowds to lose by hearing about his death. So he seemed to have requested to his kith and kin that the news of his death be not publicised. And that the world should keep thinking he is alive and his inspiring spirit is still around. What a beautiful thought and how beautiful life ?