The Murder of J Dey.

I did not know Jyotirmoy Dey. In fact, I didn’t recollect any of his stories until I re-read them in the papers a few days ago. Then I remembered. His stories were to the point, truthful and honest. Probably much like him. Your work reflects who you are. In addition, for the entire buzz around, all I can decipher is that he was one in a million. A man who will probably have thousands of eulogies and many posthumous awards. J. Dey. A Bengali living in Mumbai, a family man, a middle class person.

I cannot comprehend the loss that loved ones are feeling. All I can say is that I empathize and give my deepest condolences.

What is really bothering me about this murder is not only that a simple, hardworking journalist has been shot dead, but that there has been no uproar from the society yet. It is as if, the papers are read, a few clucking noises are made and then the cocktails are brought out. Where is the media and the people asking, neigh demanding an explanation and getting its entire police and CBI force out to find the killers? A popular TV show has a dialogue that says, “The first 48 hours are crucial to find the murderers. After that the evidence can be tampered with.” It has been 4 days. Where are the killers? Where is the Home Ministry sending out a message saying that the killers will be brought to justice? No matter how many people they will lock in Tihar Jail, the government needs to send out a stronger signal that terrorism, big or small will NOT be tolerated.

 J Dey stood for far more than one crore people against corruption. He stood for far more than swamis against contamination did. He stood for Freedom of Speech.

With Dey being shot, it shows that the Underworld can silence that freedom. It can be bought, it can be threatened, and it can be suppressed. When reporters investigate about stories, they are making people aware of the dangers that lie in our society. They are making people understand the evils that lie hidden. They give us an opportunity to protect and defend ourselves when we need to. We use our freedom to live because of the crime reporters who unflinchingly do their job with meticulous accuracy fearing no one.

With this murder, it has made the society a more fragile place. The reporters are scared. And we too... should be scared. We cannot open our mouths against people who have power; we cannot even show our faces to them. For God forbid, tomorrow it is our murder and our families who suffer.

We will glorify the Underworld in our films. We will even comment on the suaveness of the gangsters. We will pay to go watch something in reel life, and not even think subconsciously that it is taken from an incident in REAL life.

A man has lost his life. We as a society have lost our dignity. The clock is ticking. And there are no answers yet.