Speak up for your friends, for justice

An appeal to the children who survived the Beas tragedy and their parents to speak up and ensure justice.

While the Beas tragedy is still fresh in everyone’s mind, parents of the dead want ratification and punish the accused. But why are children who witnessed the horrific incident first hand and parents of victims not interacting with the media? Have the police gagged them or is the college management not allowing the students to speak up? Do they fear that students might reveal some information which might shame the college management?

A senior police officer who has been in constant touch with the families of the 24 victims on the condition of anonymity, says, “The students are in dilemma and in a state of shock. It is very painful for them and it takes a lot of courage to speak the truth. They need strength to support the right. These students need to spend at least two years in the college and their careers are at stake if they take ‘panga’ with the management. Students who are alive are really in a dilemma; they can’t hurt the parents of their friends nor can they speak against the management.”

But to get justice to the deceased, the students need to voice their opinion, they need to speak the truth. Nothing will ever bring the dead students back. But it would mean the world to their parents if the incident is justified and the people at fault are nailed and brought to the books of law. The students who returned need to speak up, for the sake of justice.