There is Always a
Second Chance
Taking the second chance has probably brought him better
results than the first one could ever have done
Former Assam Director General of Police, Shankar Barua, committed suicide by shooting himself with his licensed revolver at his home in Guwahati on September 17, 2014. He was 63 years of age. Shankar Barua was being investigated by the CBI for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam. Family sources said he had slipped into a depression after his name had been linked to this scandal.
The Chief Minister of Assam, Tarun Gogoi, paid tribute to Mr. Barua, saying, “He was an upright and efficient police officer who discharged his duties conscientiously and assiduously.” Perhaps Mr. Barua was himself not a corrupt person, but it seems he became involved in the scam under some pressure.
This kind of involvement on the part of Mr. Barua was certainly a mistake, but another mistake he made was totally avoidable. That is, he failed to re-think his case and re-plan his future action. It is a law of nature that if in any given situation a person loses the first chance, then there is always a second chance for him. But, Mr. Barua’s real mistake was that he became so obsessed with the first mistake that he could not think beyond it.
His case could have gone to the courts and he may well have won the legal fight. There are many instances in which an individual has had to appear in court but was ultimately acquitted after the judicial proceedings, after which he was again able to lead a normal life.
Had Mr. Barua lost the legal fight and the court sentenced him to imprisonment, even then he still had a future. He could have written a book with the title, How to Eradicate Corruption, as he undoubtedly had many experiences relating to this phenomenon. He was very capable of dealing with this subject and his book could have become a bestseller.
Corruption is the most serious problem plaguing Indian society. Everyone thinks about this nation-wide scourge, but no one knows how to eradicate it. Had Mr. Barua pulled himself out of his depression, he could surely have written a very valuable book on corruption which outlined a new line of action by which corruption in India could have been brought to an end. If Mr. Barua had set himself to this task with an open mind and given a revolutionary book to India on the issue of corruption, he would certainly have deserved to have the title of the ‘Saviour of Modern India’ conferred upon him.
Our world is full of opportunities. When anyone fails to grasp the first one that comes his way, there is always a second one in the offing. Availing of it will prevent him from succumbing to frustration and will enable him to re-plan his life. Very soon he will discover that taking the second chance has probably brought him better results than the first one could ever have done.
