What prompted these killers?TOI 10Apr2007 page 6

What motivated the three young killers? The recent photograph (April 7 and 8) of Manoj Kumar and his brutal killers evoked a profound sense of sadness and social failure — that we failed to provide discipline, support and guidance in a moment of weakness which could have prevented this. Fact: a very young treasure of the society is dead, killed by three young persons. Still, they could have potentially been valuable members of society. At least 25 other lives intertwined with these lives are shattered for life. It raised very disturbing questions which need urgent answers. What motivated them? The visual media which give immediate access to everyone, into the luxurious lives of the better-off, creating an unattainable sense of envy or deprivation? Creating a vision of immediate fulfilment of goals, as conveyed by movies and serials, where wealth appears quickly and easily? This is contrary to real life where it takes years of hard work and sacrifice to achieve even simple goals. Whatever the motive, the bigger question that should haunt us is: what do we do with these three young lives that erred? What would be adequate justice for the family that lost a valuable member? Will a few years in a correctional institution rehabilitate them into useful members of the society? Or will it make them into bigger criminals? Whatever the answers, they are frightening