Candlelight vigil for Bengaluru techie Atul Subhash; 30 of his colleagues show solidarity

Bengaluru: Nearly 300 people gathered near Ecospace in Bellandur on Thursday evening in solidarity with Atul Subhash, the techie who died by suicide earlier this week.

The candlelight vigil, attended by tech professionals and representatives from human rights organisations, was held to "stand in solidarity with the injustice that occurred to Subhash".

The crowd gathered for about 45 minutes near the gates of Ecospace before the police intervened and dispersed them.

The vigil came three days after Subhash’s death, which has sparked a national conversation, particularly among men’s rights activists.

The 34-year-old was found dead at his home in Manjunath Layout, Munnekollal, Marathahalli. Before his death, Subhash posted a 44-page note and an 81-minute video online, accompanied by the caption that a “legal genocide” was underway in India.

Gowri Shankar Krishna, a friend of Subhash and a volunteer with Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF), a men’s rights NGO, explained, “It was a 'shraddhanjali' and a way to show solidarity with his cause. People did not want his life to go in vain, and they want justice to be delivered. Many understand the systemic injustice and how these issues are often swept under the rug. Such voices rarely come out unless something this significant happens.”

Krishna added, “A lot of people have held this anger inside for a long time, and when they saw Atul’s story, they could relate to him. That’s why so many techies have come forward.”

Around 25 to 30 of Subhash’s colleagues joined the silent march, while the rest of the attendees were people who had heard of his story. Subhash was reportedly part of SIFF, an organisation that also works with orphaned children and conducts charity programmes.

“The way Atul carried himself, the affection he showed towards others — it made him close to everyone he met,” said Krishna. “I really hope that everyone listens to their conscience and wakes up to the call Atul has left for us.”