Since there is lot of chatter, as one of the volunteer in #HelpYogi team (along with countless supporters and many people rolling up sleeves to get things done), I want to share the following update:
In Stayzilla and Yogi case, the forces and players at work are more powerful than most of us think they are, know the system deeply and have support at different layers so it’s not as trivial as let’s get a good lawyer to close this issue or open letter to home minister should be sent in mail on a physical paper or why cannot pay the vendor instead of staying in the jail etc
- The fact is that many of us are indeed rookies trying to stand up against a difficult system so we need to understand that the battle is not just with a disgruntled vendor trying to get his disputed payment issue resolved but the nuances of dealing with complex legal process and state apparatus.
- If it’s as easy as writing this social media message or another blog post or getting tweets then people wouldn’t need to wait for years in Indian system for a full legal recourse whether guilty or not. The bottom line is that Yogi & his family have decided to fight the system and believe in the natural principle of justice so it will take time, patience & setbacks to emerge out from it.
- As well wishers and #HelpYogi team, we respect his stand and are amazed by the support people have shown for the larger cause of fighting injustice because it’s not just a vendor payment dispute but abuse of power so despite an orchestrated media trial to make him guilty with selective data leaks, turning it into mere payment dispute, character assassination by fraud claims without substance and convicted felon kind of gossip mongering for a dismissed bail plea.
- At end of the day as ecosystem, all we want is that a due course of the law to be followed whether you are a vendor or startup when disputes arise among parties as these issues are bound to happen. And Stayzilla won’t be the first or last case in this regard in Indian startup & business ecosystem but any such issue cannot be decided by the use of muscle power or politics when there is a law of land for doing business and resolving civil matters (which also needs to be fixed for getting justice in time instead of years of waiting period).
Finally, the media will move on, people will forget the case, gossips will evaporate, the vendor would still want his disputed payment issue resolved, politicians will say we have full faith in the judicial system as self serving alibi, ecosystem will pick another cause but Yogi & Family have to keep fighting the system for long time to get their share of justice.
The two most powerful warriors are patience and time before we pronounce judgement on Yogi & Stayzilla.
