WALTHAM, MA– Meeting Troy Davis changed Gautam Narula’s life and forced him to write a book about at a very young age. Davis was a convicted cop killer on death row when Narula first met him. On Oct. 28, Narula will receive Youth Leadership Award at New England Choice Awards gala at Westin Hotel in Waltham, MA.
“I was a sheltered kid from the surburbs; he was a convicted cop killer on death row. But the friendship we forged made me rethink the notions of guilt and innocence, recognize the massive flaws that pervade our justice system, and learn that humanity can be found in the unlikeliest of places,” Narula told INDIA New England News.
At 23, Narula has published his latest book entitled: Remain Free. This is the story of Troy Anthony Davis, a black man accused of murdering a white police officer in cold blood. Despite worldwide protests and belief by many in his innocence, Davis was executed by the state of Georgia on Sept. 21, 2011. When Narula was only 15, he heard and read about Davis, one of the world’s most famous death row inmates. Unlike most teenagers who are busy with their favorite sports and school, Narula decided to write to Davis, got in touch with him and had many face-to-face meetings and conversations.
“Leadership is possessing: a vision of how the world should be; a plan for getting to that world; and an ability to germinate that vision and plan in the minds of others,” said Narula, who will be awarded Youth Leadership Award at New England Choice Awards gala.
About 400 entrepreneurs, corporate executives, philanthropists, educators and community leaders are expected to attend the awards gala, which is presented by INE MultiMedia in collaboration with INDIA New England News, the region’s oldest and largest online, print and video magazine serving the South Asian community.
Which global leader has inspired Narula the most to do what he does?
“Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister,” Narula says. “Through his own personal integrity, deep faith in the common people, firm belief in human equality, and an all too rare combination of idealism and political savvy, Nehru authored the world’s largest democracy. He demonstrated that poor, newly-freed colonies need not be destined for dictatorships, theocracies, or banana republicanism.”
The proceeds from Narul’s book is donated to The Innocence Project, a national litigation and public policy organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals through DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice.
Narula is a computer science and political science major from Alpharetta, Georgia. He has also worked as an intern for Amnesty International and served as the Southern Representative for Amnesty’s National Youth Advisory Committee. He has also written a book on chess and a few Android apps, and is currently working on another book and a few software projects. In his free time, Narula enjoys reading, writing and playing chess.
(To watch a video interview with Narula, please click here. It was taped and released last year.)
Remarkable young man with passion to go deeply in the human spirit and express nicely
Congratulations
Best wishes
Dinesh