The Turmoil

Our India has changed significantly over the past few months. Every other day a new scam surfaces and each one seems to have originated at the highest levels of the government. Then we have a hyper active media who has become the accuser the prosecutor and the judge. Then we have our so called representatives from civil society trying to hold the government at ransom at every opportunity. We have a judiciary which wants to take over the executive powers from the Executive and legislature and then we have the government which seems to be in shell shock. Ministers are in limbo and because of the turmoil the governance seems to have come to a standstill. On top of all these problems we have the common man’s woes like rising fuel, gas and food prices.

When you sit back and try to analyse each of these events, one is not sure if to derive good or bad from these developments. In the past umpteen scandals have taken place, corruption has been rampant, yet one has not seen any action taken against the offenders. We would hear of a CBI raid or an income tax raid or a Lok Ayukta raid only to later find the concerned official back in business, after a few months once the public memory had faded. However, this time some of the guys (ministers and businessmen) at the top who until recently seemed untouchable and above law are now cooling their heels in jail. Some say they are unfairly detained without bail whereas others insist that they are detained correctly, so that they do not influence the investigations. Once they are prosecuted we will know the truth and the depth of their involvement or innocence in the many scams. It is due to the media which has played a major role in exposing these scams that these individuals are today behind bars. The media did a good job by keeping up the pressure on the government, law enforcement agencies and the judiciary to act and also in keeping public memory alive. Many praise the media, yet others are very critical. Some say that the media has overstepped and gone too far.

Coming back to our judiciary, they seem to have taken over the administrative powers from the government. There seems to be a gross interference in administration and they pass everyday orders to the government on what it should do, how it should function and what it should not do. Is this really the role of the judiciary as per the constitution? I would like to believe it is not. Yet sometimes one feels that the government has willingly let the judiciary take up its role for fear of censure from the public and the media. I do not think this is good for our democracy where each institution has its own role cut out and for our democracy to function we need all pillars to work in cohesion, smoothly, independently without encroaching on each others’ powers and responsibilities.

Agitations and fasts by the so called representatives of the civil society seem to be the latest fashion in India. These self appointed representatives take great pleasure in holding the government at ransom. They claim to be representing the whole of civil society, whereas I would like to state categorically that they do not represent me and I do not support many of their demands. There are millions of silent citizens like me who are watching these unfolding events with great disgust. The motto of these leaders is MY WAY IS THE HIGHWAY and anyone who differs from their point of view is looked upon as a lackey of the corrupt government or a person with vested interests. If you look at the background of these leaders, we will find that all of them have an axe to grind with the government. There are bringing forth these prejudices from the past and using the weapon of the common gullible citizen to get even with the government. Their latest demand is for a Lok Pal with extra constitutional authority. They say that the government is corrupt, the Prime Minster is corrupt, the judiciary is corrupt, law enforcement agencies are corrupt and so they want a Lok Pal to sit on top of all these institutions. I would like to ask who this Lop Pal is ?. Is he going to be a super natural being sent from the heavens? I guess not unless these guys have made a deal with God. The Lok Pal will be another person from amongst us and so what guarantee do we have that he will be clean and neutral. What guarantee do we have that he will not come with his private agenda and go about doing a witch hunt?. WHO WILL THEN LOK PAL THE LOK PAL?. What kind of checks and balances will be put in place on this extra constitutional authority. Do our self appointed representatives have an answer?.

We also saw many celebrities jumping the bandwagon and dancing on stage extending their support for this anti corruption drive. Since this is the latest fashion and everyone wants free exposure, so why not?. Unfortunately many of our stars have been raided or sent notices for tax evasion or income tax default in the not so recent past. Is it not easy to preach to others when you do not follow what you preach. You don’t mind paying a bribe to the tax official to reduce your house tax, your land tax, your income tax as long as it benefits you, but then you go out and slam the government, the public officials for practising corruption. Little do you understand that prevention of corruption is a responsibility of each and every citizen and it begins with you and from your home.

Unfortunately due of all these unfolding events governance has taken a back seat. The ministers do not want to take any action as they are scared to act because of the scrutiny from the media and civil society. It is believed that hundreds of files are lying unattended as no official seems to be interested in taking any action as each and every action when taken is deemed suspect and motives are attached to every action. Just look at the PIL filed against the Telcom minister last week. It reeks of vendetta. The litigant is one of the self appointed representatives of civil society and has brought forth his private grudge against the minister in this PIL. That the Supreme court has set it aside is another matter.

The ministry has been reshuffled now and the Prime Minister seems more purposeful now and hopefully governance will once again take predominance. With time I hope that this love for agitations and confrontations will end and both the civil society and the opposition parties will understand their responsibilities. As of the now the opposition has ceded its role to the self appointed civil society leaders. The media too has to be irresponsible sometimes. However, there are several instances of good being done by the media in waking up the dormant public conscience. It has made both the government and judiciary act decisively on many issues. It now needs to step back a bit and restrict itself to its assigned role of creating awareness and not passing judgements and ordering the established institutions on what they should do and what they should not. Each has a role to play and if that is understood then there is nothing to worry about the future.