As I Please – Some Random Thoughts

07/08/2023

Ramesh Chander, Retired diplomat

(Samaj Weekly)- India is passing through an interesting but crucial phase of its existence since independence – its growing stature in the comity of nations, world’s largest democracy, fast growing economy, one of the largest reservoir of skilled manpower as some of the encouraging traits on one hand and some disturbing trends; growing communal divide, increasing political animosity, strengthening majoritarian approach, decreasing political and constitutional morality, institutional rot, growing chasm among the organs of the state that is Executive, Legislature, Judiciary and captive (Darbari or Godi) Media on the other. It is a matter of concern and worry for ‘we the people of India’. I would touch upon a couple of recent developments to make my point – As I Please.

Communal Riots in Manipur and Haryana – I mentioned about the increasing communal divide. Our constitution makes us a secular state with multi-cultural, multi-religious, multi-linguistic diversity as the underlying feature of the society and polity. Unfortunately, of late, this very edifice of the country is coming under increasing threat, most often by design and policy to have communal divide for political polarization and vested and narrow political gains. For the last almost three months, Manipur, a sensitive state on our borders with our apparent adversary, China is burning – killings, looting, rape, arson and destruction of private and public property are going on unabated. The state government has failed totally and the central government, it seems, is trying to save its face not by action to arrest the deteriorating situation but by sheer jugglery by resorting to the said ‘majoriitarian’ approach. The communal situation in Manipur reminded me of the situation in Rwanda and Burundi in mid 1990s which I witnessed as a diplomat. The over-stated and, to my mind, exaggerated fears of ‘conversion’ claims of the hard-core Hindutava elements have resulted in communal divide among the Naga and Kuki Tribes on one side and the Meitei residents of the state. The situation is tense and needs immediate attention of both the state and central ruling outfits. The issue requires tactful handling rising above the narrow considerations of votes and sectarian considerations of Christians or Hindus. The communal strife in Nuh and other places in Harayana have added fuel to the communal fire engulfing India and the very ‘spirit of Bharat’ with the Hindu-Musim divide. Again, it seems, either the governments or the administration have been caught napping or it has happened by a well thought and planned strategy (Prayog) by the vested interests. But whatever has happened is totally unwarranted and condemnable. It goes without saying that the lofty slogan of ‘Sab Ka Sath – Sab ka Vikas – Sab Ka Vishwas’ has totally been negated by the incidents of Manipur and Haryana. Parliamentary standoff between the government and the opposition on debating the issue of Manipur is again a total mockery of parliamentary democratic system. The parliament is held hostage both by the government and opposition. Why does the government develop cold feet in discussing the Manipur incidents threadbare as the opposition demands? Taking shelter under this rule or that rule by the government is totally unjustifiable. Political dust is raised to simply to camouflage the real issues. There are double standards and hypocritical approaches to deal with violence and communal issues – Manipur is burning and government is not even willing to discuss and take opposition and the people into confidence with more than 6 thousand FIRs and only a few arrests – Haryana communal incidents result in more than 1 hundred FIRs and double the number of arrests and use of the untraditional methods of using bulldozers to deal with the alleged culprits. It seemed that the majority community tended to terrify the minority by using brutal muscle power. It seems ‘show me the face and I will show you the rule’ is the norm. Governments woke up on the Manipur situation only after the Supreme Court took a suo-moto note of the matter. We would justify these things at our own peril.
Chupake Ashtin Mein Bijalian Rakh Li Gurdu Ne;
Anadil Bagh Ke Gafil Na Baithen Ashiano Mein

Parliamentary Standoff between the Government and the Opposition – In a parliamentary democracy, functioning of parliamentary is of utmost importance as it represents the will of ‘we the people of India’ through their representatives. But unfortunately again, it is not happening. Like many a times earlier too, the monsoon session of the parliament has almost been wasted. Whatever work has been done is a mere eye wash amounting to fraud on the system and the people as the bills have been passed without proper debate and scrutiny. It is evident, as alleged by the opposition, that even the Presiding Officers of both the Houses of Parliament are not able to shed their partisan behaviour as expected of them by the system. First, the standoff persisted on the Rule under which the debate on the Manipur issue should be conducted. I think the Government should have been magnanimous and accommodating in dealing with the issue. The opposition was compelled to resort to the Motion of No-confidence knowing well that they don’t have the numbers to say their mind. Against all norms of precedents and morality, the motion of no-confidence has been listed for the fag end of the session. It has killed the purpose of discussing the Manipur and other issues on one hand and has allowed the government to rush with the legislative business even if the opposition has registered its no-confidence in the government. It simply has no moral justification expect the fact that the government is obsessed with its absolute majority in the Lok Sabha. It is said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It amounts to ushering the country into ‘Grammar of Anarchy’ as warned by Babasaheb Ambedkar in his last speech in the Constituent Assembly on November 25, 1949. An Urdu couplet explains and may give some direction in this regard:
Woh Parde Ke Piche; Mein Parde Ke Aage,
Woh Aage Badenege; To Kuch Bhi Na Hoga,
Mein Piche Hatunga; To Dunia Hasegi .

Repeated Extensions to Senior Bureaucrats – Bureaucracy is the permanent government in a parliamentary democracy. Political leadership changes with the change of government in terms of the parliamentary mathematics. Sardar Patel, the first Home Minister of free India, rightly called the top bureaucracy as ‘steel frame ‘of the government. Governments are expected to maintain some sanctity in managing the bureaucracy. The point in question is the repeated extensions being given to some selected or say pliable top bureaucrats. It is a very negation of the status of a functional an efficient permanent government. The immediate provocation to write this is the recent repeated extensions to the Director of Enforcement Directorate (ED), Sanjay Mishra, Cabinet Secretary, Rajiv Gauba and Home Secretary, Ajay Bhalla. Even the Supreme Court commented sarcastically on the extension of tenure of Director of ED and asked the government as to why they could not find any other competent and capable officer to man the show? These undemocratic and arbitrary decisions not only negate the time tested norms of seniority in the civil services but also generate insecurity among the cadres. Many of the good and meritorious officers who rightly aspired to reach the top in their respective cadres sulk and retire. It leaves and generates demoralizing effect in the bureaucracy which is not good for the system.

Hubeda Aaj Apne Zakhme Pinha Kar Ke Chodunga;
Lahu Ro Ro Ke Mehfil Ko Gulistan Kar Ke Chodunga.

I am a small cog in the big wheel and don’t know much. I have no mind to find faults and join the blame game. I took the courage of writing about some of the current issues as a concerned and worried citizen without any political affiliation. I have no personal agenda or axe to grind. India has come a long way and we are still to go a long way on our long and tedious journey of progress and prosperity. We are to be mindful of this – the sooner the better. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s assertion comes to mind and we all must learn something from him to keep India on Rails. He said, “However good a Constitution may be, if those who are implementing it are not good, it will prove to be bad. However bad a Constitution may be, if those implementing it are good, it will prove to be good.”