Turbulence in Indian politics -- need for greater fairness in democracy

FE Team | Published: November 28, 2010 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury
The turbulence in the world's largest democracy, India sparked by a string of financial scandals only underlines the axiomatic truth that governance in the name of the people must be characterized with dedication, fairness and honesty - failing to which the sense of purpose becomes largely meaningless.
Indian prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh is a person of impeccable integrity, but his failure in taking actions against the guilty because of various compulsions earned him strictures from the highest court of the country. The supreme court reprimanded him for "alleged inaction" against a central minister, whose favouritism caused a huge loss for the government in revenue.
The telecommunications minister A. Raja was finally forced to quit, but by that time enough damage was inflicted on the government and its head -- the prime minister. Dr. Singh's more than six-year stint as the head of the government of India has for the first time been tarnished even though none questions his personal integrity.
When individuals entrusted with great responsibilities where peoples stakes are very high, morality becomes a bigger virtue as trust needs to be honoured and maintained. The Indian prime minister's apparent turning of a blind eye to the simmering discontent about the conduct of the said minister was seen in different circles as a "lame duck" attitude that only helped affect country's interest. The minister gave licences of lucrative mobile telephones at very cheap price -- evidently to the close persons and understandably in exchange of financial benefits -- resulting in the loss of several billion dollar for the government.
Incidentally, this scam was preceded by severe allegations of corruption in the recent Commonwealth Games when millions of rupees are believed to have been made by interested quarters though unethical means. Furthermore, another scandal in India's prosperous western state of Maharastra also shattered the government when chief minister Ashok Chauhan allegedly influenced in securing for his close associates including mother-in-law the flats meant for the widows of the "Kargil" war heroes.
As if all these were not enough, close on the heels of the scam involving the telecommunications minister, India's reputation as a place for doing business took a hit when it was revealed that several banks in Mumbai resorted to bribes amounting to forty million dollars for granting loans to big businesses. Saying goes, when misfortunes come, they come in a bunch.
Unfortunately for Dr. Manmohan Singh's government, all these financially scandalous occurrences took place within a short time -- one after another, leaving the otherwise unblemished image of the government and the prime minister shattered. No doubt, the Congress party and the ruling UPA alliance that the Congress heads, will have to bear the brunt of this worrisome situation and needless to say, the leader of the both Congress and ruling UPA alliance -- Sonia Gandhi cannot remain unscathed by these developments that are likely to affect the government.
After all, it is Sonia and her son youthful Rahul Gandhi, seen by many as the future prime minister, are mainly responsible for bringing back the Congress to power in India through 2004 elections and retained its power in early last year's polls. Manmohan Singh, the architect of India's economic progress, initially as the finance minister and later as the premier, is less involved with politics as evidenced by the fact that he has never won an election and sits in parliament as a member of the upper house that indirectly chooses the members of parliament.
Sonia's late husband Rajiv Gandhi has an unsullied reputation as Mr. "Clean", but the same was badly tarnished by the allegations of "Bofors" arms scandal when it was believed that patronisation helped several persons make quick bucks. The allegations against Rajiv of any wrong doing could not be proved, but he paid a heavy price as he had lost the elections that followed the allegations.
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, too, has a great reputation as honest and "Clean" person as so far he is not known to have indulged or backed any financial malpractices. But as the head of the government, he is accused of dragging feet over taking actions against the telecommunications minister even as allegations were leveled against the minister. The prime minister did not approve an investigation against him obviously for the reason that the minister's regional DMK party in southern Tamil Nadu state is a constituent of the federal UPA government and support of its 18 members in parliament is critically important for the existence of the Singh government. He was shown the door only when it was too late as water had become murkier, but by that time damage was already done.
The Indian Supreme Court made critical observations about the prime minister not for his any personal blemish, but his "inaction" against what he should have done sitting in the chair of the head of the government.
Democracy warrants fairness, justice and fair play and persons entrusted with peoples trust and confidence must live up to their duties. The storm currently brewing in the Indian political arena is only the grim reminder that governance is a critical task and here hardly any iota of scope exists for compromising with nation's and peoples great stakes.
zaglulbss@yahoo.com