Defending the Defenceless

Subramanian Swami’s attack on Rajan and Subramanian, two eminent, very senior and dedicated public servants, is despicable. To dare to question the Indian-ness of these two  distinguished Indians is uacceptable as well.

After strong public reaction BJP put out a half-hearted disagreement with Swami’s “personal views”. This is laughable as no decent establishment can allow any member the personal right to be abusive. 

I listened to Arun jaitley on TV this evening and cannot for the life of me understand the restraint with which senior BJP members refer to Swami’s outrageous behaviour.  He said that “even the Party President” has disapproved of Swami’s remarks. It is as if they are not sure whether they will be Swami’s next targets.

What is being lost is the fact that the verbal assault on Rajan and Suramanian is not just a party matter. It is a party matter to the extent that a party member, Swami, is involved in this disgusting behaviour. On the other side are two very senior public servants who are  defenceless by virtue of their official position.  As in any organisation , government or private, it is the CEO who is the ultimate protector of the faith and honour of all those who serve under him. In this case the PM is the CEO of the country and he should come out openly and atoutly in  defence of the officers and use his party leadership to sharply and openly reprimand Swami. Nothing else will do adequate justice to Rajan and Subramanian and all those who serve in government positions.

Shoring Up the Government

One of the major problems wth the BJP led government is the shortage of administrative experience and talent in the party. This aspect renders  the government  vulnerable to justifiable criticism that “rookie” ministers are tinkering blindly with policies which affect the nation as a whole at some stage. This has even led to the charge  that extremist ideologies are sought to be introduced through the backdoor.

India ia fortunate that apolitical expertise in every field is abundantly available and these  experts can be enlisted into the various ministries with MOS rank. Inviting them to join the Council of Ministers may not attract many experts as the need to be subsequently elected would be a disincentive. The “first time” ministers would have to be advised to seek guidance from the experts on professional matters before decisions are taken. There has to be a deliberate move under the PM’s supervision to train young ministers for the future.This is an area which should have the PM’s direct attention without which ego clashes will ruin the plan.

There is also the matter of the need to build up a “bench strength” of reserves capable of stepping into slots in the administration in an emergency or in the future. In order to quickly build up a “second eleven” young and bright MP’s  can be made Parliamentary Secretaries to the ministers so that they also share the new experience. Needless to say, I am only thinking of  pure government work without the influence of political interests at the cost of national ones.

The PM has a tremendous opportunity  to provide an alternative national party that can be trusted to govern justly and well. For this he has to mobilise talent and experience without interference of short-term temptations and desire for meaningless “brownie” points

Pipe Dream OR Reality ?

Mrs.Sonia Gandhi is absolutely right in declaring that failure is not permanent. Winning and losing are a part of the democratic process and the hype attached to both is the result of the over-vocal promises and claims made before the elections. Congress has lost heavily before and come back with the same force. However, one cannot but concede that electoral strategy and style were then  different and Congress fought, lost and won mainly on its own steam and reputation. It was not a victim of vicarious taint. Therein lies the cause of the recent decline  of Congress party and the key to future success.

I have said before that I grew up with only the Congress party in mind and its then leaders as my heroes. However, over the years and like many others I lost interest in parties without values and waited for individuals to appear who respected basic ethics and principles and stood unshakeably so.

Adherence to principles is being mentioned again in political circles. At the present moment, the principles need re-defining for the Congress  party workers as the recent electoral disaster was the result of Congress deviating from its sworn path of the past. It chose to fall in line with dubious allies whose principles were based on acquiring  and retaining wealth  and power by whatever means. The taint rubbd off on the Congress too and the party with the cleanest  and most incorruptible leaders like Manmohan Singh and Antony  failed to win the trust of the electorate. In Kerala there was a comparable experience. Oommen Chandy was known to be an honest CM but the company he kept cost the party  the election.  Now what of the future ?

The eye of the Congress leadership must be NOT on re-capturing power by any means but on re-capturing the attention of the people, resurrecting their trust. For this the party has to go straight back to the people way out in the “backyards” of the country which is where the daily needs remain unfulfilled. Congress has young, articulate members, many of them in legislatures and Parliament, who can be at the centre of new teams that will disperse to work in designated areas to identify their tasks and have a time-bound schedule to deal with them. The aim must be to show tangible results by the mid-term of the various governments. The truth to remember is that power is given by people as a token of their appreciation. Such power wil endure. Power that is acquired by false promises and by  expedient alliances does not last. It also  leaves an indelible taint. It is far better to sit as an honourable opposition than to be in tainted power.

Young leaders must grow in States. They must build up their teams, be allowed to think and act independently subject only to monitoring at the top. These leaders and workers must be instilled with principles of honour and integrity. These are qualities that are lacking in States making India 78^th in the table of 158 corrupt countries put together by Transparency International. As regards Congress–ruled States assessed before the election one of them  is 4th most corrupt. In this State every interface between public and government extracts an unofficial  “toll”.  Even a Panchayat certificate for a BPL card  is not issued without payment of a tidy sum of money ! The party has to fight these deep-rooted ills and help people get their legitimate dues.

There is work to be done to provide water, power, housing etc in all of which the Centre has announced plans and budgets. The Congress party workers should make sure that these allocations reach their targets and do not leak on the way. If, by chance, in doing this the party in power at the centre and Congress happen to find themselves together there is no need for conflict. People will bless both and the judgement will finally be made on the basis of the quality and reach of the service provided by the parties. It may even lead to a very desirable interaction between government and opposition and generate a cooperative spirit which transcends party and personal interests to focus on the nation. I cannot wait to see that happen !

I repeat –devolution is the answer and there is no alternative to local influence in matters to do with States. Local teams and leadership should grow to take responsibility and be accountable. I would tell all parties that acquiring power by serving people should be the practical route and not just a motivation for decibels.

I have recited my piece honestly and full of hope. My suggestions may sound like pipe-dreams but they are imperative. Nothing would give thr peoplr greater fulfillment  than to see a strong government and an active  opposition functioning with the sole aim of national advancement. The question is which of BJP and Congress will have the courage to shed personal  animosities and take the first step forward ?

Temple Entry Mk II

Temple Entry Mk I was way back in 1936 when “low caste” people were allowed into Travancore State temples by a royal proclamation. That was a huge leap forward in ensuring religious freedom and social equality guarantted much later by or Constitution. Temple Entry Mk II was different and Trupti Desai scripted a forcible entry into temples where tradition restricted the  entry of women. Debate still goes on to judge whether this helped gender equality but may have violated the guarantee of freedom to practice religion.

No person who truthfully  believes in religion or in visiting temples specifically  to pray to a God wil venture to break into any other place of worship. Such a person will not use one constitutional prescription relating to gender equality, known to be intended for the uplift of certain focused social levels, to challenge another which guarantees religious freedom and tolerance. Any person who forces one’s entry into places of worship, regardless of religion, assisted by a  militant following can be suspected of  doing  so to find a place in the Limca or Guinness Book of Records or media headlines.

I am a Hindu but NOT a fanatical one  and am able to stand on the sidelines and watch neutrally as millions of people practice their beliefs and religious rituals. I have been to several temples and seen the fervour and the faith with which the devotees cry out to their Gods for blessings, comfort, peace, release from pain. In short religion and God are their ultimate refuge. What does Trupti achieve from her march from one place of worship to another notching up her mission statistics? Beliefs and religious practices have no logic in our eyes but there is an explanation on which a faith has been built up. All these are doing no harm to anybody but are bringing solace to many. The local beliefs and practices are accepted by the local devotees or those who travel on pilgrims. Who is Trupti Desai to  contest beliefs in temples which she had never chosen to visit to pray but now wishes to break into on an undesirable pioneering spree. There are numerous other worthier causes of women  like the anti-khap panchayat feeling,triple talaq etc  that would benefit from Truti’s undisputed spirit and enthusiasm.

I was watching one of Barkha Dutt’s “We the People” programmes a few weeks ago on Triple Talaq. A Naib Imam from Lucknow referred to a Supreme Court observation of a few years ago that it should not be their job to interfere in established religious practices. If that is true what has prompted the same Supreme Court to suddenly turn activist and authorise the likes of Trupti to gain entry into places  of worship to enforce the principle of gender equality?  Why has the Supreme Court not succeeded in reining in khap panchayats which defy the judiciary and  act criminally against women whom they hold virtually captive ?

In conclusion I would ask the Supreme Court one final question to ponder over.  The honourable justices, presumably, swear upon God on taking office. If they  consider religious beliefs and practices based on the word of God to be violable how is it then that the word of the Supreme Court remains inviolable ?