The doctor's not in, and the vacuum is dangerous

Balbir Punj
First Published : 16 Apr 2011 11:15:00 PM IST
Last Updated : 17 Apr 2011 01:30:21 AM IST

The uncommented outcome of the Anna Hazare episode is that the two core persons involved in it seemed to have exchanged roles. Both Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and activist Hazare are persons of impeccable integrity. The one, Dr Singh, who holds the highest executive office in the country, refused to act and has seldom exercised his authority to stem the rot in the system. The other, Hazare, who has shun offices of authority so far, has empowered himself, without any accountability to any of the organs of the state.

Before the mass demonstration of public anger at Jantar Mantar, Dr Singh’s claim of acting against corruption brought him no laurels. The dismissal of arraigned minister A Raja in the 2G scam was an inevitable consequence of intervention by the Supreme Court (SC). So was the apology over the CVC affair. The long rope that partyman and sutradhar of the CWG got from him — even after many ghosts have tumbled out of the CWG cupboard after the Shunglu report — have further depleted his credibility and authority which in any case was never too high.

Dr Singh’s claim sounds hollow when we see the Shunglu report findings having no effect on Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. Instead of acting on the report, the PMO has referred the scandal to the home ministry. For what? And who all have been arrested for the scam? A few sidekicks of power that be. No big fish, including kingpin Suresh Kalmadi, has been touched so far. That means none of the corrupt gets the sack under the present dispensation till either a powerful public campaign or SC intervention makes it impossible for Dr Singh not to act.

Some Congress leaders were critical of Hazare and the anti-corruption movement, and were asking how could the Government concede its authority of decision-making to an assortment of public figures just because they have a public face of integrity? Well, their own party president set the trend by subjecting government decisions to her own NAC of assorted persons. It is evident to Dr Singh and the country that he remains a nominated head of the government and the ropes are held by Sonia Gandhi. He holds the office of prime minister, sans power, prestige and authority that go with it.

As the black chapters of corruption get read in the SC, Dr Singh’s helplessness is becoming obvious. The Congress, the NCP and the DMK — the three prominent parties in the ruling coalition — are now on the run from the anti-corruption tsunami. The inaction bordering cover-up of such blatant loot of public money, coupled with abdication of responsibility by the PM, has shaken common man’s faith in the system. That explains massive public response to Hazare’s campaign against corruption.

There are grave consequences of this dissolution of authority. It impacts India’s fight against terrorism funded and encouraged by Pakistan, and China-inspired Maoist movement in north-east. It compromises the country’s resolve to bring back money stashed abroad by politician-business combine and efforts to rein in the run-away inflation. The Government is silent over the network of jihadi movement exposed by the recruitment of young Muslims in Kerala for terrorist activities and sent to Pakistan for training. The Hasan Ali exposé was possible because of the strong will exercised by the judiciary which revealed how the establishment was happily soft on this hawala dealer and arms procurer. The next chapter of this sordid drama will begin when Ali’s linkages with “important politicians” get exposed.

Nature abhors a vacuum. In this toothless diarchy, a variety of elements, both good and bad, are trying to hijack the system. Democracy, with all its inherent problems, is the best system of governance known so far. While the system does need a strong shake-up to restore it to good health, care has to be taken to ensure that those with insidious agendas do not use this sad occasion to wreck it from within and without.

The writer is a BJP MP. E-mail him at punjbalbir@gmail.com