The home minister was finally persuaded to have an honorable exit. Its not that Shivraj Patil knew when or where was the next strike going to take place, I am sure that if he was aware of any such details, like all of us, he would have tried his best to see to it that the bomb blasts, the Mumbai attack are not executed. But where he failed was in doing his best and leaving the rest to the god.
We have the concerned head of ministries so that an accountability and responsibility is visible. A horse chariot even with the finest pair of horses needs a good charioteer so as to make sure that the horses do not run aimlessly. Our former Home minister in this context behaved as if he was trudging on a bullock cart.
A stricter law was being demanded by everyone. Maybe he opposed it personally or maybe his party members were against him. Whatever the case he should have made it clear. But then maybe he would have lost his chair, but ultimately that happened and he was asked to leave, an exit which he would not have hoped for when he sat on that position four and a half years back.
He had the political wisdom to equate Sarabjeet and Afzal Guru, he had the personal wisdom to change clothes when Delhi was still reeling under the after shocks of the blast, but the only thing that he did not have was the courage to come out with why he was opposed to a stricter law.
Critics argue that stricter laws have resulted in violations of human rights. Is not there the Judiciary to take care of it? We have more than belligerent human rights activist and organization in Indian who are forever on street. We have the NHRC and most importantly we have a media that is heavily loaded against any human rights abuse. So we do have the right kind of checks to stop rampant violations.
No one can demand a lax law just because a stricter law will curtail human rights. Is not living under the sound of guns and watching Ak 47 totting terrorist causing mayhem on the streets violation of human rights? And what about those who lose their near ones? I guess their human right of being happy is taken away the moment their dear one fall dead.
Since the present government has come into power it has always been a reactive one. That too would have been acceptable had they reacted on time , but they stopped this ‘reactive’ tendency months back.
After the Mumbai attack, announcements for a federal investigative agency was done and also was announced a stricter law. What is new? Has not the county demanding this for a long? When the MNS goons were rampaging on the street, for days the Congress high command did not react, and when ultimately it did, the vandalism stopped immediately. By the time they reacted the damage was already done. What were they waiting for?
Exactly has been the present case. Too little may be too early to say but too late; definitely.
That brings me to the larger issue. While watching the news of Mr.Patil being removed, the driver at my home said “ Lagat ba Madam khisiyan gayil” ( seems Madam is angry). He was referring to Sonia Gandhi.
I guess 8 out of 10 if not 9 will tell that it is Sonia Gandhi who decides how the present machinery will function. We have a president who has been handpicked by her and who is as good as non-functional. The benchmark that the previous president had set has been thrown into oblivion. We have a PM who wakes up in the morning wondering whether he is still the PM or not. And we had a Home minister who was more interested in having the blessings of the high command rather than figuring out why the terror strikes had gone up.
It is time that Sonia Gandhi is also brought into focus. At least she can dispel the myths if any about her stand. Whether she wants a tough law or not ? or whether the ministers are only accountable to her and not to the people who have elected them? How does she intends to tackle terrorism?
She may be working in the background but is it not true that even the kingmaker should also be held accountable?
Considering everything, what have we to bank on? BJP? It might have some individuals who can deliver, maybe someone like Arun Shourie. But as and when the power arrives people shift their focus on how to retain that power. The promises that are made, the expectations that are nurtured, all are left to wither away.
The past week has left me perplexed and it is because of these very questions that are so hard to answer.
We have the concerned head of ministries so that an accountability and responsibility is visible. A horse chariot even with the finest pair of horses needs a good charioteer so as to make sure that the horses do not run aimlessly. Our former Home minister in this context behaved as if he was trudging on a bullock cart.
A stricter law was being demanded by everyone. Maybe he opposed it personally or maybe his party members were against him. Whatever the case he should have made it clear. But then maybe he would have lost his chair, but ultimately that happened and he was asked to leave, an exit which he would not have hoped for when he sat on that position four and a half years back.
He had the political wisdom to equate Sarabjeet and Afzal Guru, he had the personal wisdom to change clothes when Delhi was still reeling under the after shocks of the blast, but the only thing that he did not have was the courage to come out with why he was opposed to a stricter law.
Critics argue that stricter laws have resulted in violations of human rights. Is not there the Judiciary to take care of it? We have more than belligerent human rights activist and organization in Indian who are forever on street. We have the NHRC and most importantly we have a media that is heavily loaded against any human rights abuse. So we do have the right kind of checks to stop rampant violations.
No one can demand a lax law just because a stricter law will curtail human rights. Is not living under the sound of guns and watching Ak 47 totting terrorist causing mayhem on the streets violation of human rights? And what about those who lose their near ones? I guess their human right of being happy is taken away the moment their dear one fall dead.
Since the present government has come into power it has always been a reactive one. That too would have been acceptable had they reacted on time , but they stopped this ‘reactive’ tendency months back.
After the Mumbai attack, announcements for a federal investigative agency was done and also was announced a stricter law. What is new? Has not the county demanding this for a long? When the MNS goons were rampaging on the street, for days the Congress high command did not react, and when ultimately it did, the vandalism stopped immediately. By the time they reacted the damage was already done. What were they waiting for?
Exactly has been the present case. Too little may be too early to say but too late; definitely.
That brings me to the larger issue. While watching the news of Mr.Patil being removed, the driver at my home said “ Lagat ba Madam khisiyan gayil” ( seems Madam is angry). He was referring to Sonia Gandhi.
I guess 8 out of 10 if not 9 will tell that it is Sonia Gandhi who decides how the present machinery will function. We have a president who has been handpicked by her and who is as good as non-functional. The benchmark that the previous president had set has been thrown into oblivion. We have a PM who wakes up in the morning wondering whether he is still the PM or not. And we had a Home minister who was more interested in having the blessings of the high command rather than figuring out why the terror strikes had gone up.
It is time that Sonia Gandhi is also brought into focus. At least she can dispel the myths if any about her stand. Whether she wants a tough law or not ? or whether the ministers are only accountable to her and not to the people who have elected them? How does she intends to tackle terrorism?
She may be working in the background but is it not true that even the kingmaker should also be held accountable?
Considering everything, what have we to bank on? BJP? It might have some individuals who can deliver, maybe someone like Arun Shourie. But as and when the power arrives people shift their focus on how to retain that power. The promises that are made, the expectations that are nurtured, all are left to wither away.
The past week has left me perplexed and it is because of these very questions that are so hard to answer.
1 comment:
Congress ka hath aam aadmi ke sath. Cant be apt. They have done everything that has the hallamrks of this. in the name of minority appeasement they have successfully dug a trench between the majority and the minority......
Rk Malhotra
Delhi
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