A warrant issued in his name, but he is absconding. Police go on searching his residence, and leave after sticking a copy of the warrant on the main gate. Whom am I talking about? If you are politically unaware, you will guess anything except the reality: he is a union minister in Government of India! The Shibu Soren episode is a blot in the face of Indian democracy. What makes the matter worse is the fact that he is not the only tainted minister in the government!
Let us now compare a former railways minister Lal Bahadur Shastry with the present minister on chair.� One was given the portfolio, the other fought for it. One was a perfect gentleman, the other has no control over his tongue. One was a low profile person, the other performs publicity stunts daily. One resigned after a major rail accident, the other is involved in a number of scams involving huge sum of public money, and has criminal charges against him.
How can be the current Indian democracy be like this? Do Indians like such leaders? I can't believe if someone says yes. This once again raises the question: do we deserve a democracy?
In my opinion, glorification of criminals and scammers is a recent trend, it may be a temporary one, but the present government has championed it. The last government, headed by Mr. Atal Bihari Bajpai failed to get into the power again. After the elections, no one got the clear majority. The present UPA government is headed by Congress party which fought without a declared leader. In the climax, the party president rejected the PM’s post. What led her to take this decision is yet not clear, but it is true that a low profile, but honest man was again chosen for the PM’s post.
But the reality is that PM Dr. Man Mohan Singh can only talk while the real power is with the party president and the ministers. The government is a conglomerate of opportunist local leaders who managed to win a dozen seats based on caste, religion, and money. Now when the voters of a small remote place voted for a particular candidate of a local party, after being bribed by currency or a bottle, or only because the candidate was of his caste/religion, they didn’t know that this will lead to such a condition, when such criminals will form a majority in the parliament.
This government is being run just for the sake of running. There is a PM, only because there must be one. The mandate was not for this government, it was against the former. But in the process, what the electorate got was: a tiger in place of a lion. Both will feed on the public interests.
There is little the public can do to prevent the criminals from becoming ministers. On moral grounds, persons with criminal backgrounds shouldn’t be made ministers. But once they have become, what can be done? The constitution doesn’t bar them. So in this condition, should the public just sit and watch?
What keeps my optimism alive is the fact that we have another pillar of democracy which is alive and kicking: the Supreme Court. Take this article as a petition. The tainted persons, with criminal records should not hold any ministerial position. Think about the disaster the criminal ministers can do. Are our highly guarded secrets secured in their hands? In case of an emergency, can they be trusted? They may sell strategic information to other countries. Those, who sold the fodder of cattle, to fill their bank accounts, will for sure sell national interests to the enemy, and we will keep reading integrity and honesty in the text books. What a fall; where are Buddha and Gandhi?
