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The ways of law

J. Nanda Gopal

THE UNION Law Minister, Mr. Ram Jethmalani, has sought to play down the match-fixing controversy that has brought into focus the alleged clandestine ways of some Indian cricket heroes making a fast buck by compromising the country's ho nour.

,em>The Minister wants the people and the authorities concerned to forget and forgive the racket, obviously with the view that it does not really matter if a few cricketers have made a fortune through unethical means.

,em>A seasoned lawyer and politician, Mr. Jethmalani, obviously aware of the possible outcome of such matters after years of haggling, investigating and litigating, perhaps thinks it wiser to let the whole matter be hermetically sealed and buried deep.

,em>In fact, a section of the media has also made light of the controversy, giving the impression that it is futile to argue and pass value judgments on the cricketers who say different things at different times and plead innocence before the investigati ng authorities who seem to be on a wild goose chase for clinching evidence.

,em>A language daily has even come out with a cartoon asking the disgraced South African captain, Hansie Cronje, to come to India with all his `ill-gotten' wealth and settle down in peace and luxury as his case is unlikely to be solved in his lifetime. I f he chooses, he can even play first class cricket with his Indian buddies!

,em>In the last decade after the economy was opened up, scams such as the securities, urea and others occurred and investigations still continue, as the needle of suspicion waves continuously.

,em>As someone who stoutly defended the Big Bull Mr. Harshad Mehta -- the prime suspect in the securities scam -- Mr. Jethmalani knows all angles of the problem and has the last laugh.

,em>With the investigating authorities and the judiciary, unable to book the guilty in cases where the high and mighty are involved, the system sends wrong signals of its efficacy and transparency to the outside world.

,em>The in-built inefficiencies of the system are such that they begun have started affecting the FDI flows into the country and they will be more pronounced in the coming years as the country comes fully under the WTO sway.

,em>Ineptitude born out of a fatalistic attitude has done this country more harm than good. The rule of law must not be limited to the books on the Constitution but must be applied with diligence and speed in all cases.

,em>Such a measure is the first step to solve the country's law and order problems, be they in the East or North. The impression that the law is sacrosanct and that nobody is more equal than others must be created before the public.

,em>Whatever the party -- right, left, centrist, secular or otherwise -- in power, the fulfillment of this basic criterion is necessary. It will generate confidence among the people on the impartiality of the rulers.