Facing prosecution

Sir, - Your Editorial, ``Facing prosecution'' (The Hindu, March 20), rightly concludes that ``just as much as Mrs. Rabri Devi must step down and remain out of office until she is discharged, the convention must be followed by those in the Union Cabinet also.'' Mr. Advani and Mr. Joshi are not simply accused of having technically violated a prohibitory order as part of a political agitation by them. They have been accused and chargesheeted for demolition of a place of worship belonging to a community other than theirs. They should not have been appointed as Cabinet Ministers in the first place until they are exonerated of the charge by the trial court. However, having been so appointed after being chargesheeted nothing new has occurred to demand their resignation. One has to await the result of the trial.

So far as the case against Mrs. Rabri Devi is concerned, if she follows the precedent set by her husband, Mr. Laloo Prasad Yadav, she has to resign only when confronted with the inevitability of going to jail. Even then she would, again following the precedent set by her husband and party boss, perhaps nominate somebody from her family as her successor in office. The proxy rule by Mr. Laloo Yadav will continue. Such a change will make no difference to the people of Bihar. If chargesheeted criminals could manage to become members of the State legislature why should it cause surprise if they continue in office as members of the Cabinet? They belong to all shades of the political spectrum. The recent elections in Bihar have proved beyond doubt that morality and rectitude in personal behaviour are entirely irrelevant to people's preferences for electoral offices.

Politicians belonging to almost all the parties in all the States do not seem to be bothered about issues of morality and criminality. Nor do they seem to be concerned of the adverse consequences of their being convicted. Indeed, such convictions are so rare as almost to be non- existent. The stock answer of a politician is, as Mr. Laloo Yadav was reported to have recently said, that the chargesheets and convictions are overridden by the people's verdict. They were supposed to have been held not guilty by the people who voted them to power. A strange and perverse logic indeed in the land of Mahatma Gandhi who spent all his life exhorting politicians not to deviate from the strict and narrow path of morality, non-violence and mutual tolerance!

A. Umakantha Sarma,

Hyderabad

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