A game of scoring points

`EXPOSE OR skulduggery?' (April 3 - Open Page) by Mr. Thiruvengadam was a fine-tuned expose of the Tehelka staged scoop. It is not as though the people are unaware of the cheating, the dishonesty, and the double talk politicians indulge in. Do they attempt even to move a step forward towards cleansing the muck? The exposure of any scam starts with a bang but ends in a whimper. Is it not a waste of people's money to try and punish those who swindled people's money, then use people's money for the whole process, and at the end tell the people because of ``insufficient proof'' the corrupt cannot be punished and hence are set free to once again indulge in corruption?

This is what we have been witnessing - one after another the scamsters have escaped, the corrupt who are even convicted in the lower courts want to get back to power. Then take the case of the income tax arrears of some politicians running to crores - there is no time limit and hence the time-lag augments the total loss of revenue to the government, yet nothing happens. These defaulters are allowed even to contest the elections. What is this election code all about then, when such basic norms and citizen obligations are not followed?

One should think that the higher one is, the greater the public gaze, and hence the greater the scrutiny, and greater the compulsion to be law-abiding. No, not in our country. To escape the hand of law one needs to become an MP or MLA, then law becomes blunted. To arrest an MP, the sanction of Parliament is required and to arrest an MLA the sanction of the Governor is required. Should not the law become more stringent to these because they are supposed to set an example to the people and to lead them? No wonder criminality becomes then an urging criterion for such positions. No minimum sense of probity and honesty is demanded?

A sham concern

It is against such a rotten political and social scenario in which all the politicians are competing with each other in whetting their ability to cheat and swindle the people comes in the manufactured Tehelka expose. Had all the political parties got together and demanded a thorough probe into the objectives of those behind the episode, their credentials before starting to throw mud on the NDA it would have made sense. No political party of the Opposition showed a maturity (even former PMs including Mr. V. P. Singh who was a victim of such set-up traps) or exhibited any sincere concern for this country. It was all a game of scoring points - of a glee, unholy happiness for having caught the NDA as rogues too! Yet these honourable men and women put up a sham concern for the security of this country - a pretence of a righteous anger, legitimate enough to stall Parliament - create the maximum unrest and destabilise everything, throw constitutional norms to the wind, and adopt any means to embarrass the government. Do these actions indicate the love of the country and the concern for the people? How can an organised trap set up to malign a few politicians be made valid for demanding the NDA government's resignation?

But then we, the people, are to be blamed. For we have lost the ability to discern, to differentiate reality from illusion, when we credit those acting as heroes in films as heroes of real life, when the memory and the deeds of the dead become valid for vote baiting of the living, when we consider a particular family alone has the right over India's leadership, then a non-existent arms manufacturer who bribes and promises more bribes becomes real - real and serious enough to demand the stepping down of a government.

If websites become the forum for web anchors to make and unmake governments, where is the need for elections, people's mandate and constitutional procedures? This is a dangerous portent. Let one political party come forward and swear that it has not and will not receive money from the rich and the corrupt for its party. ``He who has not sinned let him cast the first stone.''

As the author points out the CBI should start with the archers, not with the target. The Opposition's craze for power is only abetting the destabilising of this country. After all every five years the people will be given a chance to evaluate the omissions and the commissions of all the parties, especially the ruling parties, and to give their mandate. So why then create such unrest - stir up emotions, violence and inflict suffering on the people. How does it help? Has there been an attempt of educating the people? It is always lies and more lies; twist facts, cast aspersions, throw as much mud as possible so that at least some will stick, find ways and means to hide one's own scams and with money power bulldoze into the media and misguide the people - this dishonourable game goes on endlessly. That it is weakening the country, dividing the people, making the country an easy target to outside enemies, demoralising the Army, and tearing apart a nation with people becoming cynical of democracy and all that it stands for, is no concern of the politicians. But then who is interested in the truth - it is only power that matters.

HILDA RAJA

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