The recent verdict of the apex
court that a public representative convicted of any criminal offence
attracting a punishment of two years and above by any court shall immediately lose
his seat has come as a ray of hope for many in this otherwise depraved
scenario. The court has also ruled that contesting elections while lodged within the confines of a jail shall not be permitted. Yet the fact that such verdicts were necessitated speaks volumes
about the torrid state of affairs in the country.
Newspaper reports state that over
30% of our public representatives in the state and the centre are facing criminal
cases. These are the persons who are expected to be the torchbearers of our
democratic system and also the lawmakers. Yet law breakers many of them have
been, but perhaps no more after this historic verdict that has the potential of
triggering a major operation clean up.
That the verdict has come barely
a few days after the revolting incident involving a top politician of a central
Indian state is gratifying indeed, as many had starting losing hope from the
system. Prompt and appropriate action by the state government without bias or
fervor also acted as a balm. It appears that considerable
goodness and fairness still exists in the system despite the widely prevalent
rot and sloth.
Some time back a spokesman of a
national party was found with his pants down in his own lawyers chambers seeking
physical gratification in lieu of favors. While this spokesman was also shown
the door like the recent entrant, he soon made a reentry in the political arena
thereby confirming that character has no place whatsoever in the murky national
political scenario. A plethora of similar incidents cutting across states and
political outfits goes to show the real depth to which the national character
has plummeted, the political classes being only the most visible
representatives of the society.
It is tragic that the debauch
conduct is supplemented by rampant indulgence in corrupt practices. The series
of scams involving public money witnessed in recent times has left many with
gaping mouths. This indulgence cuts across states and political shades and
almost everyone with the exception of a few have lost no time whatsoever in looting
the till. The glaring example of the sale of the public silver in the past, the
open loot indulged into by successive bosses of a hill state and also what transpired
south of the vindhyas till the recent change of guard led many of us to lose
whatever little hope that existed despite the ongoing rot and sloth. Coupled
with the rank inability of the masses to move matters within the sarkari
machinery without the customary greasing of palms, the overall scenario has indeed
been grim for a considerable time now.
That the bureaucratic arena is no
better has been made amply clear by the recent post for bribe incident. The penchant
for self gratification of the bureaucratic clan coupled with their bloated
ego’s has indeed made a mockery of governance in this nation. Jostling for key
positions & junkets overseas, ego flaring up on inconsequential matters,
milching the system and all its associates and constituents and a total lack of
concern for the organization or the nation are visible traits of the majority
of babu’s, not an encouraging scenario either.
What are the choices left with
the aam aadmi? Perhaps he can march on the streets or camp on the Vijay Chowk
on the lines of the Tianamen or the Tehrir else he can suffer in silence or
worse still, extract his pound of flesh from the system. The last may perhaps
be the preferred one as the aam aadmi of this nation being a microcosm of
the society regards the need to maintain high standards in human values and
conduct as passé.
Salvation is not in sight and
neither is doom, yet the verdict gives hope that some efforts at stemming the
rot are indeed underway.
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