The sentencing of an ex chief minister who also heads an important political party of the country comes as a beacon of hope for all of us who had all along been silent witness to the escape of the powerful from the clutches of the law. That the president of the national opposition party had to resign in the wake of income tax raids was literally the icing on the cake. Probity in public life appears to be conveniently missing cutting across the political and bureaucratic spectrum.
Yet the moot question remains,
whether the powerful Haryana baron would also escape the noose as has been the
case with all those who had been involved in the innumerable “G” series of
scams that rocked this nation not too long ago? Is this verdict also going to
be a shroud behind which the powerful guy that he is would make his silent
escape? These and many other similar questions would be jostling the minds of
many right minded citizens this wintery morning.
It is indeed strange that “Ceaser’s
wife should be above suspicion” an ancient saying is not finding acceptance
even amongst the doyens of the national party that claims to be different based
on virtues that are generally not visible to the common man. The blatant exploits
by its generals south of Vindhya and in the state of Uttarakhand, and the tacit
acceptance of the same by its top leadership for a long time also strengthened
the universal perception that no party is different and that almost all
politicians with rare exceptions have their hand in the till.
The overall scenario remains
grim. The issue of corruption continues to occupy center stage with new exploits
finding their way in newspaper columns with amazing regularity. Incidents of
moral depravity are also on the rise with the recent incident involving
Nirbhaya shaming the entire nation. Moreover
on the economic front and the human development index, our rating as a nation
continues to be low. Yet the nation continues to excel in the consumer goods
scenario.
Can a nation sans value systems regard
itself as developed? Perhaps there is a need for all of us to introspect and then
do what we can to restore the glory and pride of our motherland!
