This is not about a political party. It is about people who are helpless in spite of freedom. It is about a Nation held hostage. When a Government is elected democratically, they have a responsibility towards the electorate. Collective autocracy by the legislature is abhor-able. By definition, all elected representatives are part of the government whichever bench they occupy in the Parliament. The people of India are hostage to those very same representatives elected to lead them. What a travesty of justice.
Why can not Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) be applicable to the legislature? By any standards transacting business by the august body of a democratically elected parliament is not a non essential activity. Legislators are behaving like hooligans inside the revered precincts of the parliament without any shame. The approach of “if only you do this you can do that” is blackmail. Simply an act violating the law. We the people of India want our legislature to be more responsible.
Legislators have to uphold the value system. The argument that I did a wrong because my predecessors did the same is absolutely despicable. If there is use of office and status for partisan gains, it is immoral and no law is required to castigate the guilty. One reason why the armed forces are swift in dispensing justice is there are sections in the Army Act dealing with ‘unbecoming conduct’ and ‘breach of trust’.
Forget the media who take you to the cleaners at the drop of a speck of dirt, even if the wind had carried it on to you. But government appointed bodies like the CAG and Lok Ayukta are different – the moment they reveal mal practice the affected run for cover behind enquiry commissions and other committees; then there is a long and winded legal system for ‘protecting’ the protagonists. So wither the value system? Where are the ‘teachings’ of the holy scriptures and other legacies, in which we collectively take pride and tom-tom as the famous mother of all cultures – the Indian culture? If I am wrong pray tell me what is Indian culture? Surely Indian culture is not just wearing a sari and not celebrating Halloween.
Only a few days ago the Nation was gaga on the visit by President Obama. India almost became a super power overnight. Today it seems to be just a pipe dream. It will remain a dream if we Indians do not wake up right now; wake up before it is too late. Wake up before our economic potential is blunted by partisan behaviour of the pillars of democracy – Legislature, Executive, Judiciary and Media. The world is shrinking. Interdependency of Nations is a given for growth. Among closed economies China is now open and already a world player. Cuba is slowly coming out of the shell. North Korea is an aberration and nobody knows whether there is an economy there! In such a scenario our leaders have a finger on the self destruct button.
Instead of focusing on development and all inclusive growth, already in our grasp, the powers that be are playing a game of one-up-manship. In the first instance a responsible media has to expose this nexus of political parties who ignore the people of a democracy. We have now to channelise the resources and energies of the Nation towards accelerated progress, even if it is to catch up with China. For the present – only to accentuate the critical nature of the situation - I will unequivocally declare that the one party rule of China is better than Indian democracy.
Will our leaders grow out of their clichéd statements and political games? I say to them grow out of the teens and become a woman.
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