Cheated:

May 25/2011: One of the worst feelings in life is that of getting cheated. It is said that when one cheats another, it is primarily possible because the victim had complete faith on the perpetrator. Thus, simply put, you can cheat only those who trust you completely. History has seen cheats of all hues and sizes. Leaders cheat those led. Managers cheat those whom they manage. Business houses cheat their customers. Advertisers cheat readers and viewers. Doctors cheat patients. Lawyers cheat clients. Coming to think of it, every one, given the slightest opportunity, wants to cheat anyone else who trusts. So much so that a negative view on life by some who trust no one seems acceptable after one is disillusioned by an instance of getting cheated. Cheats can deprive you of money, jewelry, land, possessions and even life.

At certain points of time in history, nations have cheated other nations. For instance, the Nazis of Germany had cheated the Soviet Union after both signed a treaty of non aggression. Like most other instances, this particular incident of history also taught us that the cheat was the final loser. By attacking Russia when the war prolonged into the bitter winter of that country, the Germans lost most of their soldiers to cold and frost bite and their Panzer tanks to rebel fighters who stayed behind enemy lines to snipe and wipe.

Now another incident of cheating of great magnitude has come to public notice that disturbs many a bystander. A few months ago, on 16 February 2011, the District Magistrate/Collector of Malkangiri was supposedly abducted by Maoists. The government showed interest in getting that IAS officer freed. The responsibility for the total operation was bestowed on the Orissa bureaucracy who, one must admit, did a pretty ok job of not blotching up the operation and did manage to get that officer ‘freed’. Media reports, of course, started casting aspersions on the whole exercise and grave doubts definitely did creep in to the minds of the public as to the reality of that kidnapping. Let that part be unsaid as of now. Talking about cheating, it is quite obvious today that the State of Orissa stands exposed as an entity that does not honor its own commitments.

In its hurry to get the job done and solved, the state government’s machinery went overboard. At that time Maoists had issued a four-page letter in Telugu on the abduction outlining seven demands, including ending Operation Greenhunt and release of arrested Maoists. It was well known that Maoists used the southern-most Orissa town of Motu to travel from Chhattisgarh to Andhra Pradesh as a passage. They also used the area as a corridor to crossover to the thickly-forested areas of Andhra. In their efforts for easy travel, Malkangiri was an important hub. As the Orissa Police was weak in its responses in those areas, it was obvious that the left wing extremists (LWE) would try to assert their dominance by doing something that would attract national notice. The Collector’s abduction was the result of that wish. Fortunately or unfortunately for the state media, the ‘dal’ scam surfaced in Orissa at that juncture which, to a great extent, diminished the front page importance of the DM’s abduction. Yet the LWE were very successful in their game of seeking publicity at a national level. The government seemed weak kneed and the reactions all knee jerks. There was public agreement that all demands will be met. Combing operations against the Maoists were stopped unconditionally. Bail petitions were filed in so very many Courts to get butchers released. Mediators flocked in. Secretaries of the state government were seen on tv pulling up chairs for those mediators to rest their derrieres. All and everything seemed acceptable since most people believed the life of an IAS officer (an uncommon citizen of this country) was at stake.

Today, all and everything seems to have turned sour. The LWE feel the Government of Orissa has cheated them. Most of their comrades, those who were to be freed in exchange, are still behind bars. The state machinery has not shown the slightest inclination to put up an image that it stands by its word. Its fine that they managed to rescue their colleague. That may win them laurels and stand them in good stead within their (the IAS) fraternity. However, the whole country and the common people do not belong to that ‘frat’ party.  The man on the street is amazed that a complete governance system has sunk so very low to be labeled as a ‘cheat’. Once this image sinks further, the credibility of the government will be completely destroyed amongst the very masses that it wishes to administer. No one would or should be willing to accept the words and assurances that may come forth in the future from this government. It is not politicians who are at fault this time. The bureaucrats had managed the whole operation and it is they who had made the promises. Defaulting or going back on their own words puts that very caste in great peril. Next time an IAS or IPS officer is abducted, everyone has to hope against hope that the kidnappers will release that poor fellow alive. A mandatory dictum should be that the government should never cheat. Otherwise all us common people will become cannon fodder, as is happening to the Orissa Police personnel now.