Torn and Thrown:

Sept 27/2013: Hoodwinking could be the name of the game, but the not-so-young prince in the Congress empire has in one sweet go not only crossed all its limits, but also questioned both the sense and sensibility of the people of this country Friday. That was when he made a public display of what looked like his indignation at the central cabinet issuing an ordinance in respect of lawmakers facing instant disqualification if indicted by the lowest trial Court.

If anything, it showed the desperation on the part of the Congress party, and obviously Rahul Gandhi himself, to rejuvenate his sagging image by means that seem childish and flippant. In the process, clearly his image has taken a healthy beating. He may have turned into a laughing stock among not just the media that covered the event at the Press Club where he surfaced, but the outside world as well. Worse, the image of both the Congress party and – much worse--the image of the Union government it leads suffered irreparable damage when the Prime Minister, well ensconced in some nameless seedy hotel in Washington DC, has gone ahead and stated that the Cabinet will review the decision in the light of the direction given by our very own Prince Charles even though he may not have produced a William or Harry to prove any point relevant to our topic today.

In sum, what the scion of the Nehru family said to the utter surprise of all those present was this: that the ordinance promulgated some days ago was  “complete nonsense,” “what our government did was wrong,” and that the ordinance should be “torn up and thrown away.” Surprise was how such a moral indignation could come about all of a sudden. This ordnance was not the product of an overnight hallucination. It is not as if he was unaware of the ordinance. This drama has been going on for some time. It all began after the Supreme Court gave a judgment on 10 July that people's  representatives (MLAs and MPs) would lose their duly elected post the moment some magistrate in a lower Court found them guilty of a crime wherein the punishment was for 2 years plus.

Fact is that the talk about the upcoming ordinance was doing the rounds of the Central Hall during the last days of the just-ended Parliament session. How come Rahul baba was so late to come to know of it is a big question. Much talk went into the matter in the past several weeks after the Supreme Court came up with its order on conviction of politicians, and there was a general feeling that the issue has two sides to it. Himself being a member of Parliament, and maybe because he does not wish to be a regular presence there, and in view of the fact that virtually nothing moves in the Congress party and the central government without the express knowledge and approval of the Family (nothing Sicilian in the capital letter), this observation could not but be startling to an unsuspecting listener. But, there cannot be many in this country who could not see through it all. That all these games are being played out for the 'gated community' mindset is evident all over.

This play act, more or less, started with a former Chief Election Commissioner named TN Seshan. That man decided a junior IAS officer (District Magistrate rank) would watch over a Member of Lok Sabha aspirant and a similarly unfit state officer (Sub Collector level) would be the guard for a person hoping to become a Member of a Legislative Assembly. These bureaucrats were empowered to kick around candidates and ask them nonsensical details during campaign time. Thereby, the message he wanted to give out was that these hopefuls were all dogs whom these officials should keep on leash.

The gallery to which Seshan played has, in the passage of time, gathered not only a slightly bigger number but gathered much more flab and money. There followed a stream of such Election Commissioners and bureaucrats who thought, and still think, they are holier than the people of this country. This elitist, English speaking, educated and rich fellows sincerely believe that the half naked, uneducated Indian is unfit for democracy. Their upbringing makes them convinced that these unkempt millions need to be taught how to decide. The bankers, industrialists, the World Bank Rajans and pursed lipped lawyers truly believe they are born greater. How could the Hon'ble Judges be left behind. In their chambers and Court rooms, they too have the same gallery to play up to.

The democratic process, sadly, makes every one an equal. This fact is indigestible to all those showing up on tv channels, in Courts, FICCI and CII conferences and all other places where the educated derelicts surface. A system that forces our brown sahibs to accept equality with those poor types is abhorrent and inexplicable.

Imagine a scenario where the Indian Supreme Court would have really wished to strengthen the democratic process. Instead of being wily in its attack on a system of governance for which millions of citizens living in our immediate neighborhood (China, Thailand, Pakistan, Burma  and Syria to name a few) would willingly lay down their lives, the Supreme Court could have adopted a positive stand. It could have easily spoken out that when people's representatives are involved in heinous criminal cases, those matters would automatically be transferred to fast track Courts. The lowest Court could be ordered to pass its judgment within 180 days. If a loser, the MLA or MP must approach the High Court of that state within the prescribed time limit for appeal. That High Court would be duty bound to pass judgment within a similar time frame as the trial Court. If either loser wishes, the matter may go to Supreme Court which could, then, decide on a time frame for itself to pass a judgment. A strengthening of the system could have taken place in this method.

However, no such thought is given priority when the gallery is screaming for blood. This is blood of democracy. When people at large cannot be eliminated by these personae dramatis, the wiliest method is to hit out at those who represent them.

It is not criminals we support. All those who commit crimes must be punished. Yet, our system is so very perverted that falsely implicating any rival--political, business or even neighboring land owners or the father of a pretty daughter, anyone for that matter--is a daily and easy affair. Justice is slow. A Ratan Tata may get an embargo order on publication of Niira Radia tapes from the Supreme Court within a remarkably short time. A common man could spend a life time without getting a judgment from a Court. Nowadays, Courts hear a complete case and at the last moment back out from a judgment saying they lack jurisdiction. actions like that. Similarly, nothing prevents a lower Court to take a obscene view of one such case and convict an accused legislator. In the process, the ‘verdict’ of the several lakhs of people who elected their representative would stand idiotically nullified.

It is time to punish the guilty. The Anna Hazares with their Magsaysay awards, the judges, the industrialists, the bureaucrats and all those gated community inhabitants need not bother enabling the average Indian how and what to decide. They all, barring none, live off the blood, sweat and tears of those very same 'poor, uneducated, half naked' Indians. Rahul Gandhi too has fallen prey to the whims and fancies of that same gallery. They can simply not accept equality and have consciously become anti democracy.