Wednesday, November 24, 2010

UPA II’s RELUCTANCE TO ORDER A JPC PROBE

In the history of Indian Parliament, whenever demands to announce JPC(Joint Parliamentary Committee) probe had arisen by the Opposition, the governments of the day either under one pretext or another raised its reservations often leading to standstills in Parliament, for consecutive days except on one ocassion when the formation of a JPC couldn’t hurt both, it is learnt. But when it could bruise the ruling party’s image on completion of the probe they know for certain that it would affect them adversely - the culprit can very well sense the shape of things to come – the ruling elite stays adamant, come what may, often leading to the ultimate – the adjournment of the session sine die. In such a situation, the intensity of the demands voiced by the united oppositions demands weaken gradually often ending into a whimper. In the meanwhile if some other issue comes up opposition very well jump on it and forget the old story howsoever epoch-making it was forgetting its potentialities of driving the government into a catch-22 situation. The new issue, a hot issue that also, all issues are hot in our country as the ones involved in such issues are also hot ones – the govt could heave a sigh of relief for the moment.
Ever since the UPA 2 govt occupied the saddle unlike the UPA I or compared to the UPA I scams and scandal one after another in the forms of Common Wealth Games-2010 draining the exchequer to the tune of Rs. 70, 000 Crores, Adarsh Housing Society scam, Mumbai, which was a case of nepotism and favouritism, 2G Spectrum scam, actually it should have been named first as the spectrum scam arose at the very outset of the UPA II govt costing the exchequer a whopping sum of Rs 1.76 lakh crore and now it has come to the fore that in the infamous scam a middle agent Nira Radia enacted her role superbly in fact the lady deserves two Oscars for the best actress, on behalf of the corporates - fat cats all of them – and she reportedly using her clout with our journalist gods and goddesses and these elements reportedly using their clout with those at the higher echelons of power even in the making of Ministers who to reperesent which party in the Ministry, which portfolio should have to be alloted to him or her to satiate the interests of the coporate tycoons. All under the very nose of the govt led by Dr.ManMohan Singh. Though the demands were raised to enquire into the huge loss to the exchequer owing to 2G Spectrum issue there was not much response forthcoming from the most responsible lot except the tape-recorded statement – ‘whoever is responsible will be brought to book’. Something amusing and laughable as we had started hearing this tape-recorded version of a great person since the beginning of UPA 1 – 2004-2009.
During those times, the contexts varied from one situation to another, but most of them came out whenever terrorists struck across India. Now the context is entirely different.
UPA-2 govt for about one year exuded too much self-confidence and complacency, often adopted a hubristic attitude to each issue or demand raised by the opposition, followed its own policies and programmes caring two hoots for the opposition’s demands gradually started facing the heat with the numbers and intensities of corruption mounting up and reaching the door-steps of Highest Court of land. The Court coming to grips with the seriousness of most of the scams started taking strong exceptions to the indifference and criminal negligence of the govt.

UPA-I was comparatively free from, not wholly, only comparatively, the enormity of corruption compared to the mountain of corruption our nation faces today is only due to one reason. Then the Left front with its 61 MPs could arm-twist the govt whenever the latter went out of its way deviating from the common agenda and in the next election the same Left front forfeited its strength reducing itself into a Front of 16 MPs and th Congress and other allies gaining strength in the 2009 General Elections thanks to the LDF while it was with UPA-I from 2004-2009. What I am driving home is LDF could by exerting pressure, persuasions and arm-twisting for the then ManMohan Singh govt to initiate people-friendly schemes so as to benefit the poor across nation benefitted the UPA I in the General Elections conducted in 2009. By then LDF was deserted by UPA I and due to the schisms in the LDF both in Bengal and Kerala was badly mauled at the hustings.
UPA-II with its clout growing, charted out its own policies and programmes and moved straight ahead and all which they followed went against the interests of the masses. Peoples’ discontent and disillusionment grew, govt didn’t care, corruption also aggravated govt cared not, inspite of the objections and protests of the entire opposition. Now that we see an enlightened Sonia Gandhi with her sad comment on the rampant corruption pervading the whole country. But what she values most is loyalty and that she gets in abundance from the doctor, and that is her solace. Hence she has always thrown her weight behind the incumbant Prime Minister.
As the Chairperson of the National Advisory Committee (NAC) and in the capacity of Congress President she could very well prevail upon the govt for a JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee) probe into the 2G Spectrum scam and thus resolve the standstill in the Parliament. It would certainly be a feather in her cap and could wipe out the tarnished image of her Party and govt.
I very much fear a new Party arising in India a party led by a section of top-level journalists, the would be leaders I need not name here. They have already made their marks here and have resolved to leave their foot-prints in the days to come.
Another fear which continues to pester me or nagging me is B.S.Yeddyurappa’s fate whether he would be able to stick on to his Chief Ministerial post of Karnataka. Yeddyurappa is the pride of BJP, hence he might get a reprieve, as he had already said ‘in the place of Yeddyurappa’, Yeddyurappa himself would be the next CM, as per media reports.
Each Indian should not come behind another Indian all should compete for the top-most post even on the matter of corruption hence in the near future itself we would be able to overtake even US the most developed country. Jai Ho.

No comments: