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Political Diary
New Delhi, 17 December 2011
Tamasha On Afzal Guru
& CBI
NETAS FAKE GRIEF, EMPTY WORDS
By Poonam I Kaushish
Empty vessels make the most sound. This axiom rang true as sound
and fury dominated political discourse last week. On two contentious issues: Parliament attack perpetrator Afzal Guru’s
death sentence and inclusion of CBI under the Lokpal. Words we have heard ad
nauseum for decades where it sounds like a broken record!
On the first, our netagan
went through the motions of fake manufactured political grief turning the 10th
anniversary into a tamasha. All agreed to renew their efforts to fight
terrorism to protect the country’s unity and sovereignty. Really, how?
Remember, from Kargil’s fiasco, Kandhar humiliation and
Parliament assault to 26/11 Mumbai blood-bath, India’s security farce continues. While
Masood Azhar roams free in Pakistan, ‘death awardee’ Guru is alive and kicking
in jail and Ajmal Kasab is still to be convicted, Lashkar-e-Taiba
continues to spew venom against India and Pakistan scoffs at New Delhi’s hard
rhetoric about crushing terrorism which ends in a whimper.
Think. For reasons best known to her President Pratibha
Patil continues to sit on Guru’s mercy petition, pending since 21 June 2005 when
the Home Ministry sent its opinion. On 23 February last Patil returned Guru’s
file for review which was re-submitted on 27 July recommending the clemency
petition be rejected as his death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court in
2004.
Under Article 72 though the President has to go with the Home
Ministry’s recommendation, there is “no prescribed time limit” for the
President's decision. Knowledgeable sources assert, notwithstanding the ‘hang
Guru’ noises his execution would lead to serious political ramifications vis-à-vis
the upcoming UP elections and Kashmir.
In UP where the Assembly poll is being viewed as
make-or-break for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the 16 per cent Muslim
population is crucial. There is fear that if Guru’s is hanged it could alienate
the minority community so crucial to the winnability quotient. As both BSP’s
Mayawati and Samajwadi’s Mulayam are leaving no stone unturned to woo them.
Two, in Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has warned
that Guru’s hanging would give a boost to militancy just as 1993 Mumbai blast
terrorist Maqbool Butt’s death gave birth to generation of terrorists in the
State. Complicating matters the State Assembly passed a resolution seeking
clemency for Guru and Hurriyat leader Geelani threatened “dire consequences”. Resulting
in Patil’s status quo ante.
Raising a moot point: Do terrorists deserve mercy? No. Can
they claim mercy as a birthright? Not at all. Are their human rights more
important than an aam aadmi’s whom
they kill indiscriminately? Never. Why do Governments’ treat terrorists as
VVIPs, declare ceasefire, hold talks with them and pass resolution for saving a
terrorist from being sent to the gallows? It’s all about votes, stupid! No
matter a victim’s psyche and his human rights.
Shockingly, things have come to such a pass that Pakistani
leaders like Rahman Malik are asking for Kasab to be hanged but this “mercy
petition privilege’’ will ensure that they are not hanged and kept in jail
warmly. Never mind, that already the Indian State has spent over Rs 30 crore on
Kasab and lots more on Guru.
Ironically, the repeated terror attacks have failed in
igniting a debate about abolishing mercy petition for terrorists and setting a
time limit within which their case must be decided, from the lowest to the
highest courts so that the right message percolates down that terror acts won’t
go unpunished and terrorists can’t escape the gallows for long.
Undoubtedly, the polity’s powerlessness to deal with hard
targets strongly has given us the soft State image whereby everyone takes us
for a ride. Worse, the Administration is unable to enforce its writ throughout
the country, a natural sine qua non
of a State. Clearly, this 'don’t-rock-the-boat-avoid-confrontation' policy is
responsible for our failure to check terrorism and a lack of will for bold,
decisive action to defend the country’s security interests.
Now the hulla-gulla
on the Lokpal Bill. Post a combined Opposition joining Gandhian Anna Hazare dharna-debate followed by an all-Party
meeting to evolve a broad consensus on the Bill’s controversial clauses and
passage during Parliament’s on-going winter session all agreed to
disagree. Primarily, on granting
autonomy to the CBI and putting it under the Lokpal’s purview.
The Congress sent feelers for a special selection procedure
to appoint CBI officers giving it more autonomy with the Government retaining administrative
control. The BJP plugged for autonomy with separate probe and prosecution wings,
Left parties wanted the agency report to the Lokpal on corruption cases and the
BSP-Samajwadi for it being under the Lokpal.
The crux of the issue: Who should control the CBI? Needless to say, a Catch-22 question for our
power-greedy polity to honestly answer and for us to stupidly expect. Given our
netagan’s penchant for converting the
agency into a Central Bureau of convenience, connivance and corruption coupled
with the CBI’s fatal attraction for political cover-ups and clean chits.
Alas, for decades Government after Government has used the
agency as its hand-maiden and a political tool to play favourites and hit ones
opponents with. Both working in tandem in furthering their own interest making
a mockery of autonomy and independence whereby the system becomes self
perpetuating. Thereby, sullying the agency’s reputation replete with its
“failure” to back up charges with evidence. Also, the CBI seems to have adopted
a brazenly opportunistic policy of playing safe with Governments of the day.
Witness the sweet irony. Vajpayee as Lok Sabha Leader of
Opposition in the late 1990’s demanded an independent CBI and even promised one
if he came to power. But Prime Minister Vajpayee not only conveniently forgot
his promise but continued to retain the CBI under his charge, just as his
predecessors had done. Manmohan Singh too is happily following the tradition.
Knowing our polity and its hypocritical culture, we will
continue to hear some correct noises or be treated to some cosmetic measures.
Of course, the CBI can be set right.
However, this requires clear and firm political will. The powers-that-be
must desist from playing further havoc.
At the end of the day, are we going to mortgage our
conscience to corrupt and tainted leaders?
Mouthing platitudes won’t help. A revolutionary change is the need of the
hour. The bottom line is clear. When push comes to a shove there is no easy
option. The Government has to tackle the
basic issues first: There is no place for a live Afzal Guru. Two, Will the CBI truly
be made independent? Kiska danda, kiski laathi aur kiski bhains? Enough
is enough! ---- INFA
(Copyright, India News and Feature
Alliance)
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