Political Diary

New Delhi, 4 February 2012

UPA Loses Face

UGLY TRUTH OF COALITION DHARMA

By Poonam I Kaushish

A week is a long time in politics. And it has been a tumultuous one with the UPA Government being hit by a triple judicial whammy. Leaving it not only red-faced and sputtering but naked vis-à-vis its acts of omission and commission. Three cheers for the Supreme Court for trying to stem the political rot!

In a landmark hard-hitting and far-reaching judgment on the 2G scam the Court cancelled 122 licences’ issued by the then Telecom Minister Raja, now languishing in jail. Asserted the two-member Bench, “The Minister’s decision was wholly arbitrary, capricious and contrary to public interest apart from being violative of the doctrine of equality. Raja virtually gifted away an important national asset at throwaway prices to select companies by manipulating the entire system”.

More. In another unprecedented verdict seeking Raja’s prosecution for corruption by Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy, the same Bench rejected the Government’s plea that a citizen had no locus standi, and upheld an individual’s right to seek sanction for prosecution of a public servant. Adding, to Government woes, it gave a four-month deadline to decide the issue failing which the sanction would be deemed to have been granted. 

 If this was bad, worse followed. On the Army Chief General VK Singh’s age row, the Apex Court has asked the Defence Ministry to consider withdrawing its 30 December order fixing the Chief’s birth year as 1950 instead of 1951 and save itself the embarrassment of having the Court quash it.

Importantly, the three judgments are a serious reflection, if not a formal indictment, on the functioning or non-functioning of the Manmohan Singh Government as a whole and the Prime Minister for the way in which all functioned or failed to function. It also underscores the inherent weakness of the personal arrangement between Singh as Government head and Sonia as Party Chief, exposing the Prime Minister as weaker than the Party. No matter, the typical bureaucratic rationalisation by both.

Clearly, Manmohan Singh unblemished credibility has taken a big hit. It is all very well for him to assert that it was compulsions of coalition politics that forced him and Sonia to go slow on either shifting Raja from telecom or sacking him. “Coalition politics me bahut kuchh sahna parta hai… meri kuchh majbooriya hai.”

Raising a big question mark on coalition politics itself? Can coalition compulsions become the raison d atre of turning a Nelson’s eye, tolerating and compromising on sleaze in Government? Does it force an indulgence on issues of governance and probity? Is this part of coalition dharma? Or does governance dictate that the corrupt be summarily thrown out?

How far should the PM personally take the hit and become the fall guy when his colleagues falter? Given that he is prīmus inter parēs first among equals and it is his paramount duty to exercise his Prime Ministerial authority and uphold the sanctity of the institution of the Office of the Prime Minister. Can he afford to be silent on the "loot" that engulfs his Administration? Especially when scams are staring everyone in the face.

Remember, Union Cabinet Ministers function at the pleasure of the Prime Minister. He is the boss and custodian of the people's interest. Under the Transaction of Business Rules, 1961 the Prime Minister has unrestricted right to get any file, any record from any Ministry. He has absolute power in running the country. He can undo decisions in no time even when his Ministers flout rules and code of ethics. No IAS officer would defy a call from the PMO. 

True, as the sleazy tales unfold the climaxes are still far away. But the timing for the Congress comes at a most inopportune time when it has raised the corruption bar in the UP electoral sweepstakes. Understandably, acceptance of transgression by the PM and his colleagues could tantamount to committing hara-kiri. On his part, Raja fighting for survival will have high nuisance value. Already, he has clubbed all his acts of misdemeanour to the PMO. The DMK continues to back him. He has been arrested but not pronounced guilty,” asserts Karunanidhi.

What next? True, one swallow does not make a summer. As long as the Prime Minister  continues to be perceived as helpless pummeled between the aam aadmi pressing for action against corruption and Sonia’s Congress which sees the Coarse-correctors as a greater evil than corruption itself, the present crisis’s will continue. Underscored by the de facto and the de jure power centres, read Sonia and Singh contributing to a political and moral void.

Undeniably, the verdicts are unlikely to deter other offenders, given that corruption is in the blood of our netas and babus who amass hundreds of crores of unaccounted income. They loot the exchequer, sell State patronage and use State power to extort money. Until they too are taken to task nothing will change.

The need of the hour is a paradigm shift in how Parties and politicians function. Our leaders need to revisit the issue of coalition dharma and seriously think whether it is in India’s interest to go down that road. The nation cries out for our netagan to affect this paradigm shift.

What needs to be emphasized is that the State cannot give largesse to any person according to the polity’s sweet will and whims. Appearance of public justice is as important as doing justice. Nothing should be done which smacks of bias, jobbery or nepotism.

All in all, the verdicts are a step forward in the battle against entrenched corruption in the system. However it is futile to imagine that political morality can be established through prosecution and legal punishment. The good news is that the janata shows increasing signs of steeply falling public tolerance of political corruption.

Does Singh have the grit required to do so? Any attempt to stifle a new Aspirational India’s call for an end to corruption would be opposed vehemently. He needs to remember that leadership is not merely an exposition of ones abilities or honesty. Intrinsic to leadership is the ability to enforce and demand the highest standards. As US President Obama said, “With increased power comes increased responsibility.”

Basic principles of truth and probity cannot be sacrificed at the altar of coalition dharma, precisely what the UPA Government has done for almost two years. The Prime Minister and Sonia need to follow up now with some tough, uncompromising action. Whatever be their compulsions. Statecraft demands enlightenment. Will Singh and his brood heed? After all, the buck or muck stops squarely at his doorstep! Remember, in a democracy, the proof of the pudding is in its eating, read action! --- INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)