HVK Archives: Hegde's fall - Editorial
Hegde's fall - Editorial - Times of India
Editorial
()
June 15th 1996
Title : Hegde's Fall
Author: Editorial
Publication : Times of India
Date : 15th June 1996
The expulsion of Mr Ramakrishna Hegde from the Janata Dal
- and the peremptory manner in which it was done - is
bound to be seized upon by skeptics to make the point
that Mr H.D. Deve Gowda's United Front government cannot
pull together as a team. This is not to deny that Mr
Hegde had it coming. From the moment the UF began taking
shape, Mr Hegde had embarked on activities which seemed
calculated to sabotage-its prospects. When Mr Gowda was
chosen to lead the UF, Mr Hegde stepped up the campaign
against him. Despite being a founder-member of the Janata
Dal and prominent leader of the party, he stooped to
petty politicking of the kind becoming only of an
irresponsible gadfly. Had Mr Hegde's propensity for
mischief and his appeal been less, Mr Gowda could have
ignored the games he was playing not only to upstage the
Prime Minister but, more importantly, to scuttle the
United Front experiment. Mr Gowda's efforts at
compromise only emboldened Mr Hegde to resort to greater
provocation. It was to keep Mr Hegde out of mischief in
Karnataka that Mr Gowda had got him elected to the Rajya
Sabha. He again gave in to Mr Hegde and cleared the way
for Mr J.H. Patel to become the Karnataka chief minister.
It was expected that with his nominee at the helm of
state affairs, Mr Hegde would be content with the `over-
lordship' it had brought him. But Mr Hegde would not buy
peace.
Such an appreciation of the Gowda-Hegde tussle does not,
however, in any way detract from the clumsy arbitrariness
of his expulsion. He who cannot be silenced must be
outlawed has been an axiom of Congress bossism and does
not befit leaders of a new federal formation who promise
to usher in a radically different political culture. If
the UF does not have the resilience to absorb one of Mr
Hegde's ilk, or is seen to lack the patience with
procedures to deal with truancy without appearing vindic-
tive, it is likely to be perceived as a council of
intolerant regional chieftains rather than as a
democratic coalition of diverse, pluralistic formations.
The JD has damaged not only its ,own image, but as the
coalition leader may have roused fears among the smaller
constituents about its methods of dealing with those who
do not tow the 'leader's line'. This is certainly not a
reassuring kick off, coming as it does a day after the UF
won the vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha. It is
immaterial whether Mr Hegde's expulsion will unsettle the
JD ministry in Karnataka. The issue is that while Mr
Hegde may be dispensable for the JD, the credibility of
the UF is not to be trifled with in pursuit of settling
personal scores. It needs to be emphasised that Mr Gowda
should rise above his obsessive preoccupation with Karna-
taka to fit the role of national leader that has been
thrust upon him.
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