Author: Shyam Khosla
Publication: The Organiser
Date: April 1, 2001
Introduction: Sonia Gandhi has
declared a "war" against the Government. What type of war does she proposed
to wage? Does she plan to let lose Congress goons to attacks BJP offices
as they did in New Delhi the other day? Or does she want street battles
between supporters of the two parties? Italy born Sonia is digging the
grave of her own party by talking of "war".
Disrupting parliamentary proceedings
for a day or two to force the Government of the day to respond to Opposition's
concerns may be explained away as a clever tactics though it is not a legitimate
parliamentary practice and does undermine the parliamentary system. But
to persist with disruptions for weeks on end to demand Government's resignation
without tabling a vote of no confidence, as the Opposition is doing over
the Tehelka.com episode, is a Fascist tendency that deserves outright condemnation.
There may have been some justification for the, Opposition's action had
the Government run away from a debate on the floor of the House or turned
down the demand for an independent and transparent enquiry.
The fact remains that the NDA Government
did not waste a day to offer both a debate and an enquiry of the kind that
would satisfy the Opposition. It also lost no time in taking action against
army officers allegedly involved in the "fake deal" and the Defence Minister
resigned taking moral responsibility. Presidents of the two major partners
of the ruling alliance that were shown on the tapes were made to quit.
But the opposition is not satisfied. It wants the Government to go without
proving that the Government is guilty of any corrupt practice or have lost
its majority in the Lok Sabha. What is it if not Fascism?
Stupid argument
The Opposition's claims that there
is nothing to investigate as everything has been proved beyond a shadow
of doubt is downright stupid. Doctored tapes can tell lies as no one else
can. Producing videotapes of conversations is no evidence. At best, it
can show that there is something fishy that requires to be probed- No one
accused of any crime can be denied an opportunity to defend him or her.
No one is sentenced without due process of law even if there are credible
eyewitnesses to the crime. There is no escape from a transparent and independent
enquiry into the allegations contained 'in the tapes.
Fixers making tall claims about
proximity to people in places of authority can't be taken as gospel truth.
Every case has to be proved in. a court of law before any one is punished.
An in-depth debate on the floor of Parliament and an independent and transparent
enquiry into the entire episode are the only two means available to clear
the air and lay the foundation for prosecution of the accused, if the merits
of the case so demand. Neither is acceptable to the Opposition.
Opposition has no credibility
The Opposition admits it lacks the
numbers to dislodge the Government. It is, therefore, surprising that it
is neither interested in moving a motion of Ro confidence in the Government
nor would it allow the Government to table a confidence motion, What is
intriguing is that it is not willing to cooperate with the judicial enquiry
and it is preventing the Parliament to have a threadbare discussion of
the issues thrown up by the tapes. This lends credence to the Government's
charge that the so-called expose is a part of the conspiracy to destabilise
the polity. Why is the Opposition afraid of a discussion in Parliament?
Is it afraid of the so-called expose being proved fake? Parliament is a
forum for discussion and debate and not a akhara to exchange blows or raise
slogans. The Opposition is fast losing public sympathy and whatever credibility
it had by resorting to disruptive tactics.
Sonia Gandhi has declared a "war"
against the Government. What type of war does she propose to wage? Does
she plan to let loose Congress goons to attack BJP offices as they did
in New Delhi the other day? Or does she want street battles between supporters
of the two parties? Italy born Sonia is digging the grave of her own party
by talking of "war". BJP leaders have, already cautioned her that her intemperate
language may lead to disturbance in the country. If she is talking about
a battle to win public support, she is welcome to it. She has demanded
time on DD to put across her viewpoint. The ruling alliance's response
is that she can have a one-to-one debate on corruption in high places on
DD. She is not interested. It surprises no one. Scriptwriters are of little
help in a live debate before cameras. In any case, her scriptwriters have
let her down. Her undignified remarks against the Prime Minister calling
him a gaddar have shown her in an extremely poor light. No Indian in his
or her senses will believe that Atalji is gaddar and this Italian woman
who was reluctant than citizenship and took refuge in the Italian Embassy
after her mother-in-law lost election is a great patriot. In any case,
the Prime Minister who has an unblemished record of public service spanning
over more than half a century does not need a certificate of patriotism
from Sonia.
Sonia's call for a war
If the "war" she is talking about
is on probity in public life, Sonia has lost it before the first shot has
been fired. Her confidant and Personal Secretary V George has been booked
by the CBI for acquiring wealth beyond his known means. CBI is not very
exact. Who does not know George's sources of income? Ask any truthful Congressman
and he will tell you that George's principal source of income is his proximity
to the Prime Minister in waiting. And how about Bofors? Don't worry, Madam.
Truth has the inconvenient habit of surfacing at the wrong time. She won't
have to wait long before the ghost of Bofors haunts her again. What moral
right Sonia has to talk about probity in public life when she is seen in
the company of P.V. Narasimha Rao convicted by courts in corruption cases
and Laloo Yadav of the fodder scam fame. No one in the Opposition, including
the CPM, has the moral right to talk of probity in public life. All of
them stand exposed in the eyes of the common man.
That does not mean that the ruling
alliance should not do some introspection. The black sheep that have managed
to accupy positions of power in the Government and the party must be identified
and shown the door. Irrespective of what the Opposition says or does the
Government must proceed with the judicial enquiry to get to the truth.
The RSS has done the right thing by distancing itself from a handful of
individuals who failed to resist temptations and fell in the conspirators'
trap. Although it is extremely painful to find even a single swayamsevak
behaving like a wheeler-dealer, one must not lose sight of the inconvenient
fact of life that there are bound to be misfits in such a large organisation.
The RSS is known for patriotism and dedication of its swayamsevaks. The
people expect high standards of moral behaviour from every one belonging
to the RSS. That is why there is great disappointment over the fall of
a handful of those who claimed to be swayamsevaks but have proved to be
unworthy of this great institution. However, one must not lose sight of
the fact that misdeeds of a handful sinners cannot wash away the dedicated
work put in by lakhs of swayamsevaks during the past three-quarters of
a century.
