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Minister on bail In Speaker’s chair |
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Beating about Bush
Politics in a tailspin
Joking seriously
A Comrade as Speaker From Pakistan
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Minister on bail PRIME MINISTER Manmohan Singh will soon realise the futility of having a clean image. The pity is that he on his own can do little to match the profile of his team with that of his own. The high heavens will readily testify that the country's fourteenth Prime Minister is a man of uncompromising integrity. Yet, the compulsion of running a coalition government has forced him to induct a person of dubious credentials like Mr Mohammed Taslimuddin in his Council of Ministers. He must already be spending sleepless nights over how to defend the inclusion of a notorious person on bail in his otherwise reasonably clean team. The issue-starved Bharatiya Janata Party has already served notice about creating a stink when the new Lok Sabha meets next month. Raking up past instances of questionable appointments of politicians facing serious criminal charges will serve no purpose. No party, with the possible exception of the Left, can claim to have made any serious attempt to rid the legislative bodies of the goons and gangsters that get to don the undeserved mantle of lawmakers. No one can deny the BJP and other Opposition members the right to corner Dr Manmohan Singh for including Mr Taslimuddin and some other RJD members, including Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav, in his team. During Mr P.V. Narasimha Rao's term as Prime Minister, the saffron party had stalled the proceedings of the House over a similar issue. The Congress not only removed Mr Sukh Ram from office, but also expelled him from the party for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore telecom fraud. Ironically, the moral victors had no problem seeking the help of the tainted leader for coming to power in Himachal Pradesh. Unless politicians make a common cause against the entry of known criminals and politicians, being tried for serious criminal offences, there is no way that such tainted persons as Mr Taslimuddin can be stopped from representing the people as lawmakers. Unfortunately, there is no such attempt as underscored by the victory on Tuesday of Mr Shahabuddin from Siwan, again on the ticket of the Rashtriya Janata Dal. It is incomprehensible why a leader with such mass following as Mr Laloo Yadav has to be hand in hand with persons like Mr Taslimuddin and Mr Shahabuddin. |
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In Speaker’s chair IF there is near unanimity among political parties on the suitability of Mr Somnath Chatterjee for the job of Speaker of the Lok Sabha, it says a lot about the sterling qualities of the man. For more than 30 years he has enriched the proceedings of the House through his erudition, integrity and a rare quality — wit. Now, finally, he has been called upon to moderate the proceedings of the House, a job which will require him to marshal all these attributes at the same time. The House will certainly be a loser because it won’t get to see his active participation in parliamentary debates the way it has been since 1971, but will also be a gainer considering that the Cambridge alumnus brings to the Speaker’s chair considerable wealth of experience and stature. As the winner of the best parliamentarian award has said, “more discipline” is required in the House since the 13th Lok Sabha “had a fairly liberal approach to legislative business which gave less work and more noise”. That is because the general standard of behaviour has been on the decline. Those who have seen or heard Mr Chatterjee, who has been elected to the Lok Sabha for the record 10th time, know that he has always made his point in a forthright manner but without compromising on parliamentary niceties. His amiability and professionalism will, hopefully, be emulated by the newcomers. His appointment is a milestone for the Left, considering that this is the first time that a communist is becoming the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Mr Chatterjee’s elevation is the first foray by the CPM on the national scene. There is sharp division in the party on this issue, so much so that his name was approved only after a voting which got eight ayes and six no’s. The young members of the Politburo are none too happy with the decision to let him become the Speaker. His functioning will be viewed with a magnifying glass not only by his critics but also by his own partymen. |
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Beating about Bush PRESIDENT George W. Bush is working overtime to ensure an honourable “exit” for the US from Iraq. He wants to improve his popularity rating, which has fallen to an all-time low of 41 per cent since he occupied the White House. His “exit” plan, which includes handing over the Iraqi sovereignty to the Iraqis by June 30, has an inbuilt mechanism for covert US control over Iraq. This is obviously a difficult task, but Mr Bush is doing everything possible for his political survival. The US resolution in the Security Council for an authorisation to keep its troops in Iraq in the name of maintaining peace should be seen against this backdrop. The Iraqis are opposed to any such plan without giving them the right to ask the US forces to leave their country at a time of their choosing. They are also adamant that they must get control over their oil wealth. Even if the US succeeds in getting the UN sanction on any pretext, these two points are bound to remain the major bones of contention between the Americans and the Iraqis. With the anti-American sentiment getting stronger with each passing day, it will be too costly for the US to maintain its presence in Iraq in any form after June 30. The Iraqis cannot tolerate anything that subverts their freedom. However, the US has invested so much in Iraq that the Bush administration cannot afford to leave it altogether. The Americans are unlikely to approve of an “exit” plan that is devoid of an adequate return on their investments. They cannot buy the theory that their intelligence network was misled by an Iranian mole, Ahmed Chalabi — so far considered a US man in Iraq — creating a condition for the overthrow of the Saddam regime by the US and its allies. Iraq has virtually become a millstone round the neck of Mr Bush. There appears to be no way for him to get rid of it. |
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The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It is very easy to say yes. — Tony Blair |
Politics in a tailspin TO make light of the sordid spectacle over the distribution of portfolios in the first-ever Congress-led coalition government at the Centre would be both wrong and disingenuous. The reality is much different and dangerous. Quite apart from the general degeneration of political standards, a problem that appears to be irremediable at this stage, the country and its political system are today like the grain caught between the two parts of a grindstone or chakki. And, as Kabira sangh five centuries ago, “dau paatan ke beech sabat raha na koay” (no one can remain in one piece when caught between the grindstone’s upper and lower parts). Alas, the grindstone in this case goes by the name of coalition politics that moves in two opposite and mutually hostile ways. On the one hand it is absolutely true that there is no escape from coalitions at the Centre for as long as we can foresee. On the other hand, going by the experience in the recent past and the present shenanigans, there is no coalition culture in this country and the chance of its developing any time soon is bleak. No one should be taken in by the talk of what the former Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, used to call coalition dharma. To his credit, he did manage to keep a motley and fractious 24-party coalition going for six years. But the fact also remains that as many as 20 important decisions taken and announced by the Vajpayee government had to be “rolled back” not because of any onslaught by the Opposition but because of stiff resistance by disgruntled groups within the ruling combination. No one ever explained why the ministers representing these aggressive formations hadn’t prevented the Cabinet from taking decisions so heavily disputed. Nor should it be overlooked that Mr Vajpayee’s first government — the one formed in 1998, not the 13-day wonder of 1996 — was brought down by the BJP’s weightiest ally, Ms Jayalalithaa’s desertion and the last-minute about-turn by Ms Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party. In fact, it would be instructive to look even further back. For the first 30 years since Independence the Congress alone ruled in New Delhi. Although its majority was greatly reduced in 1967, this fact went practically unnoticed because of the subsequent Congress split and the “Indira Wave” of 1971 that restored the Congress’ two-thirds majority. Thanks to her monumental folly of hitting the country with the hammer-blow of the Emergency, Indira Gandhi was overthrown in 1977 and Morarji Desai headed the new Janata government. The Janata pretended to be a unified party but was not. It was exposed to be a four-sided coalition with a great many pressures and pulls within it. Inevitably, this coalition collapsed under the weight of the clashing ambitions and cosmic egos of its three top leaders. In 30 months flat, Indira Gandhi was back in power, and she and her son Rajiv ruled for the entire decade of the eighties. All attempts to dislodge them by organising grand alliances came to naught. The coalition era began again only at the start of the nineties. Mr V. P. Singh’s government was a genuine anti-Congress coalition (though no one would believe this now that he is acting as the Congress cheer leader). Its problem was that it depended on the two opposite poles of the political spectrum, the Communists on the one hand and the BJP on the other. The story of the Mandal-mandir tussle and the end of the V.P. government in just 11 months is too well known to need recounting. The Chandra Shekhar government was a joke played by Rajiv Gandhi whose assassination enabled Mr P.V. Narasimha Rao a chance to become Prime Minister and stabilise a minority government for full five years. But his methods were highly questionable and he had to operate under Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s shadow. It is no coincidence that today, when the Congress is celebrating its return to power, he is excluded almost completely. The United Front government (1996-1998), headed first by Mr Deve Gowda and then by Mr Inder Kumar Gujral, was a coalition only technically. For every minute of its existence, it was dependent on the support from “outside” of the Congress that pulled the plug on it, not once but twice. The Congress, now leading a coalition in New Delhi, has shown once again that it has not really outgrown its old mindset even though it has dismounted the Pachmarhi high horse. That alone can explain the awful mess it has made in its dealings with several allies, most notably the DMK that, under the powerful leadership of the veteran Mr M. Karunanidhi, won every single Lok Sabha seat in Tamil Nadu. If the Andhra Congress leader, Mr N. Janardhan Reddy, acting on behalf of the party high command, had signed an agreement with Mr Karunanidhi, then it should have been adhered to. If because of counter-pressures from other allies or any other reason, the agreed arrangement could not be honoured, shouldn’t the DMK supremo have been informed and his consent secured for changes to be made? Evidently, this was not done in the first instance. Mercifully, the problem has been resolved. This having been said, one must hasten to add that Mr Karunanidhi also is not behaving like a senior leader that he is. His grievance over portfolios could be justified, but is there no such thing as give-and-take among allies? Also, were the unseemly tantrums he was throwing necessary? The most shocking part of his performance is his claim that he must have more ministerial berths in Delhi because southern Tamil Nadu is not represented. If all the partners in the coalition start making similar demands on the basis of geography the next meeting of the Council of Ministers would have to take place at Vigyan Bhavan. The saddest part of the story is that Mr Karunanidhi is not the only ally to be outraged. Mr Ramvilas Paswan is also still sulking. The Congress leaders too have their knives drawn for one another. The case of Mr Santosh Mohan Deb, a Minister of State with independent charge saddled with another MoS, is bizarre beyond belief. This indeed is the heart of the matter. Neither loyalty to one’s party nor obligation to coalition partners has any meaning. Everyone is pursuing his or her personal and usually crass interests. At best this turns into a fight between opportunistic groups and factions. At worst into
instability. |
Joking seriously ON having hurt someone with a teasing comment, howsoever light-heartedly made, the salvaging effort is generally made by saying, “Oh, I didn’t mean it at all!” Or “Did you really take it seriously? I was simply joking!” You may aggravate the things if you don’t indulge in what is called a face saving. Remember Draupadi’s remark followed by a giggle at Duryodhna that decided the shape of things to come for Bharat’s Mahabharata? When Duryodhna fell into a pond, which was camouflaged to appear like a carpet, she sniggered at him, “How can a blind man’s son see things which are right in front of him!” Draupadi, not being of the mettle who would backtrack saying she never meant it that way, is just another story. And remember Kalidas who got a dressing down for stretching himself against heavy odds to get to his wife despite storms and thunder? She exhorted the moonstruck lover that if he had put his mind at rest instead and chased some fruitful pursuit in life, it would have made a great difference. So was proved true later on. Here, this humble ladylove of the greatest Indian litterateur would never have gone back on her words saying — Maine aisa to nahin kaha tha! Well, this brings out the difference between “joking seriously” and “seriously joking”. To be able to digest such a “joking seriously’’ coverup one has to have a dissolvable ego. Extra-sensitive minds take it to heart literally and lose their sense of humour. Constipated looks appear on their faces in the form of furrows of deep-delved discomfiture and these bloom into wrinkles and crowfeet while the person himself becomes a scarecrow. On the other hand the person who is seriously joking is not the one to have the last laugh always. He too finds his match like the Murari Lal of “Anand” fame. Here Rajesh Khanna, as a habit, bumps into anyone he likes, pats him on the shoulder and identifies the subject of his jollity as, Murari Lal, who he is not. The redoubtable Johny Walker when so encountered retaliates identifying Rajesh Khanna himself as Jai Chand, who he is not. And then the expected happens. Generally, if one is bestowed with favours that subsequently aren’t any longer with him, he cribs day in and day out accusing destiny for having played a joke. Like face saving and saving grace, situations make “joking seriously” and “seriously joking” mean different things. That is perhaps why they say — Joke is an epigram on the death of a
feeling.
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A Comrade as Speaker
VETERAN Marxist leader Somnath Chatterjee will create “history of sorts” by being the first Communist leader to occupy the coveted post of Lok Sabha Speaker. The winner of the “Best Parliamentarian Award” in 1996, Somnathda, as he is popularly known, will get an opportunity to party twice in quick succession as his 75th birthday falls in July this year. It will be a befitting tribute to the CPM MP having been elected for the record 10th term to the House of the People from the Bolpur constituency in West Bengal. Most of his 10 cherished Lok Sabha victories have been with big margins. In 1998, he defeated Hari Chandra Gour of the Trinamool Congress by a margin of 2.51 lakh votes. In 1999, he defeated Suniti Chattaraj, again of the Trinamool Congress, by 1.86 lakh votes. In the just concluded general election, he dramatically increased his victory margin, knocking down Trinamool’s Nirmal Maji by 3.1 lakh votes. The only time Somnathda had to face defeat was in the 1984 Lok Sabha poll at the hands of the maverick Trinamool chief Mamta Bannerjee from the Jadavpur constituency. The Marxist stalwart, who joined the CPM in 1968, is a son of renowned Hindu Mahasabha president N.C. Chatterjee, who was a member of the lower House of Parliament for three terms — the first, third and fourth Lok Sabha. Contradiction in ideology between father and son is not a surprising thing. And, Somnathda has stuck to his conviction, emerging with flying colours. An ardent Marxist ideologue, Somnathda was the Chairman of the West Bengal Industries Development Corporation, which lured foreign institutional investors to invest capital in West Bengal. Because of his efforts, the state is one among the few places in the country where the investors are thinking of putting their money. Somnath’s tryst with Communism began quite early in life. Although the ideology of the Hindu Mahasabha had some influence on Somnathda in the initial, impressionable age, the Marxist ideology left an indelible mark on his thought process during his college days. A Barrister-at-law from the Middle Temple in Britain, Somnathda has studied in Calcutta University and Cambridge University. His conviction in the ideology strengthed following his association with the trade union movement working as a political and social worker. He has been the Chairman, Committee on Priveleges, Committee on Railways and Committee on Communications. He has also served in the Joint Select Committee on the sensitive Prasar Bharti Bill twice. He has been on the consultative committees of both the Ministries of Finance and Home Affairs. He was also the pro-tem Speaker of the 13th Lok Sabha before TDP leader BMC Balayogi was elected to the post. In the House of the People, he has functioned as the presiding officer when the Speaker and Deputy Speaker were not present in the House. Therefore, for Somnathda conducting the business of the House is not a new thing. The new turn in his chequered career as a parliamentarian is adorning the office of Speaker — the post offered by the Congress, which is heading the United Progressive Alliance coalition government at the Centre. The initial reaction of Somnath Chatterjee to the Congress offer was positive. He indicated that given a choice, he would grab the offer. However, as a loyal worker of a cadre-based party, he would abide by the decision of the CPM. For the party it was a difficult choice to make as it had decided not to join the government. The three-day marathon meeting of the Politburo and the Central Committee with a overwhelming majority threw out the proposal of the CPM joining the government. Interestingly, Somnathda, a Central Committee member, and the CPM’s General Secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet as well as former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu were amongst those who favoured that the party should be part of the Congress-led coalition government. Some of the politburo members, who were present in the Capital, met on Sunday to discuss the Speaker issue. A section of the party was of the view that they should not accept the Speaker’s post as it would amount to joining the government. However, some of the members opined that accepting the Speaker’s post would not mean anything else except being the leader of the legislature alone. Apart from this positioning, some members of the party also expressed concern that it does not have an orator like Somnathda, who can tellingly articulate the party’s views on government policies. Somnathda is a forceful speaker, known for his wit and sarcasm. He is respected for arguing his point with facts and figures. His debates in the Lok Sabha are now part of the folklore of the Indian parliamentary history. While deciding not to join the government, the party had stated that it would not like to leave the space of Opposition vacant to be occupied by the BJP. The CPM politburo meeting in Kolkata on Tuesday (May 25), however, decided to accept the Congress offer of Speakership to Somnath Chatterjee. Somnathda’s election to the post of Speaker would be a blessing for the House in general. As a tough taskmaster, he would not only ensure decorum and order but also raise the debating standards in the Lok Sabha, which have fallen over the years. |
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From Pakistan ISLAMABAD: MMA Secretary-General Maulana Fazlur Rehman was on Tuesday appointed the leader of opposition in the National Assembly by Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain, a move denounced by the other contender, ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim. The notification was handed over to MMA's deputy parliamentary leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed in the speaker's chamber. PML president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was present on the occasion. The notification makes the maulana a member of the 13-man National Security Council. The speaker announced the appointment by using his discretionary powers. His decision was based on the number of votes the maulana had secured at the time of the prime minister's election in November. — The Dawn
Jirga warned of
fresh operation
WANA: The political administration of the South Waziristan Agency, while expressing disappointment over the traditional jirgas and lashkarkashi against foreign elements and their alleged local harbourers in the tribal area, has asked the jirga to take immediate steps for the arrest of these suspects otherwise the government will launch another operation in this regard. “Under the local tradition, the tribesmen are bound to fulfil their assignment regarding the arrest of alleged foreigners and their local harbourers,” the Political Agent of the South Waziristan Agency, Asmatullah Gandhapur, said while addressing the jirga here on Tuesday.
— The Nation
Is it war against
terrorism?
ISLAMABAD: The world community is bogged down by the sexed-up terminology of "War Against Terrorism" as the governments are using the fancy term to indulge in violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and Geneva Conventions. At a workshop organized by the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) for journalists on Geneva Conventions here on Tuesday, the situation in Wana (Pakistan), Iraq and Afghanistan and international conflicts were discussed as lawyers and journalists tried to decode the spin added by the authorities in trying to justify their illegal actions in conflict situations. In an interactive session on various aspects of the Geneva Conventions, ICRC legal officer Dilawer Khan said the terminology like "illegal combatants" and "unlawful combatants" did not exist in IHL.
— The Dawn
Musharraf for
softer image
ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday performed the earth-breaking of a national monument that will depict Pakistan’s true picture of a progressive and open-minded modern nation, imbued with the power to protect its sovereignty. The monument, to be built on the picturesque Shakarparian, has been dedicated to those who sacrificed their today for a better tomorrow. Speaking at the ceremony, the President said other monuments commemorate the concept of Pakistan and advent of Muslims in the subcontinent, but this monument has a unique aspect as it "reflects the living culture and aspirations of the people of Pakistan". "The theme of the monument is permanent in nature and is for all times to come," he added. He said Pakistan was misperceived as a country of extremists and militancy and this monument will show to the world and the visiting dignitaries the true and softer face of Pakistan.
— The News |
The truth cures our diseases and redeems us from perdition; the truth strengthens us in life and in death; the truth alone can conquer the evils of error. — The Buddha A person who speaks the truth become trustworthy like a mother, venerable like a preceptor and dear to everyone like a kinsman. — Lord Mahavir The sustainer of all life is the One. — Guru Nanak As a lamp does not burn without oil, a man cannot live without God. — Sri Ramakrishna There can be no bliss, no happiness unless you renounce your little self, give up your self-asserting ego, drop the idea of “I am the doer” and “I am the enjoyer”. — Swami A. Parthasarathy |
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