Values in peril: Ahmadi
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 31 — Justice A.M. Ahmadi, a former Chief Justice of India, today made a fervent plea for making all efforts to restore Indian democracy to its pristine glory, saying that there has been a sharp decline in democratic values and not every section feels secure in the country today. Speaking at the 118th anniversary function of The Tribune at Hotel Shivalikview here this afternoon, Justice Ahmadi said that the scenario at the end of 1998 was depressing and confusing.

Justice A.M. Ahmadi cuts the cake at the 118th anniversary celebrations of The Tribune in Chandigarh on Sunday. Mr S.D. Bhambri, General Manager of The Tribune Trust, Mrs Serla Grewal, a Trustee, Mr B.K. Nehru, the Trust President, and The Tribune Editor, Mr Hari Jaisingh, look on. — A Tribune photograph

"There are elections but no real democracy (throughout 50 years, the party coming to power has never secured vote majorities but only seat majorities), law courts but no justice (on account of delays), a plethora of laws sans rule of law (due to shift from criminalisation of politics to politicisation of criminals) and a law enforcement machinery but no enforcement whatsoever.

"Over the years there has been a sharp decline in democratic values due to the all pervading criminalisation and communalisation of politics, with liberal values and in particular the concepts of equality and fraternity receiving severe jolts.

"Has the New Year begun on an ominous note with the silver lining further thinning? I have deliberately used the expression 'thinning' because as an optimist I have not lost hope.

"Yes, the year 1999 has started on an ominous note — the newspapers of January 1 carried the shocking news, in banner headlines, about the removal of the Naval chief, first such action in the history of free India.... I can only say that the action was wholly unfortunate and the manner of its execution was far from dignified to the high office involved.Then we heard of the continuous targeting of minorities in the state to which I belong, and of which Mr B.K. Nehru was once Governor.

"Then 'Fire' came under Shiv Sena fire and lumpen elements vandalised the cinema hall in the name of culture. In the process one wonders if the film was the victim or was it Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India and the rule of law that took the beating ?," he asked.

Justice Ahmadi then talked about vandalism in sports, rape of nuns in MP, and then setting on fire the van in which Australian missionary Graham Stewart Stein and his two young sons were roasted alive in Manoharpur in Orissa, saying that such incidents "stirred the conscience of all right-thinking Indians. The President of India, head of our State, expressed his anguish on the acts of vandalism perpetrated in the name of culture." "The Prime Minister hung his head in shame and atoned the crime by a token fast yesterday, the day of Gandhiji's martyrdom. Fasting is one way of sending a message to the countrymen but what is now required is strict action against those who incite and those who execute.

"But instead of hauling up the guilty, the party in power, while announcing a judicial enquiry by a Supreme Court Judge, embarked on a damage-control mission with the Home minister making one statement and the Defence minister suspecting a conspiracy. What is really baffling is why these clean chits when a judicial enquiry is ordered? If it is intended to influence the enquiry, it is indeed a sad matter ?

"But why the enquiry commission? We have seen the fate of earlier riot commissions, the latest being the Justice Srikrishna Commission which went into the post-Babri Masjid demolition riots in Mumbai. We all know the dilatory tactics adopted by the state government, its administrative and police wings, to keep the damning verdict in wraps and how unabashedly it was rejected, calling the courageous judge names.

"Since the Steins killing will be investigated by a sitting Judge of the Supreme Court, let us reserve judgement on the party that perpetrated this inhuman and dastardly act. But will the Central Government accept the findings if the commission finds any of its sister organisations guilty? That is the moot question," he said.

Justice Ahmadi wondered at those elements who talk of culture and resort to violence in the name of culture. "There is neither a pure Vedic Hindu civilisation in India nor is there a pure Muslim culture. Both cultures are inextricably intertwined."

He maintained that violence was certainly not our ethos or culture and those indulging in violence in the name of culture must be identified and dealt with in accordance with the law. Even if there were genuine complaints, they must be resolved through dialogue and not might; otherwise we would be governed by the rule of the jungle.

Justice Ahmadi held that the print media could play a very significant role in curbing false propaganda and rumours which certain elements try to spread to play on the emotions of our religion-oriented society in the name of religion.

"A responsible press owes a duty to curb such mischievous, fascist and fanatical elements from harming the unity and integrity of the nation and tearing apart the social fabric by circulating false rumours and inciting people to violence," he said while complimenting the national-level media, both newspapers and magazines, for playing a very responsible role in building up public opinion against such vandalism which ultimately made the Indo-Pakistan cricket series, now being played, possible.

"Unfortunately the same cannot be said of some of the regional language newspapers and I have seen that during communal riots or similar disturbances they get swayed by the emotive upsurge and fan the fire. The Press Council must take effective steps against such newspapers," Justice Ahmadi said.

Mr B.K. Nehru, President, The Tribune Trust, who presided over the function, said that India did deliberately adopt the latest, sophisticated and a complex form of democracy in a nation which did not have any democratic traditions. India does not have any concept, what in reality is rule of law. We never had democracy governing us before.

"Unfortunately, each MP and each MLA regards himself above the law. We do not accept that we all are subordinate to the law. The judicial system, in spite of its delays and cost, has played a vigorous and important role.

"I have been advocating a kind of Presidential form of government which is suitable to us and which is not a copy of any other system," he said maintaining that this form of government cannot be an autocratic government as has been the belief.

Mr Hari Jaisingh, Editor, The Tribune, said that "if the judiciary and the media are responsive and play their roles honestly and objectively, a number of distortions that have crept into the polity can be corrected."

"Of course, every segment of democracy — Parliament, the executive, and other autonomous institutions provided for in the Constitution — has to play a meaningful and effective role. That some of our institutions are not doing so is a matter of grave concern to all enlightened citizens of the country."

Talking about The Tribune, he said that it had a long tradition in pursuing a liberal and secular policy. "Being a paper run by a Trust makes us different from most other publications which, more often than not, tend to be guided by narrow political and communal interests. We see our role in a larger perspective in the right flow of information and knowledge in a transitional society riven apart by multiple cleavages," he added.

Earlier, Mr S.D. Bhambri, General Manager, in his address of welcome recalled the history of The Tribune saying that the newspaper has not forgotten the founder's mandate which requires that the Trustees shall maintain the press and the newspaper in an efficient condition, keep up the liberal, secular and non-partisan policy and devote all surplus income to the improvement of the newspaper and to place it on a foot of permanency.

Mr Bhambri said the unique feature of The Tribune was its ownership pattern. "It has no proprietor, no share- holders, no partners. Nobody derives any pecuniary benefit from it. Nobody can. Yet it is vicariously and emotionally 'owned' by its more than one and a half million readers who look for it every morning for information, education and entertainment."

The General Manager said nearly 100 years ago, Oscar Wilde said that 'journalism is not readable and books are not read'. "But he has been proved wrong by Sardar Majithia. The Tribune is both readable and is also read."

Later, Justice Ahmadi cut a cake to mark the 118th anniversary celebrations.

The elite of the city attended the function.