Missing jewels
At the dawn of every January our rulers are invariably confronted with a difficult problem: Spot the Rathna. The R-Day is not just about displaying our military might or showcasing our varied cultural heritage but also about recognising and parading heroes from different walks of life. The honours are delivered through the Padma awards – Sris, Bhushans and Vibushans – and the lone Rathna of Bharath. The current clamour in media and some sections of the public for conferring the Bharath Rathna on cricket and film stars has kicked off a furious debate.
The country has gone without Padmas for a few years, particularly between 1993 and 1997 when the matter was sub judice. Still the alumni of Padmas is huge. The SC dictum is that these are not titles but only decorations, but that has not stopped many recipients, particularly celebrities, from using them as appendages to their names in public. The awards always carried a tinge of politics but over the period have deteriorated into a means for official patronage or recognising loyalty. That the number of awardees rose with the advent of coalition politics is no coincidence. Of course, all this no consolation or credit for the deserving awardees, who unfortunately get bundled with other not-so-eminent receivers.
Rathna too had gone missing, but for longer intervals. No Rathnas were dug out for many isolated years, like 1977 etc. While the ‘93-’97 legal hiatus caused a disappearance too, since 2001 till date, barring ‘08, not a gem has been found in Bharath. It could be that there are no worthy jewels or that the searching party is blinkered. It is also possible that lack of political consensus is a hitch, a convenient alibi for an indifferent regime already faced with many inconvenient situations. Also, one cannot blame a genuine Rathna for not accepting or refraining from showing him/herself up, in the scandalous and muddled milieu of the present. Again, any Rathna today will have to be vetted by the media, the self-appointed super judges. And the media will most likely plump for known faces that make a Rathna glitter, not the unknown labour that forms its substance.
Not surprisingly therefore, Amitabh Bachchan and Sachin Tendulkar, among a few other celebrities, are the much bandied about candidates this time. The most trenchant criticism has been unleashed by the former CJ of SC, Markandeya Katju:’This is the low cultural level to which we have sunk. We ignore our real heroes and hail superficial heroes … Bharath Rathna should be given to those who can give direction to the country and take it forward. Giving it to people who have no social relevance, such as cricketers and film stars, amounts to a mockery of the award’. And Rathnas too, like the Padmas, have largely been controversial. Typically, the final say on the awardee rests with the PM. And so, many eyebrows were raised when PM Nehru ‘was conferred’ the Rathna in 1955. As PM Indira Gandhi made herself a BR in 1971. Rajiv became one posthumously, making three in a row for the family. That entitles Sonia or Rahul to lay claim to this virtual jewel as a hereditary heirloom. In any case, we have had ‘imported’ Bharath Gems in the likes of Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Frontier Gandhi, all not exactly Bharath!
But what if the mischievous ruling regime springs a sinister surprise by naming Anna Hazare? Now, Anna should be really worried!
Missing teeth
But may be he has bigger things to worry about than landing a Rathna. At the time of going to press, roughly the time the Lokbill was presented in Parli on Thursday, things looked gloomy for the landmark legislation. With Lalu & Co wearing the minority cap, the bill looked all set to sink in the quota quagmire. The Cong, having already unleashed the reservation card for UP polls and not wanting to be seen as overdoing things, launched an obliging Lalu. The desired effect was achieved with the entire debate shifting to the familiar battleground of castes and communities. Corruption, which is actually most secular and least casteist, vanished from view. Now, those who oppose quota would be deemed the real spoilers of Lokpal.
Wah, wah, Cong!
The Bill is a total eyewash. When the whole nation wanted an effective mechanism fo fight corruption, what is on offer is just another glorified enquiry commission. After all, the most critical criteria of any new anti-graft agency is the capacity to bring the corrupt to book, particularly in the context of the existing law enforcing ones failing to do that. But now, the Lokpal can neither investigate nor prosecute rendering it just another referring agency like State Governments, JPCs etc. These functions will have to be outsourced to the CBI and other like agencies, which are not in its control. The pre-Lokpal situation is only perpetuated. Like many others, we will now have one more Government department, namely Lokpal, referring cases to the CBI. In fact, the government has only strengthened its hold on the CBI by putting the Lokpal at its mercy. And even a cursory reading will reveal that the governmental control over Lokpal can be exercised in so many ways that will mock at its purported status as an ‘independent’ ombudsman. Assuming the Parli bandwagon does not run over it, the Lokpal will still miss the anti-graft bus!
Missing link
The Govt’s refrain often is: How can Team Anna dictate to Parli? But the real question it should ask itself is how did Parli slide into such a situation! For one, the disconnect between Parli and the people is wide and growing. While MPs are supposed to represent people, in reality they represent their parties, bosses and other interests. Also, with coalitions rife, the vote is often vitiated with the voted rep moving across the floor in sync with power equations. The conduct of Parli is no consolation either. As disenchantment with their chosen reps rises, people are bound to seek out non-Parliamentary actors to vent their angst. An insensitive, untrustworthy and corrupt regime adds momentum to this process. And when such activist-players turn out to be at least more sincere and honest than the reps, Parli eventually cedes its moral power to them and remains just a Constitutional skeleton or shell sans any soul. Small wonder, India’s real Parli is actually outside the elected Parli!
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