We are all quite familiar with a range of ministers — the Prime, the Chief and the sundry other Hon’bles strutting around the national and State capitals. At a very basic level, ‘to minister’ means to aid or serve. Constitutionally, the ministers, be they elected or ‘selected’, are vested with a whole lot of duties, obligations and responsibilities. They also have executive power vis-a-vis their departments to implement policies, programmes and even political promises. In the democratic system of governance the ministers are the true face of government, the critical catalysts who link the faceless people with the equally faceless bureaucracy. Well, in today’s Bharath faced with the twin edged Damocles sword of terror and economic crisis, the ministerial faces concerned are either missing, masked or minding other pursuits.
The Chatrapathi Sivaji Terminus, The Taj and Oberoi were the visible theatres of terror that struck the business capital of India last month. But there was one other building that bore a bigger brunt of the attack through an indirect hit: Mantralaya, the State secretariat. This seat of the Maharashtra Government was jolted so much that governance since the attack is on a complete limbo. All official activity has been unofficially off for almost a month now. This when the State and its capital are limping and in desperate need of action and direction. Not that the incumbent CM during the terror strike, Deshmukh, was effective either in prevention or post-mortem. Rather, his casual demeanour and callous disinterest not only consumed his position, which is a small price, but also cost the nation dear. But the political stalemate in the State since his exit is proving even more catastropohic.
Within hours of the attack itself, it was obvious that Deshmukh was on a countdown: There but not really there! But precious weeks were lost because the Congress and its ally the NCP could not agree on a successor. Finally a Chavan, son of another past prominent Chavan got catapulted into the hot seat. Most Cong MLAs did not even know him personally, but he was known to Sonia and that in Cong kingdom is knowledge enough to be entitled to vassal-hood. Now this CM Chavan will have a Deputy CM, Chhaggan Bhujbal, who hails from the NCP. This Bhujbal was the one who was booted out of the same post for his involvement in the Telgi Scam. The new home minister, Jayant Patil, is also from the NCP and both have made it clear that they are not answerable or accountable to the Cong CM, but only to their boss Pawar. The new CM seems to care less and would be content to be confined to his cosy chambers. Now, how will this assortment of characters, which can’t even tackle each other, tackle terror? The State ship, after a major attack, first had no captain in command and now has one too many steering it amok. Now do we need terrorists to sink it?
But the political capital, Delhi, would beat the financial capital hands down when it comes to ministerial mix ups. First, as Home minister Shivraj patil has been missing in action, ie, SP was missing when terrorists were in action, for many years. Of course, he never missed his ministerial privileges or for that matter, his majestic wardrobe, for a single day. Now SP is gone and surely no one misses him. But is the new man in, PChidambaram, fully at home at Home? After all, there is no gainsaying the fact that a tough home guard is only a starting point to tackle the grave security situation that stares the nation. The road ahead is littered with mountains and minefields: Stringent anti-terror laws, a National investigative agency, coordination between that and existing arms of law, better conviction rates and more important, improved ‘hanging’ rates to name a few are all matters that call for wholesome and wholetime application of time and effort by a whole lot of people, but primarily under the auspices of the Home minister. Indeed, PC will have to snap his umbilical ties with the Finance ministry to even begin. Is that happening?
Cut to the new FM who is also the PM and an ex-FM. One may differ with his prescriptions ideologically, but M Singh’s credentials as a financial wizard is beyond question. He certainly has the capacity to cushion the sudden exit of PC from the ministry and to seamlessly continue that department’s activities. But that’s for normal times. These aren’t. If terror deserves a full time HM, the raging financial tsunami deserves no less. World over, countries have formed full-fledged teams of life-guards to monitor the rippples and upheavals in the economy and somehow remain afloat. Whatever his qualifications, ‘PM’ M Singh cannot do full justice to the finance portfolio at this hour of dire need. Already there are murmurs in financial circles, in government and business, that the official response to the economic slump is slow and inadequate. And this is being blamed on the non-availability of the PM in quick time. When quizzed on how he would manage this additional burden, ‘part-time’ FM MSingh claimed that he would be assisted by PC. Now that makes PC a part-time HM too!
War with Pak is an option that is widely discussed. Even most world powers, including the US and UK, have told India that it can do whatever it takes to defend itself. Yet no less than our Defence Minister prematurely and quite piously announces that war is ruled out! There were instant celebrations in Pak, though that country has not downed its defences either. Ever since 25/11 External Affairs minister Pranab has been most pre-occupied: He was the one vested with the job of finding a new CM for M’rashtra. We know how long it took. Then he found himself (along with the PM) dogged with requests from TN to stop the war in Sri Lanka. Rest of the time, he was either addressing the media or receiving foreign dignitaries who had come calling to dump their sympathies and adivice.
And let’s not forget A.R.Antulay, minister (ex, now?) for Minority Affairs, whatever it means. He was the one who got convicted by the Mumbai HC for corruption while he was CM. But the revolving door of India’s secular politics ensured he became a central minister. This man has now delivered a parting kick: By raising doubts about Karkare and Co’s death and insinuating that they might have been done in by ‘some others’, he has successfully undermined India’s carefully built case against Pak and the terrorists it nurtured. All this from within as a Union Minister!
TN too has a CM and Cabinet but they minister only to the party and family, both being almost same. For instance, a fortnight back one fine evening, the CM emerged from his house (G-puram) beaming from ear to ear and announced that his eyes were filled with happy tears and his heart overflowed with unlimited joy. An irrational observer would have instantly concluded that this sole leader of Tamils world over had just solved the Sri Lankan Tamil issue, or brought prices of essential commodities down or at the least, spared the masses from painful power cuts. Instead, Kalaingar K’s boundless ecstasy stemmed from a family reunion that set at rest a very bloody (others’, ie) feud! With a Chief Minister himself thus occupied, whither other DMK ministers, State and Central?
By the PM’s own admission, India is under siege and facing an undeclared war. As FM he has also said that an economic turmoil is well and truly on. But with most of the ministerial fraternity fiddling away, can they prevent Bharath from burning or sinking?
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