The battle has just begun--Between the lines

by Kuldip Nayar

Old age allows one to get away with such outdated views of colonial times. Mr. Kuldip Nayyar is aware of this fact.

Kudos to Gen VK Singh for taking such a bold stand. He is shining example to coming generations. May his tribe increase. Long live The Soldiers' fraternity.

Neither Hazare nor Ramdev can be absolved of the inappropriateness of parading a former Chief of Army Staff for their own benefit. They had done it without thinking and with little regard for the norms of democracy.

Movements against corruption have been, of late, successful in India. They have brought the scourge of dishonesty into the public eye. That both movements, one led by Gandhian Mr Anna Hazare and the other by yoga teacher Ramdev were non-violent is a tribute to those who inspired the movements and the thousands who participated in them. But both have failed to move the government. In fact, the Manmohan Singh government has become more adamant, more intractable and more involved in corruption that is destroying the system.

The government’s attitude remains a mystery to me. It appears that the Congress has already come to infer that it is not going to return to power in 2014 and, therefore, need not react either way. This mulish stance may, however, cost the party dearly. The word has gotten around that the Congress has much to hide. In fact, people have begun to link corruption with the party like the Bofors gun scandal with late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi during the 1989 election.

Had the government disclosed the names it had received from some foreign countries, it could have retrieved some ground. But if the allegation that some top Congress leaders figure in the lists is true, it is understandable why the government is so secretive and is dragging its feet on every move to repatriate black money stashed abroad. It could have initiated action against bureaucrats, if not political leaders, to dispel the impression that the Congress was hand in glove with bureaucrats to receive kickbacks on purchases made abroad. But the party probably fears that they might spill the beans if persecuted.

It must be said to the credit of the Opposition that it did bring up the matter  black money in Parliament. In the Rajya Sabha, one member quoted CBI director Mr AP Singh as saying that Indian money valued at Rs 25 lakh crore had been stashed abroad. Such a statement made by a serving CBI director is an indication of the seriousness of the issue. Still, the government preferred uproar in Parliament to total disclosure. It is more than a year now that BJP members have declared in individual affidavits submitted to the Speaker in the Lok Sabha and to the Chairman in the Rajya Sabha that they do not have any foreign bank account. Although pressed, Congress members have not done so. It only confirms the suspicion that its members do have something to hide. In fact, there should be a law compelling all people’s representatives to declare foreign accounts just as they are required to declare their assets.

A disturbing aspect of rallies, particularly those organised by Ramdev, is that the participants tend to exhibit mob mentality once they converge at a particular place. Such a mob can be unpredictable. President Pranab Mukherjee has rightly warned that institutions should not be weakened or bypassed. Indeed, a democratic system can be stretched up to a point, but not beyond it because the string that binds such institutions 
together can snap. All political parties should see how democratic institutions can be strengthened because they have been messed with since Indira Gandhi came to power.

A still more disturbing aspect of Ramdev’s recent rally is the presence of General VK Singh, who was Chief of Army Staff till a few weeks ago. He was also present at Mr Hazare’s  rally earlier. How could a retired Army chief take part in political  programmes and try to tell the people for whom they should cast their  vote? This suggests that he had been nurturing political ambitions while commanding the armed forces, which are apolitical, for two years.

 
General Singh’s has been the first endeavour since Independence to politicise the Army. Thank god, his term did not get extended although he used the pretext of a wrongly-recorded birth date to stay on for one more year. The government seems to have decided to ignore the former Army chief. Yet, this does not convey the nation’s concern. The government should see to it that no Bonapartisim takes roots in India. That would be the correct reaction. Officers from all three services should be barred from taking part in politics till five years after retirement. Half a decade is enough for their halo to fade. Such restrictions should also cover government servants on the civil side.

Yet, the sad part of the VK Singh episode is that he has not realised the wrong that he has done to the institution he has served for decades. He does not seem to possess the sensitivity that can guide him to differentiate between wrong and right, moral and immoral. An Army chief occupies a position of high esteem in India or, for that matter, in any country. The Manmohan Singh government did not realise that such persons, although appointed on the basis of seniority, should not be given a position which, if misused, can wreck entire polity.

President Truman is remembered for his bold decision to dismiss General Douglas MacArthur after he defeated Japan during the Second World War. Truman saw in MacArthur the signs of Bonapartism which no democratic state can tolerate. VK Singh is, no doubt, history now. But imagine what damage he could have done with his eyes fixed on politics. Neither Hazare and nor Ramdev can be absolved of the inappropriateness of parading a former Chief of Army Staff for their own benefit. Again, they had done it without thinking and with little regard for the norms of democracy. What kind of setup do they propose to suggest to the nation that is already crying out for democratic space if a former Army chief is called upon to tell people which candidate they should vote for? 

Ramdev  was wrong in singling out the Congress. In this bath, all are naked. There are serious allegations against political parties such as the BJP, Mr Mulayam Singh’s Samajwadi Party and Miss Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj  Party. Even Ramdev himself is said to be not above board. True, some of his trusts are under the scanner. Yet there is no mention of the property that a pickle dealer had purchased and gifted to Ramdev. All those who want equity should ensure that their own house is in order. The battle has just begun.

The writer is a veteran and renowned journalist and commentator.

The views expressed and Information provided by the author are his own and left to public to judge and rationalise for themselves.