Crossing over the Laxman Rekha :: Having a kin in the right place
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: July 10, 2012 -

The dividing line between the private and public sphere is profound. A sort of a Laxman Rekha.

There are reasons why modern society, irrespective of the type of Government in place, places so much stress on the importance of strictly keeping aside all that is personal or private from the public office that one may hold.

The basic understanding thus runs through this is that the official position one may hold should not be seen as a tool to benefit the family, kins, siblings or anyone in the family tree for that matter.

This is one of the yardsticks to judge the morale and scruples of anyone holding positions of significance in the public domain.

Violate or cross over this line and not surprisingly this very act will be seen and identified as another manifestation of corruption.

This principle can perhaps be seen in the practise of the Judiciary where no Judge sits when any of the contesting party happens to be a relative, however distant.

This can also be seen in the practise of any functionaries keeping away from the interview board if a relative happens to be a candidate for the job.

These are some examples that come to mind to underline the principle of keeping private or personal interest away from the official position that one may occupy. The interesting point is to study how sincerely the officialdom in Manipur has been keeping up to the spirit of this principle.

The benefits of having a close relative in the corridors of power may be something which may be hard to prove in the Court of law but everyone knows how this works.

It may not be as blatant as the practices of yesteryears when children of important Government officials did not hesitate to paint the town red in MNG vehicles and it will certainly not come anywhere close to the cases of children of Ministers or police officials indulging in plain goondaism in the neighbourhood, but its effects can be felt very prominently even today.

The process of awarding contract/supply works, the process of landing a plum Government job by besting others who may be better placed, academically or otherwise, the process of transfer and posting of Government employees etc have all come agonisingly close to the question of one's equation with the power centres.

And having a kin in the right place certainly seems to help greatly. There is nothing to gloat over this and on the contrary such a culture is a sure shot formula of promoting mediocrity and corruption.

Mr O Ibobi is already into his third stint as the Chief Minister of the State and it is a pity that during his more than 10 years at the helm of affairs no serious effort has been taken up to reverse this culture.