Thundering Typhoons ! Applying salt to wound
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: June 02, 2011 -

There is a reason why justice delivered needs to come with the qualification that justice should also seem to have been delivered. The wisdom in this observation is profound and its intrinsic meaning goes beyond the realm of the justice delivery system in vogue at a certain point in the history of mankind or a system of governance but is central to the existence of an individual vis-a-vis the society or the formally laid down rules and regulations, which are at the disposal of the State.

This line of thought or belief is all that more indispensable in a system of governance, where the Government is answerable to the citizens and its functioning can come under sharp scrutiny from the civil society and other institutions such as the judiciary and a free media.

Being a democracy, Manipur qualifies to be one such place, where the Government is answerable to the people and there are institutions to keep a close tab on its activities.

The beauty lies not only in the existence of a Government which is answerable and accountable to the people, but also in the fact that this also necessitates the Government to be sensitive to the aspirations of the citizens.

In other words, such a system of governance means that the Government not only need to deliver but also make it appear that it has indeed addressed the many outstanding issues, which are dear to the people.

Equal weightage is therefore given not only to the functioning of a Government but also how the people perceive the Government and thus the understanding that the widely held belief that justice should not only be delivered but also appear to have been delivered is not confined within the justice delivery system but entails all aspects of an individual's life.

This universally held belief and fact however seems to have been given the short shrift by the Congress led SPF Government time and again and nothing illustrates this better than the recent decision to form a Cabinet sub-committee to probe the assets and properties of Ministers and MLAs of the ruling Front.

The Cabinet sub-committee may dispense with its duties sincerely, but this is not the point here for it is imperative that the people too are convinced that something concrete and meaningful has been taken up to keep a check on the accumulation of wealth and assets by the political leaders.

The Cabinet sub-committee was formed under the persistent instructions from the Union Home Ministry, if reports are anything to go by, and the primary reason is not only to check corruption but also to send out the message that the Government is intent on clamping down on corrupt practices, from the top.

The objective is no doubt positive, but there is the lingering, uncomfortable feeling that the SPF Government has totally overlooked the need to take the people along with them on its latest endeavour. This could be due to a misplaced sense of confidence, gained by being in the seat of power for the second consecutive term or it could be plain insensitivity, bordering on haughtiness.

The fact is, not withstanding how sincerely the Cabinet sub-committee may work or go about with the job assigned to them, the fact still stands that no one in his or her right mind will buy the stand of the SPF Government. The public cannot be blamed for harbouring such a negative attitude towards those in seats of power, for the understanding here is that corruption starts from the very top and there is no way that people from the same boat will try to rock it.

To many the measures taken up by the SPF Government will be something like asking the cat to look after the bowl of milk.

It is a co-incidence, we have no doubt about it, but setting up a Cabinet sub-committee to look into the assets and properties of their colleagues in Government is like applying salt to an open wound, in the backdrop of the reluctance shown by the Congress led UPA Government to bring Ministers and MPs under the purview of the Lokpal Bill.

So while Anna Hazare, supported by a cross section of people across the country, has brought corruption into the limelight with the message that it should be fought and defeated, we have a Cabinet sub-committee to probe the wealth of Ministers and MLAs of the Treasury bench.

Chief Minister O Ibobi is not exactly known for possessing a sense of humour, and true to this perception, his latest move is nothing more than a poor joke, in extremely bad taste.

The tragedy is, the situation does not warrant a joke. The people cannot afford to laugh or indulge in the luxury of breaking into a smile, for their physical and moral strength have been sapped dry by corruption from the highest to the lowest level of officialdom.