The cover-up effort
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: May 21, 2024 -

AFTER the damning allegations of moral bankruptcy among the higher echelons of the society, fashion designer and make-up artist Laishram Kumarjit has been coming up with a series of clarifications to clear the names of some of the politicians and bureaucrats he had mentioned during interrogation by the Koireng-led United National Liberation Front (UNLF) in connection with his involvement in a high-profile sex racket in the state.

This has not been surprising at all.

And, that is the precise reason why we have taken time from making any comment on the issue, not because, we think anyone named by Kumarjit is above suspicion or he had been coerced to say the 'unsayable' at gun-point.

The truth is that in any case involving people in power, effort to cover up the mess is a norm rather than an exception, and there are many cases that could be cited here to prqve the point.

But the fact that Kumarjit has been making all the clarifications from the hospital bed, where he is undergoing treatment of the gunshot-wound he received as punishment for acting as a pimp in supplying girls to high-profile clients, says a lot more than a mere cover-up.

It shows that Kumarjit is now under tremendous pressure to retract his confessional statement given to the armed outfit during the interrogation and people who are close to the politicians and bureaucrats named by him are doing everything possible to achieve this.

But the moot question is, how releasing the video recordings of the clarifications given by Kumarjit from his hospital bed one after another is now going to help in any away in clearing the dirt from the besmeared names of politicians and bureaucrats?

Is it not for the police and other investigation agencies in the state to find out whether any of the politicians and bureaucrats named by Kumarjit in his confessional statement have some closely guarded dark secrets not known even to their immediate family members and friends?

Like Caesar's wife, anyone in the position of power should be above suspicion.

So, as the allegations levelled by Kumarjit are defamatory in nature, it is essential for the politicians and bureaucrats named in his confessional statement to come clean.

But forcing Kumarjit to retract his confessional statement is not the way to exculpate the 'defamed' politicians and bureaucrats.

As the police station concerned is learnt to have registered a case in connection with the incident, it would be better for the people who are close to the 'defamed' politicians and bureaucrats to put pressure on the police for expediting the investigation to find out the truth instead of forcing Kumarjit to retract his confessional statement.

Better still, as responsible law-abiding citizens of the country occupying leadership positions in high offices of the government, the same politicians and bureaucrats could very well approach the relevant law

court for necessary redressal. This would not only show them in good light but also help in regaining trust of the people.

If they have done no wrong, there should be no question of fear in fighting for the truth by knocking on the door of law court.

In case of failing to do so, the guilt would be proven not in any law court but in the court of public opinion, the judgement of which would be far more stringent than any that could possibly be passed by a judicial body based on the already laid down rules and regulations for moral conduct in the society.

The inevitability of living rest of the life in ignominy is a lenient punishment for anyone in position of power to be the wrong side of the law.

This nugget of wisdom should be kept in mind by anyone trying to cover up the case by releasing another video of Kumarjit retracting his statement from the hospital bed if they really care about the reputation of their 'defamed' politicians and bureaucrats.

Also, what if there is more than the short video recording of the confessional statement given by Kumarjit in front of the media.

Just think over before taking a leap on the slippery path.