Tamasha 4
Exactly on
12th May when the entire world was celebrating Mother’s Day some
people in India , including politicians and political parties, were celebrating
‘Parasuram Jayanti’. The great paradox is that Parasuram, the son of Jamdagni and Renuka, is said to have killed his mother
Renuka at the command of his father. Thus exactly on Mother’s Day they were
pompously celebrating Matricide.
The tragi-comedy of India is that many
similar incidents keep happening around us every day but we have become so impervious that these
hardly shake our conscience.
Sanjay Dutt’s conviction
was highlighted by media as if the nation would collapse if he was jailed. Mr.
Markandey Katju, an ex-Judge of the Supreme Court , pleaded for pardon for him as
if grave miscarriage of justice had taken place. Specious arguments were
raised—he is a family man, he has reformed , it is more a punishment to his
wife and children, he was merely guilty
of possessing a gun (AK-56) he never used it, to the ridiculous argument that
the film industry would suffer as many films would remain incomplete. Stupid statements all. When pointed out that there were others like
him Mr.Katju said he will take up the
case of all such persons. Where have you been Mr.Katju
till now? Do you mean to say that as a Judge you were not doing justice and now you want to correct your
course? Do you also want to say that our courts do not dispense justice? Has
the Judicial system failed India? Mr.Katju ,the CBI and judiciary have already
been too kind to him in not pressing the charges under TADA against him. Mr.
Katju, had Sanjay reported the
gun-smuggling to police the blasts might
have been prevented and hundreds of precious lives would have been saved. Not a
tear for them or their families, no words of sympathy! In any other country but
India Dutt and his supporters would have suffered a
social boycott. In India law and society do not support those who abide by law!
A few days earlier I was viewing a programme
on gender issues. A member of the National Commission for Women was quoted as saying that
the lot of women in UP and Bihar was very bad. Another participant said that
female foeticide was rampant in eastern UP and Bihar.It sounded very
interesting to me.The latest census data shows that sex-ratio is lowest in
Haryana,Delhi,Punjab,Western UP. In fact most of the districts in eastern UP
and Bihar have a favourable sex-ratio. These
areas have a better sex –ratio in 0-5 age group and even at birth. Yet people
here are guilty of female foeticide ! That is our media wisdom !
Recently media was greatly exercised over an
incident in Ghaziabad (UP) where a young
woman and her friend (male) were
taken by police to the police station on
complaint by local residents that the couple was drinking at a public place and
was behaving in an objectionable manner. The media showed scenes of scuffle
with a woman resident of the society but that was not the issue. The issue made
out was that police had done grave irregularity in arresting and bringing a
woman to the police station and had violated her fundamental right of freedom. I
was surprised. Does our law permit drinking at public places and
indulging in objectionable behavior? On receiving
any such complaint should the police leave the matter to be resolved by the
parties? Would it not be proper and better to bring the so-called accused to
the safety of police station before initiating an inquiry?
I used to think that India is a democratic
republic and there were no princely states. These, I was told merged with the
Union at the time of independence. Even the Privy Purse was abolished a long
time back. There are no rajas,maharajas,nababs etc. in India I was led to
believe. A friend of mine proved me wrong. V.P.Singh , ex-P.M. was fond of
being called Raja Saheb. So are many others. There was a news regarding the
coronation of a princess (in India) recently. Then maharajas of Mewar,Jodhpur
,Jaipur,Mysore,Varanasi etc are also
there.
History-Books tell us that Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last
Mugal Badshah in India. It appears to me that these books tell us all wrong
things. If there is no Badshah how can there be a Shahi Imam ?But we find Shahi
Imam all so often .Now the duty of Shahi
Imam is to guide the Badshah and his family to namaz and to initiate them into
the teachings of Qoran. The Imam is an appointee of the Badshah. If the Imam is
there so must be the Badshah. We also have an imperial judicial system which
confirms that the emperor is not a figment of my imagination but he does really
exist. Surprised? Have you not heard of Qazis? It is their duty to dispense
justice. We have Qazis in all important towns. Somebody must have appointed
them. Who else but the Badshah!
These days IPL interests me. I think most
people are interested in this entertaining version of cricket, even my 85 year
old mother views the matches with religious regularity. I do enjoy the game but
there is more enjoyment in the stands. I see Vijay Mallya and feel proud about
our system of governance and justice. He is a great man enjoying the fruit of
his labour. What if he has not paid Rs.15000crores(approx) to the banks? He has
paid the dues at the right quarters and has a right to own a team-Royal
Challengers Bengluru-and bask in the glory of his achievements. He is not a petty
criminal who should go to jail. The
money will be written off by the banks and paid by common people directly or
indirectly. I enjoy the Sahara drama even more. The Supreme Court thought it
could bend Subrata Roy.It ordered that Sahara deposit Rs. 24,500crores with
SEBI and make available list of their depositors so that money could be
refunded to them. None of the two directions has been complied with. Yet Sahara
is a reputed organization and Subrata Roy a happy man owning Pune Warriors
India, creating a world record of National Anthem singing and pursuing business
as usual. I pity Sreesanth,Chandila and Chavan arrested by Delhi police.
They never understood the dynamics of
Indian system. Do something big man, do not indulge in puny little lakhs. In
2000 the CBI which was investigating the match-fixing and betting allegations
against Mohd.Azharuddin,Ajay Jadeja etc. submitted a report to the court
stating “there is no law under which these activities could be termed as crime
.” Azharuddin became a respected
M.P.,Jadeja an expert commentator and so on. Clearly these boys have been
arrested for a non-offence. The legal position is very well known to Ministry
of Home Affairs as CBI and Delhi Police are both with it. Why did it not advise
the Delhi police against the arrests? Or was it the other way round and police
arrested them only at the command of some politician? Why was no law enacted to cure this defect ? I suspect that the BCCI,IPL and the
Franchisees all were making money through betting and hence they never wanted a
law. An enquiry into the entire cricket muddle is a must. Another thing irks
me. How is it that all the players arrested belong to only one Franchise-the
Rajsthan Royals. Were the Royals going too strong and had upset the apple-cart
of IPL and BCCI bosses?
In so far as suspicion of match -fixing is
concerned the game between Mumbai Indians and Rajsthan Royals on the 15th
May definitely aroused my suspicions. The way Rahul Dravid was given out left
every cricket-knowing person shocked. There was only one appeal-by the
wicketkeeper-and the umpire lost no time in declaring him caught. Never have we
seen Rahul in more foul mood. Replay showed clearly that the umpire was wrong.
The Royals lost the match. Why didn’t the IPL ask for an enquiry in this case?
Dravid is a sophisticated and cultured person. But I am sure many skeletons
will tumble out of the cupboard after IPL 6 is over.
A reference to CBI makes me look at its work
and reputation. This again is one of the paradoxes of Indian scenario. It
enjoys great reputation in states and with law-abiding people who know little
about its work. But come to work and things change. It has been investigating
cases against Mayavati and Mulayam Singh since times immemorial .Sanjeev Bhatt
,a hard-core Modi-baitor accepts that
CBI gave a clean chit to Modi during NDA govt. Many such political
investigations are with CBI with no results. But even in criminal investigations
the agency hardly stands up to test. The Arushi murder case of Ghaziabad proves
this. The CBI submitted to court that they have been unable to work out the
case and there isn’t sufficient evidence against suspects, and case be closed.
The court refused to accept this and ordered trial. Now the CBI is bending all
over to claim that Arushi’s parents are the culprits and they have sufficient
evidence against them.
Two cabinet ministers of the Union Govt .
resigned recently. One of them, Ashwini Kumar, the Law Minister was accused of
calling the CBI Director to his office and getting the report about
irregularities in allotment of coal-blocks suitably amended. In so far as I
know the procedures and protocols in union govt are followed quite rigorously.
The Law Minister can’t call the Director CBI for a meeting directly . The CBI
Director can attend a meeting with Law Minister only after approval of the Home
Minister. Did he follow this rule? Secondly, the law is absolutely clear that
nobody except a superior officer directly supervising investigation can
interfere with investigation. Even if the agency seeks legal advice in a
matter, it is not bound to accept the advice. Nobody, not even the Home
Minister let alone the Law Minister, can
force his advice on the agency. Where then is the need for additional and special protection ? Pygmies asked to stand in the boots of giants will
always fail whatever the situation.
And the
straw on the camel’s back is our worthy P.M.’s nomination faux pas. The
economist I thought was brilliant enough
to remember facts and figures but he is unable to remember his own age and date
of birth ! If this was just an oversight I wonder what other oversights has he
committed in the conduct of the affairs of the nation .
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