HVK Archives: 'Helpless' Gujral seeks support in battle against graft
'Helpless' Gujral seeks support in battle against graft - The Indian Express
Press Trust of India
()
21 July 1997
Title: 'Helpless' Gujral seeks support in battle against graft
Author: Press Trust of India
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: July 21, 1997
The, Prime Minister, I K Gujral, today said "something drastic" had to be
done about those in ministerial positions who were corrupt and expressed
regret that corruption had "seeped into the veins of the nation."
In an interview to a private television channel, Gujral said, "I am not
tolerating corruption but I have not discovered that magic wand where I can
say no corruption and there will be no corruption tomorrow."
"Corruption, I say with great regret and pain, has seeped into the veins of
this nation. It is not only those who are in ministerial positions who are
corrupt. Of course they are and something
drastic has to be done about them," he said without naming anybody and
added "but the main point is that people in the street suffer."
Calling for "popular resistance" to corruption, Gujral said while there
would be no let up on the culprits, "Let us understand that the police
organisations are not what you call 'doodh ke dhoye hue' (as pure as milk).
So those through whom you are trying to contain this also have their
difficulties."
Referring to his meeting the public every Friday, Gujral said, "I feel very
hurt when somebody tells me 'I want an electricity connection but they want
money.' Ultimately the nation believes that nothing can be done without
corruption."
Stating that he would consider reshuffling of portfolios, Gujral said, "Now
with experience, I am learning which minister is fit for which portfolio
and whether performance is taking place or not," he said.
"So gradually I will change it (portfolios). But it is not my style to
start making sensations or creating ripples," the Prime Minister said.
On the proposed hike in petroleum product prices, he said the oil price
hike was "inevitable".
"The main point is that when oil prices are increased, which we have to
inevitably do, people must understand the logic of it," he said.
Gujral said he was running the same coalition arrangement as his
predecessor, H D Deve Gowda and added that "Collegium was an essential part
of the coalition system. I am leading a government of 15 parties. My major
support base is from those who are not in the government. This is a very
difficult process," Gujral said.
"It was not Deve Gowda's government. It was a coalition government where
all the coalition partners had nominated their representatives."
On the resignation of Bhabani Sengupta, who was appointed officer on
special duty after he took over as the PM, he said, "To me, democratic
functioning when you are holding responsible positions is not to be, as
they say in Punjabi - arriyal or ziddi" (obstinate).
"I don't want to prove a point. I want to see that I can carry the people
with me. If one or two things irk somebody, whether rightly or wrongly,
and if I do not find it possible to persuade him, then it is better to
backtrack," the prime minister said philosophically.
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