Author: Balbir K. Punj
Publication: Organiser
Date: April 30, 2006
URL: http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=128&%20%20page=8
Sonia Gandhi's resignation left the bringing
of an ordinance redundant, because the ordinance was being brought to protect
a particular person from getting disqualified. The Congress was not interested
in protecting its other MPs
She had lorded over some of these Foundations/Trusts
as a matter of employment between 1991 and 1998.
Trickery has its cost, and the Congress realised
it twices recently. First, Congress' bid to get Jaya Bachchan disqualified
from Rajya Sabha cost Sonia Gandhi her seat in Lok Sabha and Chairpersonship
of National Advisory Council (NAC). Secondly, Congress realizses that Arjun
Singh's gimmickry over inflated OBC quota in IIT and IIMs is a politically
accursed move.
The shrewd move to get Smt. Jaya Bacchan disqualified
from the Rajya Sabha, on ground that she holds an office of profit, viz. Chairman
of Uttar Pradesh Film Development Board might have been simply a product of
Gandhi family's vendetta against the Bachchans. The idea might have germinated
in minds of Sonia Gandhi's minions who are 'more loyal than the Queen'. A
non-descript Congress leader Madan Mohan of Kanpur who filed the complaint
to the Election Commission is more likely to act out of 'competitive sycophancy'
than political morality. Or was in merely acting as henchman? I am sure he
has now become the villain of the piece after his move redounded upon one
she tried to please most. It had cost Sonia Gandhi her 'Super Prime Minister'
post, as the Chairperson of National Advisory Committee is called, in colloquial
terms. It also cost her Lok Sabha MP-ship although she is sure to recover
it on May 6, when the Rai Barelli state-elections are held.
Sonia's resignation from MP-ship and Chairperson
of NAC was followed by string of other resignations over a period of three
weeks. She sent her resignation as Chairperson of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation,
Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, Jawaharlal Memorial, Swaraj Bhawan Trust, Indian
Council for Child Welfare and Jalianwala Bagh Memorial Trust. She tacitly
gave her up the Presidency of Kamala Nehru Memorial and patron status of the
Nehru Trust for Cambridge University and Round Square (International Grammar
Schools UK). These resignations were kept as unpublicised as possible, but
the media found them out.
These were done to avert possible disqualification
from contesting for Lok Sabha. Little publicity attended these 'sacrifices'.
She had lorded over some of these Foundations/Trusts as a matter of employment
between 1991 and 1998. Lately she sent back her trusted aides SV Pillai and
PP Madhavan to their respective departments. They were class II employees
in central government who drew their salary from PMO and Home Ministry respectively.
Sonia Gandhi's resignation left the bringing
of an ordinance redundant, because the ordinance was being brought to protect
a particular person from getting disqualified. Congress was not interested
in protecting its other MPs (or MPs of its allies from Left). One remembers,
how Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency shortly after her election from Rae
Barelli seat was declared void by a bench of Allahabad High Court. In the
darkness of Emergency, with her opponents pushed behind bars, she amended
the People's Representation Act, 1951 with retrospective effect.
Problems begin when laws are moulded to suit
a particular individual. Had the Congress, in consultation with other political
parties, went about amending the Constitution or introducing fresh provisions
the case would have been otherwise.
HRD Minister Arjun Singh is becoming a liability
for the UPA government in the same manner Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar
Aiyar who had to be given a different portfolio. The National Knowledge Commission
constituted last June by the Prime Minister under the chairpersonship of Sam
Pitroda to "sharpen India's knowledge edge" has sharply criticised
his perilous step of augmenting the reserved quota in IITs and IIMs to half
of seats available. The Cabinet Secretariat has returned the draft bill, and
Election Commission finds Arjun Singh's defence unsatisfactory. The motive
behind the proposal to reserve 27 per cent seats in all Central Universities
and Colleges- including IITs and IIMs - is less than fair. It might harm others,
but not benefit the OBCs. Nor was it undertaken with a view to benefit to
the OBCs V.P. Singh's implementation of Mandal Commission report was simply
a game plan to outsmart his Deputy Prime Minister and Jat Leader Chaudhary
Devi Lal's clout.
Congress is indulging into a casteist politics,
the weapon through which parties like Samajwadi and RJD had politically finished
it in the Hindi heartland. The other objective is to enervating the Hindu
society. This would be much to the liking of Jihadi forces. In 1990, V.P.
Singh had pitted the Hindu society against itself. V.H.P's Ram Janmabhoomi
Andolan and L.K. Advani's Rath Yatra had helped reintegrate the society at
that crucial juncture. But the Congress will only alienate the rest of the
electorate with this ill-conceived move. As this realisation dawns upon the
Congress, there is disquiet.
It is no body's case that any political party
is against emancipation of deprived and backwardness sections of the society.
Rajnath Singh, on becoming the President of the BJP, had laid special emphasis
on uplift on socially and economically disadvantageous sections. But it is
our experience that crash casteist politics has only perpetuated backwardness.
As the economy of India grows, more and more
competent managers are needed. The Nasscom-Mckinsey Study/Ministry for Communication
and IT Task Force Report, 2003 predicted a major shortfall of professionals
in knowledge-based industries. The five million jobs, predicted to be created
between 2004 and 2112, might go short of hand.
What the government is failing to realise
that it is demand and supply discrepancy. The great Indian Middle Class frequently
complaints about inadequate number of schools, colleges and universities.
Even with sterling marks it becomes difficult for a child to get admission.
Today we should have 30 IITs and IIMs, instead of six/seven. Dr Murli Monohar
Joshi, in his controversial decision, sought no lower the fee structure and
increase the number of seats. The idea was to make management education more
accessible, although it was feared that quality might suffer. Shri Arjun Singh
has done none-lessening the fee or increasing the seats. It would not make
IITs and IIMs accessible to OBCs (who it is assumed here are financially weak)
but make its out of bounds for many meritorious students. Hence, on ground
level, it is nothing more than political gimmickry. The quality of education
will automatically suffer when a class is divided down the middle by merit.
