All is not lost yet

The state in Maharashtra today is a far cry from the days of Phule, Tilak, and Ambedkar, who had inspired generations of efficient administrators like Y.B. Chavan and his protege, Sharad Pawar. Today the political class has abdicated its responsibility to govern and fails to stand up for the masses in times of crisis.

The other strain in the state leadership is the simplistic approach adopted by the deputy chief minister, R.R. Patil. The state appears to be totally out of depth with the complexity of governance in India8217;s volatile socio-political milieu. Patil and his ilk are relative novices in handling the multi-dimensional challenges that face a modern state.

Law and order, for instance, has issues ranging from crime to transnational criminal gangs, to terrorist and seditious organisations, drug cartels, gun- and people-running and cyber and financial rackets. Single-point agendas, such as banning dance bars in Mumbai, will make little difference. Criminal networks are adept at shifting to other forms of dubious profit-making, while the ordinary bar girl ends up losing her livelihood.

The manifold intricacies of administering a modern state today requires the awareness and the ability to target issues in a sequential priority with an attempt to contain and control their adverse impact on society while simultaneously creating a culture of value-based governance devoid of personal or political gains.

But all is not lost yet in Maharashtra. The rapid restoration of calm after the rioting indicates that the administration as well as civil society is sensitive to the needs of maintaining order. The focus of the political leadership should now shift to creating a culture of governance by not looking merely at economic and corporate performance but meeting the daily needs of those at the bottom of the cotton and cane heaps in the state.