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Journalism of Courage
Uttar Pradesh is in many ways India in a microcosm, given the diversity of its people and the complexity of the problems it faces. Which is why facile and bombastic promises like the one its chief minister, Rajnath Singh, had made about bringing the law and order situation in the state under control in two weeks, are best avoided. After a bare ten days in office, Rajnath Singh already has egg on his face and UP8217;s law and order situation certainly does not inspire confidence. While there will be those who will counsel patience and say that it is only fair to give the new incumbent a chance to set things right in a chronically misgoverned state, the horrific killing of Nirbhay Pal Singh in Saharanpur indicates that the state8217;s criminals are not impressed by the chief minister8217;s dire warnings.
This was no ordinary murder. Nirbhay Pal Singh happened to be an MLA, attended by his own security guards. His house was broken into in the dead of night and he was shot down at pointblank range. Call this law and order, chief minister? In five days, the deadline that Rajnath Singh set for himself would have lapsed and it is unlikely 8212; given the present evidence 8212; that things would get dramatically transformed by then. If anything the impunity with which Nirbhay Pal Singh8217;s assailants have struck, in a neighbourhood where the commissioner of police himself resides, will only encourage further crimes of this kind. For the new chief minister there is a lesson in this: Adopt the Gandhian talisman 8212; act, don8217;t talk. To which can be added another dictum: Anticipate, then preempt. From all indications this period which is a run up to next year8217;s Assembly elections, is sure to be marked by extreme volatility, whether on class, communal, or caste lines. If he is indeed the good administrator that his mentors inDelhi seem to believe, he would be advised to take intelligent preemptive action.
