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Journalism of Courage
The Maharashtra Government8217;s responses to various allegations of wrong-doing by politicians, businessmen and officials raise doubts about its seriousness in combating corruption and crime. One recent decision which has inevitably aroused public speculation about the Government8217;s intentions is the sudden transfer of a Deputy Commissioner of Police whose conscientious investigations have brought to light the misappropriation of funds in cooperatives. In the now notorious cobbler societies8217; scam involving large businessmen, the sums amount to as much as Rs 1500 crore. Sufficient material has been discovered for arrests to be made in that case and in two cooperative banks, the Abhyudaya Bank and the Janata Sahakari Bank. On the face of it, therefore, the removal of DCP Suresh Pandey at this juncture is unwarranted. Unless, of course, the Government8217;s message is that the reward for successful police work is a posting to a non-controversial job in a district as far as possible from the wheeling and dealing in Mumbai.
Equally inexplicable is the long delay in bringing in the accused in the Abhyudaya Bank case, including an independent MLA, for questioning. There is indication here of a lack of firm direction to the police to do its job properly. This is in sharp contrast to the excess of zeal all round when it came to jailing a politically inconvenient mafia don some months ago. Either way, the Government itself is being seen to bend the rules. Such signals from the top act as a severe discouragement to the honest discharge of their duties by officials at all levels. As for the image of the Shiv Sena and the BJP among the people, it can be rightly said that Anna Hazare8217;s campaigns are not doing nearly as much damage as the Government8217;s own actions. Not that the activist from Ralegan Sidhi is making no direct impact. But his chief importance lies in exposing the Government8217;s stonewalling tactics when it comes to rooting out corruption.
