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Journalism of Courage
The Delhi Laws Special Provisions Bill, 2006 8212; passed through an unanimous voice vote in Parliament late last week 8212; has breached new levels of political cynicism. The Bill suspends for a year any demolitions of unauthorised buildings. According to the man who piloted the Bill, Urban Affairs Minister Jaipal Reddy, the government will use this year to finalise norms and strategies to deal with the problem of unauthorised constructions. Do not presume, he warns, that this Bill means 8220;we will condone everything8221;. Instead he promises to use this period to lay down a list of punishable violations. This, of course, is ministerial casuistry at its most eloquent. In a year8217;s time Delhi will be closer to another election. To expect us to believe that the government will stand up to the illegalities of the powerful land mafia at that point 8212; when it has abysmally failed to do so today 8212; is to insult our powers of deduction.
Also notice the commitment politicians across the spectrum have demonstrated in getting this Bill passed. The 8220;special consideration8221; awarded to it ensured both extraordinary speed and extraordinary consensus. But neither the speed of its enactment, nor the unanimity that marked the process, makes the Bill a commendable piece of legislation. There can be no getting away from the fact that this is a crass attempt at protecting criminal violations in order to make technically legal what is blatantly illegal. It is just not acceptable; just as a law legalising murder cannot be condoned even if there was a political consensus behind it.
