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Journalism of Courage
The saga of former journalist and Punjab Public Service Commission chairman Ravinder Paul Singh Sidhu grows in scale.
New forays by vigilance sleuths into the treasure trove that was bared to public view when Sidhu was caught allegedly pocketing a bribe, have unearthed more unaccounted for riches.
It is important to nab Sidhu, and to make sure he does not stage a getaway abroad where much of his booty awaits him. But it is equally important to ensure the outrage does not flag, as it always does, once that8217;s done. The disgraced PPSC chairman is only a peg. This is a larger story of systemic corruption.
The problem is the outrage never outlasts the media headlines. The problem is it targets only the individual, never the process. After Sidhu8217;s detention, for instance, questions must be asked about the impunity with which he gathered his riches for so long, about the failure to institutionalise due procedure, and the checks and balances that didn8217;t work. By all accounts, Sidhu was allowed a free run for nearly six years.
Despite a swirl of charges and allegations of corruption, and the loud murmurs of the PPSC chairman demanding and getting vast sums of bribe money for almost every appointment by the Commission.
With hundreds of appointments made by the commission each year, he was left mostly undisturbed to undermine the credibility of his office and more.
It is safe to assume that over these years, Sidhu filled the state bureaucracy with appointees who were selected because of their ability to pay, and who would consequently repair the dent this has caused to their own coffers in the course of their tenures.
If care is not taken, the long rope the system gives to Sidhu and others like him may even work in their favour when they are finally caught. In other circumstances, Air Marshal M.S. Sekhon tried, though unsuccessfully, to use it as an alibi.
Caught writing to the then chief minister of Punjab to seek favours for an appointment, Sekhon reportedly attempted to shrug off the blame by pointing to others: others have done as much, and worse, he said.
The Air Force top brass was fortunately not swayed, but the episode must serve a warning. While those who are caught must be given exemplary punishment, it will not be enough to restore the credibility of the system. For that to happen, there must be serious thinking on the loopholes that allow most others to get away.
It can only be hoped that the saga of Ravinder Paul Singh Sidhu is not overtaken and buried in the days to come.
It must stay for longer than the time it takes to bring its protagonist fully to book. It must linger on as increased vigilance and alertness towards similar, though less spectacular, attempts to subvert the system.
