The Talkative Apathetic Indian

We talk incessantly about the ills which afflict our society and vociferously condemn official lapses and misdemeanours.

We talk incessantly about the ills which afflict our society and vociferously condemn official lapses and misdemeanours. Yet there is no resolute follow-up action. Every year during the monsoon roads are flooded, traffic is paralysed and tremendous hardship is suffered by the common folk. The routine official excuse is blockage of drains because of heavy downpour. But why is no remedial action taken before the monsoon and the drainage system overhauled? Citizens must insist, nay ensure, that necessary steps are undertaken by the officials concerned and, if necessary, dharnas should be held in front of their offices and homes to shake them out of their lethargy.

We talk eloquently about the vital importance of primary education for children. Yet we are mute spectators to the notorious phenomenon of widespread absenteeism of teachers in secondary schools who shamelessly sign the attendance register and decamp thereafter to pursue other lucrative activities. Why don8217;t the concerned local authorities and governments come down with a heavy hand to end this shameful state of affairs? Citizen groups should launch a sustained agitation to ensure that children are not deprived of their fundamental right to education. A PIL in this connection is necessary so that the court can give appropriate directions to the authorities and haul them up for contempt in case of non-compliance.

We have cried hoarse about corruption and have passed laws to curb this evil. Yet there is singular failure to enact a law, despite the recommendation of the previous Law Commission, which provides for the freezing, seizure and confiscation of the assets of persons found guilty of corruption after a fair trial. The corrupt should not enjoy the fruits of their misdeeds and ill-gotten wealth. Mere fines and jail terms are not sufficient deterrents. The resourceful corrupt convict will ensure delivery of sumptuous food and other goodies to his prison cell by fixing the jail authorities. We must end the sickening spectacle of the corrupt gentry doing a short spell in prison and then picking up the benefits of their illicitly acquired assets, ingeniously registered in the names of their family, friends and sometimes their lawyers. Incessant agitation for the enactment of such a law is necessary. MPs should be pressured by holding dharnas and if necessary gheraoing them. Our motto should be zidd karo, duniya badlo. The snag is that some MPs could be facing trials for corruption. Alas we will go on talking and talking and possibly singing Que Sera Sera.

Prof Amartya Sen8217;s next book should be the ever-talking apathetic Indian, which could be quite enlightening.

Onslaught of Intolerance

We are again witnessing an outburst of intolerance leading to violence. The exhibition of the paintings of renowned painter M.F. Husain organised by Sahmat was vandalised by an intolerant mob which considers some of his paintings objectionable. They are entitled to their views but surely they cannot take the law into their hands and worse, get away with it. Have any arrests been made? Has anyone been prosecuted? Inaction by the administration would encourage bigoted groups to break the law with impunity.

A heartening feature is the recent order of the Bombay High Court which restrained Raj Thackeray and his followers from unleashing violence against shopkeepers in Mumbai who do not put up signboards in Marathi. A division bench of Justices J.N. Patel and K. K. Tated rightly observed that the rule of law must prevail and no one can hold the state to ransom. The Court pointedly enquired of the government what action it had taken against Thackeray for the intimidatory missives that were shot off to the traders. No one can object to putting up additional nameplates or signboards in Marathi. However, no civilised society based on the Rule of Law can tolerate the fascist tendency underlying the forcible imposition of the diktats of Raj Thackeray, who has done immense damage to the cosmopolitan spirit of Mumbai and the tolerant culture of our country. Three cheers for the Bombay High Court.