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Journalism of Courage
Mukul Sangma,right after taking over as chief minister of Meghalaya,made a significant statement ordering the denotification of all political appointees that is,he decided to question why the states current and former legislators were all firmly ensconced in various boards and corporations as chairmen.
Sangma has highlighted a damaging trend in our governance perhaps it is wishful to expect his attack on patronage politics to reverberate elsewhere in the country,but Sangmas course will be keenly watched. This particular form of political generosity is almost taken for granted in our system what was once visible in the form of ministerial appointments has now been replaced by these comfortable corporate positions. In Indian politics,you are always friends with benefits. Recall Uttar Pradesh in 1997,when Kalyan Singh took this method to grotesque lengths,as the BJP got the support of MLAs from other parties during a vote of confidence,and then accommodated them all in a 93-member council of ministers. Several states,from Bihar to Karnataka,went a similar way. When everyones angling to be a minister,it skews the necessary tension between executive and legislature,not to mention how much an extra unnecessary minister costs the coffers in terms of staff,cars,accommodation and security. Finally,the NDA in 2003 (with cross-party support) moved to limit the size of the council of ministers at the Centre and states to 15 per cent of the numerical strength of the legislature.
Since then,that blatant ministry-padding has been replaced by a flow of other favours,and less visible forms of patronage political appointments in managerial posts are among the ways in which party advantage is established. However,like all such appointments,the arrangement demoralises the professionals and career executives in these corporations,and is also a drain on their resources. More worryingly,it frays the idea of responsibility to an elected legislature keeping an independent check on the executive. The acceptance of this system,where the victorious political formation divides the spoils and accommodates its supporters in all kinds of paying gigs,has a corrosive effect on the quality of our democracy.
