Opinion Lunch with the enemy

The iconic first shot of Mughal-e-Azam is of Akbar in plain white dress walking barefoot in hot sands towards Ajmer

April 8, 2012 03:14 AM IST First published on: Apr 8, 2012 at 03:14 AM IST

The iconic first shot of Mughal-e-Azam is of Akbar in plain white dress walking barefoot in hot sands towards Ajmer. He seeks blessings from the Dargah of Moinuddin Chishti for a son he sorely needs. As he walks,we see behind him an elephant with full caparisoned regalia but an empty howdah where the emperor would have sat. The symbols of power are there to see.

It does not look like Asif Ali Zardari will walk barefoot from Islamabad to Ajmer. But he has a lot of blessings to seek from the Saint. He could seek forgiveness for his pending corruption cases. He may have a private confession or two to make about his wifes tragic and violent death. Or he may just wish that when his term is over,they would not hound him back to jail.

The Prime Minister is a gentle person and he is unlikely to make his guest have indigestion at lunch by talking about uncomfortable matters. Indeed,I would suggest that he become his guests friend and mentor. The Americans have clumsily put the matter of Hafiz Saeed in harsh light by offering a $10 million bounty. Zardari will be worried about that. Obviously he has two masters to answer tothe US and the Islamist movement. What is he to do?

Dr Singh may perhaps suggest that there is a unique Indian way out of his dilemma. All Zardari needs to do is to have Saeed arrested,tried and given a death sentence. That is the easy part. Then Saeed can be escorted to a plush luxurious jail with air conditioned rooms,LCD TV sets,a large visitors room where the Cabinet can come to seek his blessings and he can communicate with his followers,plot more crimes against India. And why not? This is how we treat murderers in India if they have been ministers as the Bibi Jagir Kaur example amply demonstrates.

Saeed will also know that the death sentence need not disturb him at all. There can be mercy petitions to ask the President to pardon him. Zardari as President will do nothing to speed up the decision on the petitions. After all,the clever thing is to keep the convicts hanging in there (forgive the pun) rather than settle the issue. The delay in granting the petition allows their supporters to have marches and demonstrations throughout the country. For just about any convict on death row in India,it is not difficult to get up a mob to agitate against the hanging. Secularist fundamentalists oppose any hanging of Muslims convicted of crimes. I am sure Islamist fundamentalists in Pakistan will return the compliment.

This unique Indian way of dealing with criminals has several things to recommend it for Zardari. He can reassure the Americans that he has arrested and tried Saeed and that he is now in custody. As to who can claim the bounty,we will leave it to Zardari to decide. Maybe they can give it to Hafiz Saeed who can surrender himself on the full understanding that the jail is just a home away from home. Pakistan can tell Americans that their law will deal with Saeed and that he will not be extradited. India will also have the satisfaction of being able to go on protesting about the treatment of Hafiz Saeed and that will keep the MHA busy,feeling virtuously indignant.

Alas,none of this will happen. Zardaris life will not be long lasting if he so much as probed Hafiz Saeeds movements. He has as little control over what happens in Pakistan as UPA-II has over Mamata Banerjees whims and erratic demands. Governing may give you the formal feeling of power but the reality is elusive. India has not seen a more ineffectual government in its 65-year history. This is even when the Congress got more seats in 2009 than BJP had in its NDA days. Democratic legitimacy is an argument you can throw at Anna Hazare but not against your coalition partners and much less so against the Opposition.

If news is to be credited,even the Army has begun to have its doubts.