A brief introduction. Shibu Soren happens to be a tribal leader of North India. His rise to power was marked by those uninvestigated acts of violence which seem to be always associated in some way to many Indian politicians. But there was a time, however brief, when he was likened to Birsa Munda, the famous 19th century champion of the tribal cause. Well, in 2005 Soren became the Chief Minister of the newly created foothills state of Jharkhand, although his government did not survive a confidence vote. Let us quickly fast forward to the present. Soren has been convicted of the murder of his secretary, Shashi Nath Jha and has been sentenced to life imprisonment. This has occupied all the news headlines back home. Everyone is seemingly happy about the fact that the courts have returned power to "the people".
I have a few comments about this. First: who exactly are "the people?" Are we talking about the same people who elected Soren to the various offices he occupied over his entire career? There is something to be said about the statement that people deserve the leaders they choose. If the best that this country can do is to put murderers and rapists in parliamentary seats, then, lie back and enjoy what your precious elected leader will do to you after he enters office.
Secondly, it is rather naive to believe that the long arm of justice will now reach out correct whatever ills our politicians have been perpetrating on us. The high and mighty of this land have always been just that: high and mighty. Justice is a middle class concept which has no meaning when you do not have a full belly. Then thievery and beyond is not a crime. And for those of us who have much much more than just a full belly, justice is, again, a tool for keeping the washed and scrubbed masses thoroughly in their place. Economic rules are merely there to be circumvented. And if you happen to be a bartender closing shop when a bunch of unruly patrons walk in, you better do what they want.. or else you might end up being shot and seven years later your murderer still walks free. Remember Jessica Lal?
Newsflash: people, stop daydreaming! What you voted for is what you get. Take my lovely home state, for instance. West Bengal has had a Communist government for.. what.. 30 years? This goverment came to power in the wake of the Naxalite movement of the seventies. One of its most popular acts was agrarian reform.. power to the farmer, so to speak. Communism and trade unionism go hand in hand. Except, that there was something distinct Frankensteinian about the form of unionism that the Left espoused..something that lead to the industrial decimation of the state. What is left today is being outcompeted by industries down South. And then came the Tatas. Them of the under Rs. one lakh (or was it two lakh?) car. And planned to build in Singur, an agricultural region of the state. And the governmment promised them the land needed and then proceeded to go out and get it.
Which understandably led to certain hiccups. In fact, lets go all the way and call it one big mess. And our very own Mamata-di promised that no farmer's land shall be usurped with inadequate compensation. So those people who have been screaming themselves hoarse about the Left's sucidal industrial policy over the last decade and a half are now throwing a spanner in the works. Meanwhile, the Left, always the champion of the farmer is now booting the aforementioned farmer off his land and giving his some paltry compensation, which he MUST accept, or its the police on his back. Hmm.. let me stand back for a moment and think about this.. role reversal? While, the Tatas, who have enjoyed (so far) a household reputation of being honest businessmen stand back; somewhat apprehensive at this turn of events. And the farmer, poor chap has no idea......
Ok, that was a point made somewhat tedious.. in case my reader has not got the point yet, let me put it down.. politicians are here for their own good... for the greater part, their five years in office is their five year ride on the gravy express.. and we have US to blame for this sorry state of affairs. That was US and not the U.S, by the way.. they have their own problems.
And those 200, 000 girls? Yes.. it seems due to the ball being dropped by the Central government and not being picked up by the relevant state goverment (Karnataka), 200, 000 girls hailing from families below the poverty line will not be able to finish school. What is also apalling, part from the fact, is that the media chose to bury this news article far far below the front page where Soren has been placed.
I have a few comments about this. First: who exactly are "the people?" Are we talking about the same people who elected Soren to the various offices he occupied over his entire career? There is something to be said about the statement that people deserve the leaders they choose. If the best that this country can do is to put murderers and rapists in parliamentary seats, then, lie back and enjoy what your precious elected leader will do to you after he enters office.
Secondly, it is rather naive to believe that the long arm of justice will now reach out correct whatever ills our politicians have been perpetrating on us. The high and mighty of this land have always been just that: high and mighty. Justice is a middle class concept which has no meaning when you do not have a full belly. Then thievery and beyond is not a crime. And for those of us who have much much more than just a full belly, justice is, again, a tool for keeping the washed and scrubbed masses thoroughly in their place. Economic rules are merely there to be circumvented. And if you happen to be a bartender closing shop when a bunch of unruly patrons walk in, you better do what they want.. or else you might end up being shot and seven years later your murderer still walks free. Remember Jessica Lal?
Newsflash: people, stop daydreaming! What you voted for is what you get. Take my lovely home state, for instance. West Bengal has had a Communist government for.. what.. 30 years? This goverment came to power in the wake of the Naxalite movement of the seventies. One of its most popular acts was agrarian reform.. power to the farmer, so to speak. Communism and trade unionism go hand in hand. Except, that there was something distinct Frankensteinian about the form of unionism that the Left espoused..something that lead to the industrial decimation of the state. What is left today is being outcompeted by industries down South. And then came the Tatas. Them of the under Rs. one lakh (or was it two lakh?) car. And planned to build in Singur, an agricultural region of the state. And the governmment promised them the land needed and then proceeded to go out and get it.
Which understandably led to certain hiccups. In fact, lets go all the way and call it one big mess. And our very own Mamata-di promised that no farmer's land shall be usurped with inadequate compensation. So those people who have been screaming themselves hoarse about the Left's sucidal industrial policy over the last decade and a half are now throwing a spanner in the works. Meanwhile, the Left, always the champion of the farmer is now booting the aforementioned farmer off his land and giving his some paltry compensation, which he MUST accept, or its the police on his back. Hmm.. let me stand back for a moment and think about this.. role reversal? While, the Tatas, who have enjoyed (so far) a household reputation of being honest businessmen stand back; somewhat apprehensive at this turn of events. And the farmer, poor chap has no idea......
Ok, that was a point made somewhat tedious.. in case my reader has not got the point yet, let me put it down.. politicians are here for their own good... for the greater part, their five years in office is their five year ride on the gravy express.. and we have US to blame for this sorry state of affairs. That was US and not the U.S, by the way.. they have their own problems.
And those 200, 000 girls? Yes.. it seems due to the ball being dropped by the Central government and not being picked up by the relevant state goverment (Karnataka), 200, 000 girls hailing from families below the poverty line will not be able to finish school. What is also apalling, part from the fact, is that the media chose to bury this news article far far below the front page where Soren has been placed.
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