As Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren tries to dodge ED summons and possible arrest, there is speculation that his wife may take his place in the state government. A repeat of the Lalu-Rabri switch that took place in Bihar! Soren’s sister-in-law, however, is laying claim to the post on the plea that she is the elder ‘bahu’ of the family. Is Jharkhand family property? But this is a common strain that exists in Indian politics, and a significant number of people do not consider it odd.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rightly targeted dynastic politics and appealed to the people to exercise their vote to exorcise this devil. It is difficult, however, as caste and community are inextricably linked with this phenomenon. One of the arguments against the ED pursuit of Soren is that he is a ‘tribal’ leader. Where have politicians got the idea that one’s social identity provides one the privilege of being above the law, particularly in cases of corruption? This support comes from a ‘sharing of the spoils’ down the line with the caste or community brethren, and also allocation of plum positions to favoured persons. It is deeply ingrained in the system and difficult to extricate. New eco-systems of privilege begin to emerge even as older ones are displaced.
People have to be aware of the fact that the cost society pays for such cancerous growths takes a heavy toll on the entire system. The objectives of governance are undermined and the basic structure is weakened. All that citizens would take for granted are denied. These include the very communities that support politicians for reasons other than competence to do the job.
This parasitical system is being defended nowadays in the name of democracy, federalism, social and economic justice. The attempt is to project the clean-up as a budding dictatorship. Are the people so foolish as to be taken in by such pathetic arguments? How can there be so little concern and shock at amounts such as Rs 350 crores in cash being recovered from a Congress MP? What is Hemant Soren doing with Rs 35 lakhs, again in cash, at his residence? No wonder they were so bitterly opposed to demonetisation! In a majority of cases where the ED has conducted searches, incriminating evidence has been discovered. How can it, then, be described as victimisation? Is there such a thing as doing the right thing for the wrong reasons if the outcome is good? India’s progress can no longer be hindered for the sake of an entitled few!
