Rape by a Society

She must have laughed, chuckled, cracked jokes and played pranks. She must have partied and celebrated with smiles and loved ones. She must have also sobbed and cried. But all these elements that make life, finally decided to betray her when ‘we’ raped her. In this article, I talk about the different elements of this recent event, alluding to a few reports that have appeared in the media. Also, this aims at sensitizing people towards an unacceptable evil.

The protests...

Misplaced protests are at the heart of Indian democracy. While the intentions may be clearly noble, the kind of protests will fail to evoke any meaningful response. We live in an age of information. As youth, instead of just using our vocal cord to increase decibel levels, we should aim at providing effective ideas to the lawmakers and the judiciary so that we can be more effective as a society. Most of the protests that I saw were generated out of anger, which while completely understandable ignore the ‘solution’. Just saying “The accused should be punished at the earliest and given death penalty’’ is not the answer. One placard read “Pornography is a fantasy but Rape is a reality” – How in the world does that even make sense! That said, I have been involved myself with the protests, be it the demand for the Jan Lokpal or against these heinous crime of rapes. While we had effective points to be included in the Jan lokpal bill, I have some suggestions for effectively checking the incidents of rape which I have written at length in this article, as suggestion to the Justice Verma committee on improving safety and security of women.

...and when it drew the first blood

Our protests to obtain justice for that lady took away the life of a constable, and effectively, with that, that of his family, he being the only bread earner. Even if we take into consideration that the police were first to go against the mob, nothing justifies the death of the policeman. When asked around the many that got injured during the protests (and not in respect to the death of the policeman, just to be clear), the police commissioner was quick to suggest that ‘collateral damages’ do occur as a part of such protests. “Collateral damage” is a term for the war zone.  A police is placed precisely to prevent collateral damage. The inefficient police commissioner clearly read his police manuals wrong – so believes Dipankar Gupta who is one of the most well-known sociologists in the country.

The King with folded hands and a script

The Prime minister finally decided a few days later that the Nation demanded from him an act of article reading. Perhaps he misinterpreted the intentions. His miniature script included reading from a piece of paper and then (thanks to ANI) after reading , he remarked “theek hai?” (clearly for the press but the press people forgot to edit the last bit). This clearly shows  how manual his response and feelings are. We wanted him to stand with us, in our cause to build a nation secure for all of us, including the three daughters that he has. He has failed us, yet again. As a joke circulated suggested , he perhaps does not even open his mouth before the dentist. He should take leadership lessons from President Obama and study how the President tirelessly worked for the people during hurricane Sandy (so much so that New Jersey’s Republican governor was all praises for him)  or how he personally met the families of the recent gun

The Solution

Justice.verma@nic.in

That’s the email address where you can send in your suggestions for an effective law to be implemented. I have written to Mr. Verma suggesting a few changes and inclusion, alluding to a few instances I could recall. I would encourage all of you to please write in as well.

1. Provide statutorily mandated allocation of more budget to forensic sciences and establish more medical schools with good infrastructure so that such cases can be investigated into with utmost urgency.

2. Fast track the proceedings of such cases (and the above solution with aide this) and justice be meted out within 60 days or depending upon the complexity of the case, to an utmost of 90 days. ( A girl was raped and killed 2 years ago in Kerala in a moving train’s lady’s compartment and her family has not received any justice as yet.)

3. Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code that defines rape should be broadened to include both male and female rapes and include the rape through insertion of foreign objects (clearly accounting for ‘kisses’ and the likes to have different level of punishment under ‘molestation’). Include marital rape into purview as well(the law commission rejected considering forced sex with the wife as ‘rape’). In essence, any non-consensual sex should be included.

4. ‘Finger test’ should be done away with at the EARLIEST! In rape cases, when a woman goes to the police to file a complaint against rape, she undergoes a finger test, wherein a finger is inserted into the female’s primary reproductive part to ascertain whether she is habituated to sex. This is ridiculous! This is degrading, irrelevant and shameful!(The US and the UK have protocols on how the doctors should examine these cases and are observed nationwide).

5. Laws should have a provision so that there is no allusion to a woman’s past sexual history as a means to justify such act. Many a times past reference are used as a means to justify acts of rape or to diminish the severity of the crime.

6. Improve the policing specially at night. Install ‘functioning’ CCTV cameras in public transports and at crossroads duly monitored 24 x 7.

7. Social audits of the Police and Judiciary so that there is regular check-ins of the performance and provide for actions and rewards that are commensurate with their performance.

8. Death penalty for the people found ‘scientifically’ guilty with adequate evidences suggesting a rape irrespective of it fitting under the ‘rarest of rare’ category. Should not rape itself be a ‘rare’ act! Also, in case of wrong allegations, the girl should be harshly punished on the same pretext of ruining a person’s life.

9. Inform and educate kids at elementary school level about the harsh realities of rape, so as to sensitize the future generations on what are the consequences of such an act.

10. Enforce with conviction the laws to remove the tinted glasses used in the cars (the laws while has been in place since the 90s , rich and mighty easily get away with these). All India conviction rate is dismally low at 26%.

11. Bar people alleged of rapes from contesting election. The National Election Watch has revealed that in the last 5 years, 6 people have contested Lok sabha elections , 27 others have contested Vidhan Sabha elections after declaring themselves that they were charged of rape.

While the above is for Justice Verma to ponder upon, there are a few suggestions for my friends

Girls

We have betrayed you and no amount of apology will even come near sufficing. However unfortunate it may be, you have to take care of yourselves. Simple steps can go a long way in making life easier for you and your family.

• Check that the doors are locked when you sit in your car
• Carry a pepper spray and keep it very accessible to you
• Do not board shared cabs , specially where you are likely to be the only female
• Trust your boy-friends, but not blindly (there happened a case in  Delhi where the boy let a policeman rape his own gf )
• Learn self-defense mechanisms

Boys

Get up and yes, Grow up. As one placard suggested “skirt se unchi, soch hai”.

The moral and legal debate around this subject can be endless. What we need to do as a society is profound and clear. Let us teach ourselves the lessons that we have learnt out of these happenings and perhaps then, our moral Dharma will take care of inefficient laws and their substandard implementation. Let us not be the Dhritarashtras of the world, who sits taking pleasure when Draupadi was being robbed of her chastity. Let us be the divine lights that did not let her lose her honour. 

Chills, Chaste and Charades - love as we now know it

Disclaimer: All the characters in this article are fictional to a convenient degree. Any resemblance to any person living or dead is slightly coincidental.

The winters and its accessories

Sleeveless jackets, confused shivers and increasing cups of teas and coffee all are perfect needles that point toward the winter’s setting in. Interestingly, winter is a season where most love stories thrive or perish. I wrote a year back about the one side of love, almost in the same season. That was perhaps the setting in of many things in my life, yes of course, including the winters. This time, it is the termination of the very things that started then. We know human nature is complex. Our mind works in a complex manner, our actions guided by love for our own self, disguised in various reasons or excuses. I know there are many books written around pure love, break ups, infidelity, heart breaks and even on resulting deaths. Perhaps, the high number of such books are indicative of how frequent are these occurring.

The Cliché

I have a friend named Aarti. She is a lady of sound economic sense, probably a virtue rooted in her middle class upbringing. She is rationally religious; however, a little rigid on what defines ethical way of life, not given to any activity considered sin in middle age India. Unfortunately, last winter, she met with an accident. Fatal as it is, some puritans call it love.

She is that traditional lover you probably find only in the classic love stories. ‘All for one boy’ and dedicates her all to him, despite being conservative. She is sweet and almost an angel to her partner, showering her unconditional, unequivocal love daily with indefatigable vigour.

For one year, the love never dipped, in fact increased exponentially beyond her own expectations. Her feelings of love remained the same, however, the methods improved. From expressing love through daily messages on phone to emails of love and then to the hand written, calligraphic letters, she made moments special for him. Her methods became novel to an extent, where she wrote in Hindi a letter for her boy-friend (long after the Hindi classes become just a reminiscence in our lives).  His birthday became more important than hers, his happiness became reasons to smile, his phone call became the most valued asset , his family became hers and his priorities took special place in her heart. She never let any stone unturned. She was a girl who tried to live in limited means, but always tried to optimize those limited means to make him feel loved. When it was his 28^th birthday, she celebrated a week in advance, doing things she could never do before – preparing a dish daily for her beloved, writing a letter daily and waking up early to be the first to wish. She never knew how to bake a cake, but the birthday saw a hand made cake, full of sweetness of love, melting in the chocolate of dedication. It was a chocolate cake, she made on the base of biscuits and ornamented it as well as she could plan with tablets of gems to write the initials of his name on the cake. Though, he left it unfinished, she felt that his kiss was a reward for her, his smile was reason for her to plan the next birthday, though that birthday was never to come. She slept just two hours that day, so that he felt special, and he surely showed he did. However, her own birthday was not the same. She expected love, care and some promises. They never came. In fact, many of her hopes shattered, and realizations dawned. In all fairness, he was a good man, appeared genuine and truthful. She had considered him her God. He promised nothing, but just that he would love her always, daily and forever. However,  she did not know that the love can easily be substituted by lifestyle. He found a better girl, one who could satisfy his needs, could drive a Mercedes to his parents and party late night with the like ‘minted’ friends. She was helpless and could just not accept that her boy-friend never fought for her. When he met a girl , he “moved on” in a few days if not minutes (she would never know). How could have she accepted it! It was hard for her. But she loved him. She cried for hours at length, her friends were there for her, some rude, some consoling, some loving, while others abused him. All were honest though. She wished him well for life, though I do not think she will ever forgive him for what he did. It’s up to us to realize and note if ‘classic’ way of loving works anymore, or we should just be ‘no strings attached’. I wish I knew the answer to this. Surely, should I know , I will pen it down.

Meanwhile …

She left a note to him before she receded into the oblivion:

"My life, my oxygen, I am sure what you want from life is important for you. For so long I have lived in your heart , my breath synchronized with your heartbeats I have seen the world through your eyes, smelled the beauty that the world is through your senses. You made my life beautiful and special, something that I could not for you. Now I find myself homeless, driven away from your life. On bad days I had you to love me. On good ones, you were there to share the joy with. I cry as someone died. Look through my eyes, and someone actually did.  The most precious jewel I had was you – most serene , caring and an angel. I have been a fan of your ways, as your gf, lover or just as a friend. Your touch was enough to tell me that “all is ok”. Now I do not have the touch, hence I cry. I miss making you smile, miss your dumb jokes, miss your alluding to historical facts, miss your holding me tight, your heart, your lips , your smell. I kiss my own hands and weep for hours, because I do not have yours. Hence, I cry. My anger was checked by you and how dare I shout at you , pain you. I cry so much because so much is left undone. Everytime I see people holding hands, taking a walk, kissing, making love, I only think of one thing – your eyes. The winters was where it all started. How won’t the fog, delays in going back to home, warmth, roses on 31^st December, not remind me of how more beautiful could we be. It started with your tears, might well end with mine. How will I write to you that you are more beautiful than the God, how your suit is a little different today, how you are looking like a prince on the day of our wedding, how will I tell you that I wish that these ceremonies get over at the earliest so that you can hug me, how will we nurture the future of our kids together – a balanced upbringing. Now “I” will be someone else. Hence I cry. Sweet love, deep love, small fights, big cries – all were us. Never are relationships free of problems, but the people are the solution.  I cannot change my background. You left me for that. I want to do everything, with you as my companion. Hence I cry. Now I do not see you wait for me, bring back that car to pick me up when I could not wish you a Bye , I do not know how to live without your eyes, lips, hugs and your presence. How will I comfort you if you see a bad dream. You are the best and no one can be as good. With or without me, that is a reality that won’t change. My letters will now have a different signature, you will compare moon with someone else, breeze and good weather will remind you of someone you have chosen. No “reached home?”, “where are you?”, “How’s work? “What-are-you-doing?”, neither singing for each other at nights , caring in the least about the lyrics or the tune. Someone else will whisper to you in your ears in the mornings, hold you and you will hold her back, and she won’t be your “Aarti”. Hence I cry. Take care my Grace, my love"

Love Vs Louis Vuitton

Many a times when we discuss the breaking up of trust, the guys are mostly blamed. However, is that so? Have we all not seen guys cry after their girlfriends breach their trust? Yes, we have. I think, this is more to do with the individual personality than gender. I have a little knowledge through an acquaintance

Aman, a friend , is a man devoid of essential elements one considers integral for a boy to ‘grow up’ (euphemism used in public interest). In his case, his Santro worked perfectly well and won many races , beating the BMWs. Overconfident that he would make ‘love’ define life, starts his pursuit to happiness. Lucky he, his sweetheart (named Pavitra by her parents) had some other plans. How well he talked to me about how beautiful she is, how her smile makes his days cheerful, how waiting for her was the best things he has spent time on, how plucking flowers from inaccessible places been the most adventurous activity, how believing in her was the best conviction he had, more than God his faith resided with Pavitra. However, Pavitra chose LV over Love. I, unfortunately, do not have much detail on his story.  Novelty attached in his life was that Pavitra chose a phone call to announce to him about her finding a suitable match. Also, I  know that he very well sang for her Ronan Keating’s “When you say nothing at all” and that is favorite lines were:

“The smile on your face lets me know that you need me

There’s a truth in your eyes saying you’ll never leave me

The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me whenever I fall”

However, he realized that the smiles were deceitful; the truth was never there, hands never held him with care and the love was never what he had thought it to be. Perhaps, he loved a girl that never existed, just like in Aarti’s case it was just the illusion of love.

The End   

Perhaps captioning the section “The End” is the only novelty attached to this article. All mentioned through the stories are profound, has happened either with us or with one of our closest. How much a human heart can love a person, is a matter that is best left placid. The power in a relationship lies with the person who loves ‘less’.   We will have our prejudices.  One person tells me that boys look for girls who are a – available; b – beautiful and girls look for boys who are a – rich; b – richer. This is one formula you can validate or counter based on your own lives.  Clearly in the cases of Aarti and Aman, their partners needed some things better, perhaps even gave in to infidelity to break the two hearts. If I were to opine, I would say that Love should be the chariot of life. ‘Love’ in all senses – for everyone around you.  You should wish well for however bad your partner has done , even if she is an infidel or fooled around with you for some pleasure or better still experimented with you to see if you fit the bill.

The broader question one needs to ask is whether we, as a society, are becoming selfish, disregarding the virtues of love. Have the materialism of luxurious life substituted the regards for one’s care? Are the two antagonists representatives of the society that we have become – not caring for the partner who you spent so much of time with? One year seems good enough for people to take a call that they cannot spend the life with people who they claim to have loved, however, the same people, in a couple of meetings accept to spend the life with a stranger (the net worth of these individuals + that of their dads play an integral role in these “yeses” ) . I wish we live in a world where no girl hurts a guy, sets wrong expectations , plays with the emotions he was to cherish for life, plays with his life that was more hers than his and no girl suggests “move on by living life normally” and then by action gets married to another making mockery of every memory they had. Likewise, nothing is more pure than a girl’s loving heart. There should not be any tears over misunderstanding, no one should curb her smiles, no one should leave her alone. Hope we hold each other’s hands, tightly and with conviction, promising to let the love triumph. In a utopian wish, I hope all true love stories meet the ‘correct’ end.

Special thanks  to: Somya for your inputs, Dhruv for your support, Kanishka for your mockery, Tanvi for the cake, Kritika for your LV vs Love fundamental + your inputs, Gandharv for helping me with the name Aarti and people who have inspired me to write this (both the ‘practical-it-won’t -work’ ones and the ‘love-will-solve-everything’ ones)    

Expecting eyes

A few moments in life are good enough to make you believe in God, a few sights are sufficient to make you love Life, however, there are equally disturbing images that can make you lose hope, feel perplexed and dejected. One such sight can be beheld in Vrindavan, and I could not skip mentioning briefly the sad state of affairs of the widows who live there. Earlier, this year, I read in a newspaper about the painful ‘life’ that these widows live and the terrible death that they eventually face. Their plight is such that even the most ardent devotees of God are forced into re-thinking their allegiance with the Supreme power.

The report said “The bodies of widows who die in government-run shelter homes in Vrindavan are taken away by sweepers at night, cut into pieces, put into jute bags and disposed of as the institutions do not have any provision for a decent funeral. This, too, is done only after the inmates give money to the sweeper!”  While ostensibly this shows a very disturbing picture, on a deeper introspection it also challenges each one of us to look within our own selves to understand the inherent disrespect to life with which we all have “learnt to live”.

Imagine living a lonely life with unlit Diwali , colorless Holi, no one to hug you on Eid and no one to tie you Rakhi , no one to remember your birthday and the memories of any Anniversary just well your eyes, leaving you helpless and choking you to yet another death that has become so frequent. While we would hope that nothing like this ever happens to anyone, the unfortunate reality is otherwise.

Why do we need special shelters for the old aged? An orphan may not have the umbrella of love from her parents, but what about the Parents who have kids but are forced to live a life of seclusion? Ever seen those expecting eyes, the trembling hands, the wrinkled yet gentle face looking with a hope that we, as a society, would care and give them back the love they deserve and the respect they command. A little smile on their faces is worth a fortune, plain , genuine and purest of smiles that have become so uncommon in today’s world. Empathy should be our mechanism and love, the tool. Treat them as our own, give them the dignity that they need, love them unconditionally and provide them the occasions to celebrate. Help our elders and the neglected erase all the bad memories of the past. Let us help build a world of joy, happiness and peace for those who have raised us. The canvas is theirs, let us just help them paint the way they want. The tears should be that of joy, the hands should bless our souls, the face should glitter with genuine hope and the heart be filled with happiness always.

Courtesy

Report appeared in the Hindu and here is the link to it:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2784876.ece?css=print

'License' to Kill

Dear minister (Prime or otherwise) and bureaucrats,

Thanks for the speeches and promises as we celebrated yet another Independence day a few days back. You are the apostles of patriotism and I feel that we are lucky to have you as our guarding angels, people who keep our democracy close to their heart and ‘chest’.  

I am a layman with limited understanding of how the world works. Sometimes I feel I am lost in the abstract nature of circumstances that surround me. Mr Minister, I am not much of a man behind the wheels, however, just as you are aspirants of driving the country in a proper manner, I want to drive a slightly smaller object of comfort - my car. Unfortunately, I do not have a license to drive. Having applied for it almost a month back, someone in the office told me that the Passport papers are not submitted as yet. They demand me two grand to fix this up, for submission of papers that were given to them a month back. It is painful in itself that after 24 years of my existence I am not allowed to take the car on my own. I am assuming that these two thousand rupees are the processing charges , though some of my friends tried to misguide me into thinking that this money would goes to the personal pockets to a few. They say that just as no one could get a Passport made without paying Rs. 500 or 1000 to the officials, driving a car is but a dream if you so not pay what is demanded. But then, I am sure my friends know nothing and I choose to repose my trust in you, though it is strange that I could not find any information of this fees on the website (http://india.gov.in/howdo/howdoi.php?service=6).

As you choose to block my SMSes (a loss of  an amount worth the sms pack that 2 years later the CAG may accuse you for helping the mobile players gain some lakh crores in the garb of curbing rumour train), I wanted to raise this trivial issue on the blog, more because I wanted to tell you how active and concerned a citizen I am. I will contribute to the progress of my country by paying this processing charge. Just as you use the tax I pay for building ‘durable’ roads, ‘efficient’ healthcare, ‘universal’ public distribution systems and ‘affordable and quality’ education to all, I hope you use this money to a good effect.

Thanking you

Yours truly

Rahul

Sari to Suit : what changes ?

Many congratulations to Pranab Mukherjee on becoming the 13^th resident of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, and some may with a smirk term him soon as the first citizen of a country that holds more than 1.2 billion people. Some people ask me if I am happy. The answer is two pronged and that is an unfortunate thing. Relatively, yes I am. I am personally fond of anyone who gives our current first lady some time to rest peacefully in the royal home she has been wanting post her retirement (not adequately Gandhian , is she!) . However, on an absolute scale, I am doubtful. Is it in the DNA of our Presidents to be submissive or is it to do with the (nominal) powers vested with the President. I have no degree in Pol. Science , however, it would be fantastic to see our Presidents get more involved in matters that concern the nation internally than just camouflage their foreign trips in the garb of ‘International bonding’.

The sad part about this election has been, that while preserving the democratic process of the electing the president, there have been needless and headless moves by our leading opposition party, the BJP that clearly emerges as the sole loser. While it lost the support of two of its allies, it also succumbed to its own inability to take decisions at critical times. They could not find one candidate that they could support full steam with conviction. Instead they had to ride on the back of a candidate proposed by other smaller parties (the BJD and AIADMK in this case). While PA Sangma could not stop thanking the BJP, some ghosts from the past came haunting every time he thanked them. Mr. Sangma represents the tribals and is a worthy Christian. However, the post of the President lured him so much that he unnecessarily went on song and became uneasily equivocal about the killings of Graham Staines ( a man burnt alive along with his two sons in 1999 and Bajrang Dal activist is behind bars facing the consequences )  and the Kandhmal riots.

One point I feel that political analysts have missed is the credit of the victory to the Congress, however, not in the conventional sense. In a very straight look of it, yes, the candidate the Congress fielded, won the elections and hence it’s a Congress victory. Fair enough. But is there anything beneath that also which qualifies as a win (internal) for them?  Yes, there is. With the ghosts of various corruption charges looming large on what is termed as the most corrupt government India has seen, the sycophants in the Congress party must be celebrating with an extra candle on the cake. The 2014 election is not very far and the performance of the Congress has been dismal in state elections. The only person worthy of replacing ‘an honest man of great caliber’ Manmohan Singh as the Prime minister, from the Congress, is/was Pranab Mukharjee. But the Rahul fan following in the Congress thought of an ingenious way of pleasing the veteran politician and at the same time getting way with what it wanted. Now it is clear for Rahul Gandhi, who has only ‘an eligible bachelor’ tag as credit so far to add to his political Curriculum Vitae, to become the Prime ministerial candidate of the Congress.

I hope that Mr. Mukharjee does not act as per the part lines, but more as my President who I can look upto and be proud of. An office once glorified by the presence of Rajendra Prasad and Dr. Radhakrishnan should live up to the standard that was set by these greats. I wish Five years later, people identify Mr. Mukharjee as one of the better presidents than fail to realize who the President is. It was difficult to realize this when our President wore a Sari, hopefully, with the suit, the winds of change takes our ship to a harbor of prosperity through the tranquil seas of stability.

PS - Those who need some information around what an able and willing President can do, please read Abdul Kalam's new book "Turning Points : A journey through challenges". 

The Future of Indian Democracy

Talking about future of Indian democracy, Lord Meghnad Desai makes an interesting suggestion about the prospective scene when the next parliament sits. Anticipating it as a “ helter-skelter” ride, he mentions how a third front can get together to give a new meaning to coalition – a front which is a conglomerate of various regional parties which come together with a comprehensive Common Minimum Program , bedding adios to dependency on two primary parties – the BJP and the Congress.

However novel and with heart in place, the above seems just an anticipation, or utmost, just hope. First, the choice of regional parties coming together to form such a coalition is as perplexing as it can get. Who do you choose between a SP and a BSP in UP or between DMK and AIDMK in Tamil Nadu? You have hardly anything to choose between these parties, however much your heart is inclined towards one of these. Additionally, parties agnostic to the ideology, what I would call the “potato parties” (so as to mingle effortlessly in any vegetable) like the LJP and the TMC, will anyways be hell bent on being the part of “any” government. But, just wanting to be a part of the government in itself knocks out the basis of such a coalition, which would then lack ideology of ethical Governance.

Another assumption of such a coalition is their ability to come up with a detailed Common Minimum Program. I don’t think that these parties can come to one common ground unless the issue is that to hike MP salaries, or on ‘people’ front, to keep the rail fares to the minimum. Austerity is missing from the former while concern from the latter. Why could not they increase the rail fare by a reasonable amount and communicate to the ‘not-so-affluent’ Indians as to how that would translate into a better and safer journey still eludes me.

We all have seen empirically that the BJP led/supported states are doing better on economic and political front, be it Gujarat or Bihar. They are not mistake – proof, but nevertheless, one finds good intent in their governance. Hopefully, they continue to do good jobs in the states while also be cognizant of supporting the current UPA government in their endeavor to introduce some well-thought- after reforms. This would not only lead to their gaining traction in the eyes of the youth who would play a major role in deciding the results of the next general elections in 2014, but will also give them a chance to revive a party which after the visionary Vajpayee seems to be lacking the necessary guidance. That said and done, the major force behind all these possibilities is us, the people of India, who need to get inked indelibly and exercise our right to choose the government of our choice.

One caveat of the above article is that it is written with a vision to have an ideal democracy, as envisioned by our forefathers. This day as I write, Lincoln died almost 150 years back. It unfortunately, seems symbolic that our democracy is not so living either.

"General" rule

For it was for the post - that of the Chief of Army Staff that has thus far saved the man, because we all know what happens to those who blow the lid off corruption in India. The Manjunaths , Amit Jethwas , Satyendra Dubeys have all perished in search of what Holmes would have called the search for truth and a matter of morals. You blow the whistle; they blow the life out of you – simple Math some would argue. ‘Strangely’, we do not have a strong law that protects these men who expose corruption – something that America realized in 1863, still eludes us. America had the False Claims act to protect whistleblowers by combating fraud by suppliers of the United States government during the Civil War. It encouraged whistleblowers by promising them a percentage of the money recovered or damages won by the government and protects them from wrongful dismissal. But then, America was then steered by the great Abraham Lincoln, a man who ‘took decisions’.

What started as a bemusing spat between the Army and the government has now become quite amusing. For you now know that the Chief is right (though a little sloppy with the timing) and the government rattled. When the Congress accuses Gen Singh for ‘not wanting to pursue’ the matter concerning the alleged bribe that was offered to him for substandard defense purchases, they forget that the Defense Minister, by virtue of being informed about this and being the senior in command order, held the onus. He failed to act. In fact, he should have even questioned the General as to why he did not want to pursue this matter! Congress’s claim of a disgruntled Chief due to his lost age case in Supreme Court is as childish as one can possibly imagine. They also claim that a letter claiming the obsolescence of Indian defense equipments was leaked by General Singh himself and above that that there was no need for such a letter. However, such letters are prerogative of the head of Armed forces to write to the PM when he seems fit. In this case, all the more reason as General V.K.Singh has limited number of days in the office (though SC still calls the age case ‘ambiguous’). Also, he would not gain anything from this leak and in fact would be liable to court-martial if found guilty. Would any chief risk his life earned reputation on this? Surely not.

This issue has another angle - the role of media. While The Hindu was cognizant of the importance of the news and its potential to create ripples in the society, consequently taking time to verify and sanity check the interview with the General before publishing , The Indian Express sensationalize the ‘movement of troop’ – a possible Coup d’état by the Indian army. Even simple logic eluded the latter. If 1000 soldiers could throw the government, surely we would have been in a military regime. The least The Indian Express could have done was to consult ex-army men before ‘exposing’ / exaggerating the entire episode. They would have been told that these normal fleet movements are but a part of routine, scheduled well over in advance.

While I used ‘amusing’ as a word defining parts of this entire controversy, it is quite disheartening to see glaring loopholes in the matter of Defense ignored. It’s high time we integrated the Army headquarters and the Ministry of Defense where both jointly take the decision of purchase of equipments, as the military would know what they want in the field and the government would know how to best bargain the price. Let us hope that what seems so intuitive to us, does not get unnoticed by the policy makers, at least now.