Albert Thyrniang
Fifteen years ago our political science teacher announced in class, “Today we shall start a new lesson, ‘Political Ethics’.” Immediately giggles were heard. Detecting the sense of the class, the good teacher said, “Yes I understood your pessimism on the political class,” and spent the whole hour critiquing the subject. Of course, in the following days he did justice to the topic.
The teacher quoted Vladimir Lenin to make his point, “There are no morals in politics; there is only expedience. A scoundrel may be of use to us just because he is a scoundrel.” This quotation is apt in the current political scenario. As the editorial of July 15, 2019, Politics sans Principles emphasises, politics today is devoid of principles. There is only expedience. Expedience is a favourable and advantageous situation that is not necessarily morally acceptable. In an expedient political situation the right and just is ignored for self-interest.
Today politicians operate on the basis of expediency. Expediency is the guiding principle, not ethics and morality. Otherwise how do you explain the situation in Goa, Karnataka and elsewhere in the country? Last week 10 out of 15 Congress MLAs, engineered by the Leader of Opposition, unscrupulously defected to the BJP. Just over two years ago nine of the now saffron MLAs won on Congress tickets and one, namely, Atanasio Monserratte defeated the BJP candidate in the Panjim by-election as late as last March.
It is self-evident that the defectors changed their political colours for personal gain. This is a view of the vast majority, many of whom have expressed total dismay at the objectionable decision of the 10 lawmakers. Congress supporters were baffled and ‘demoralised’ BJP workers also disapproved of the backdoor entry of the ‘self-interested’ ex legislators. Three of the 10 MLAs have been sworn in as ministers, including the former Leader of Opposition, Chandrakant Kavlekar, who was given plum portfolios.
Impropriety is raised against the BJP leadership too. One of the 10 MLAs is Atanasio Monserrate. Monserrate faces charges of extortion and rape of a minor. Yet he was welcomed into the BJP fold with open arms. Monserrate had won the Panjim by-election, necessitated by the death of former Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar. The BJP had aggressively attacked him during the campaigns for being a rape accused. But now for the BJP he is a saint.
As soon as the majority in the house of 40 was achieved, the BJP threw its allies, the Goa Forward Party, out without any qualms. Faced with humiliation of being forced to resign, Vijai Sardesai, the head of Goa Forward Party had to learn the hard way of the BJP’s unprincipled style. His “promise” to the late CM that his party would not destabilise the BJP led coalition government, meant nothing as he and his colleagues were unceremoniously forced out of the ministry. Clearly, loyalty and ‘coalition dharma’ is not in the BJP’s DNA.
Eight of the ten deserters in the former Portuguese colony are Christians. Christians claim to possess a higher degree of ethics. But is the perception unnecessary? The ten ‘valuable’ men have preferred position and power, financial and material gains to values, ethics and royalty. They have been trapped by the BJP’s tricks of portraying itself as a non-anti-Christian and minority political outfit. They have now strengthened the rightist forces.
By the time you read this essay, the stalemate in Karnataka might have already been over. Whatever happens on Monday only the headlines will change. The 13 month old JDS-Congress government might collapse or survive but the true character of the rebel MLAs and the party that solicits them,has already been revealed. The on-going Karnataka crisis was triggered by politicians sans principles. Of course, theJDS-Congress government has been on a slippery wicket ever since its formation, yet the crisis started with the resignation of 15 Congress and JDS members effectively reducing the strength of the House from 224 members to 209 necessitating in the trial of strength. The JDS-Congress alliance must be unholy but it is breaking the alliance by enticing members of the other parties to resign; not more unholy?
The MLAs are free to resign and seek re-election but the manner of their resignation and the drama created is questionable. Why did they not meet the Speaker to hand over their resignations personally?Why had they to move to a five fortress star hotel in Mumbai? Why could they not remain in Bangalore and be firm with their decision? Why did they have to have take recourse to resort politics?
The whole political circus is very murky. A Congress MLA alleged in the Assembly that he was offered Rs 5 crore from the BJP to switch sides. The Chief Minister, HD Kumaraswamy, himself alleged in his speech in Vidhan Sabha that each rebel legislator was offered Rs 30 to 40 crore by the cash rich BJP. So it is not because of a new found love for saffron ideology that prompted rebels to end their membership in the Legislative Assembly. Common sense says that a public representatives don’t risk defeat in a re-elections. So fat cash, outweighing even electoral defeats must be the reason for them to put in their papers.
There is no doubt that BS Yeddyurappa in Karnataka and other BJP leaders in Delhi and other states are keen to ‘saffronise’ any one from opposition parties looking for greener pastures. The leadership of the biggest national party in the country is hell bent on weakening and decimating opposition parties in their desire to rule the length and breadth of this country for ever, if possible. To achieve this objective fair and unfair means are readily adopted.
Other states too are in the list of BJP’s plans for horse trading. West Bengal might be next. A BJP leader recently openly claimed that he could take more than 100 Trinamool MLAs to the BJP’s net. Even the firebrand Mamata Banerjee who ended the 34 year old rule of the Left might not be able to save West Bengal from the saffron party’s financial clout. Upbeat by Goa and Karnataka, Maharashtra’s new BJP boss, Chandrakant Patil jumped in to claim that many Congress–NCP MLAs will quit and join his party very soon. Given the prevailing fluid environment where political activities are totally steered by expediency we are likely to witness more Goas and Karnatakas.
In Meghalaya political simmering has been going on ever since the MDA government was formed in March 2018. Claims and counter claims of new political arrangements are the order of the day. The Congress has been going public in its attempts to convince UDP and other regional parties to dump its leader ally, the NPP and form a new government with the grand old party. The UDP on its part has claimed that 8 to 10 MLAs are ready to part ways with the leaderless Congress and join forces with it. Not to be left behind the NPP also asserted that an equal number of Congress legislators are willing embrace the only party from North East to have gained national status. Now, Alexander L Hek, BJP legislator and Health minister has made a claim of his own stating that few Congressmen will join the ruling party at the centre. Frankly, there is an inner war going on between the MDA partners. But yes the 19 Congress MLAs are vulnerable, especially those who are in public life for personal benefit rather than service.
At this rate democracy will not service. The BJP is more than willing to convert non-BJP members into the lotus family. The right wing party is determined to eliminate all opposition. It looks as if they are on a mission to realise the agenda of a single party nation. To prevent such a dangerous eventuality the anti-defection law must be made stringent to the point of ruling out any form of defection. Those who resign should not be allowed to see seek re-election immediately. Those who resign should, by law, be banned from becoming ministers for five years after being re-elected. But who will do it? The BJP, the present beneficiary won’t entertain such a thought. The other parties are too weak to effect a strengthening amendment in the anti-defection law. The civil society, with a mass movement can bring about the desired change. A PIL in this regard can also be tool to save Indian democracy.