Manmohan Singh Speaks

Editorial from The Statesman

Corruption curbs

Exercise begins at home

HAD his personal reputation not been so clean the Prime Minister’s latest sermon on tackling corruption would have invited ridicule. And had the conventional concept of discipline and subordination not been at play, many of the officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation and its counterparts in the states might have told him that essentially political factors prevented them from netting the big fish that he regretted were seldom brought to book. Any realistic evaluation of the CBI’s track record would raise more than a chuckle over Dr Manmohan Singh’s contention that “you have the constitutional and legal protection and safeguards to do so.” For no policing agency has been more palpably misused by those in power than the CBI to try and slam their political rivals on corruption charges. Just recall the on-off probe into the leader of the Samajwadi Party: when he bailed out the government on the trust vote triggered by the US nuclear deal the momentum was most conveniently lost. Or another recent example, in response to shrill cries from the UPA supremo the CBI went after a former defence minister in “coffingate”, but we now understand that his name is not included in the charge-sheet. Not that similar misuse of the premier investigation agency ~ tackling corruption was originally its prime aim ~ was not made when governments of other political complexions were in place.
Before speaking from a lofty perch, Dr Manmohan Singh would have done well to also reflect on the legal ping-pong played when a degree of functional autonomy was sought to be judicially conferred on that agency. If the history of police misuse by the central government is highly disturbing, what obtains in the states is simply revolting.
Since the Prime Minister has chosen to speak of “fish” he must be reminded that it rots from the head ~ so unless the political class is purged the nexus with top officials and crooks of all description will flourish and only the minnows will be caught. Nobody can dispute the adverse fall-out of rampant corruption that Dr Manmohan Singh projected, but as the nation’s chief executive it is from his office that the action must commence. A Cabinet clean-up could be the right beginning.

The above is from Today Editorial in "The Statesman"
The Statesman was once my favourite paper.
We were introduced to it by sir, Mr. Lobo in 1962 and since then that was the only paper which came to my home, until two years back.
Gradually the reading matter in the paper was reduced until we found there was nothing to read.
I had written once or twice to Mr. C R Irani regarding the degradation in the paper but it continued going down.
How I miss the paper?
I took the Times of India for some time but I found that it has no editorial policy.
It tries to satisfy everybody, having no views of its own.It just pampered Page Three people and put out obscene photographs of models in various stages of undress.
I take The Telegraph now but this paper looks at events with Congress eyes and so cannot be fair although it tries.It is better than The Times of India.
The above editorial is just what I feel of our PM's statement.
Mr.Prime Minister,sir, the buck stops at your table.
If you cannot root out corruption, move out and let somebody who can do it.
There is no point in trying to wish the the CBI goes after the big fish.
You had two big fishes in your last ministry.
Sibu Soren and Lalu Yadav.
They were as corrupt as can be but you allowed both of them to serve their term and you divorced Lalu only after he went into a relationship with Paswan without informing you otherwise you two would still be cozying up.
SO, PLEASE DON'T FOOL THE PEOPLE.