E-Paper
Leaving it to simmer
Putting off contentious political issues hoping that they’ll go away is counterproductive.
The old adage, ‘Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today,’ is routinely observed in the reverse in Indian politics. The government’s performance following the Telangana agitation is the latest case in point. At the first signs of a political agitation, the Pavlovian response is to cave in and make all the right noises and assurances, only to backtrack in the cold light of day. This then sets off a second round of unrest and so we go round and round on a carousel of procrastination. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s assurance that there will soon be good news on Telangana will certainly buy some time, but we are unclear as to what ace the government has up its sleeve to resolve the problem once and for all. Earlier, the Rajasthan government dilly-dallied on the Gujjar-Meena problem with the result that agitators blocked roads, destroyed public property and caused several needless deaths. The issue was put on the backburner after promises, which clearly could not be kept, were made. We are certain that this is not the last we will have seen of that particular problem.
Even as the Telangana issue is up in the air, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has restarted its agitation for Gorkhaland with the usual roadblocks and indefinite fasts. The pusillanimous response to this sort of political blackmail has encouraged anyone with a grievance and a moderate battalion on his side to hold the government to ransom. What seems to be overlooked is the hardship caused to millions of people who want to get on with their lives. The Telangana unrest has now reached such a stage that many examinations will be put off for a year. This means that the lives of thousands of students will have to be put on hold and their chances in the job market adversely affected.
When dealing with such tricky issues, it would help if Parliament and its myriad committees would take their work seriously and debate these problems thoroughly. This way, a consensus could be arrived at before people take to the streets. It is because policy decisions are made in such an ad hoc manner that political demands are taken through coercion and its resultant destruction of public property and loss of lives. Unfortunately, all decisions on contentious issues are made based on the calculus of political opportunism. This ensures that they remain on the boil in perpetuity to be exploited whenever convenient.
