E-Paper
Netaji, stop mafiosi from becoming a Frankenstein
T WAS way back in 1993 when former DGP Prakash Singh had ?introduced? the word ?mafia?. It meant ?such organisations of criminals who try to run parallel government or administration within the state. And they fulfil such objectives by creating an atmosphere of panic and terror through crimes?. He had also identified 10 crimes that included contract-killing, procurement of construction and supply contracts in government departments, manipulating permits for plying taxis/buses as well as for taxi/cycle stands, collecting ransom illegally from markets and factories besides kidnappings for ransom, running gambling dens and brothels. The 10th crime was the most interesting, ?To do all kinds of illegal acts by influencing politicians and with their support?.
IT WAS way back in 1993 when former DGP Prakash Singh had ‘introduced’ the word ‘mafia’. It meant “such organisations of criminals who try to run parallel government or administration within the state. And they fulfil such objectives by creating an atmosphere of panic and terror through crimes”.
He had also identified 10 crimes that included contract-killing, procurement of construction and supply contracts in government departments, manipulating permits for plying taxis/buses as well as for taxi/cycle stands, collecting ransom illegally from markets and factories besides kidnappings for ransom, running gambling dens and brothels. The 10th crime was the most interesting, “To do all kinds of illegal acts by influencing politicians and with their support”.
Perhaps it is because of the 10th crime mentioned by Singh that the state needs to redefine the word ‘mafia’. In today’s parlance the word ‘mafia’ is synonymous with a ‘politician’. Those who disagree would do best to get a small survey of their respective areas done. “Who owns the cycle stand or who runs the taxi stand?’ He or she would be some politician or a budding politician.
Mafiosi no longer influence politicians; they themselves are the politicians who are running a parallel government or administration. And if Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav or any of his predecessors like Mayawati and Rajnath Singh have any objection, then they should not only find out the beneficiaries of the government contracts but also of various subsidies and licences.
Having taken total control of lucrative departments like PWD, Forest, Excise, Railways, Irrigation, Rural Development, Rural Engineering, Jal Nigam etc, they are all set to spread their fangs to medical education. The latest trend is to turn into colonisers or set up medical colleges -- as it gets them both money as well as some respect.
In fact, fed up with their growing demands, successive chief ministers have talked about the need to check their growth in the political world. But they have always been helpless. Though it is the Congress that had first encouraged ‘mafia’ in politics, the scenario changed so drastically since early 1990s that these mafiosi, who should be languishing in jails, have turned saviours of successive governments.
Kalyan Singh, Mayawati, Rajnath Singh and now Mulayam Singh Yadav -- all have enjoyed power as these mafiosi turned into ‘Good Samaritans’ for them. Thus the Patnaik report (which came to light only because of the court’s intervention) does not come either as a shock or a surprise. However, it certainly highlights the magnitude of the problem with a message that any further delay in checking their growth would prove dangerous for public, politicians and police. Those who have not read it in our columns should now turn the pages to know the glaring facts.
Valuable suggestions have come forth in the report. Some are plausible, others not practical in the present scenario in which even the thin line that separated mafia from politician has simply evaporated. A look at the ministers’ list would prove this point. The question is, can any CM deny security to a public representative because of his direct or indirect involvement in any crime? Or disallow him permission to move in a fleet of cars with private armed cover, which he uses to intimidate people. The suggestions are simple but can’t be implemented. We have seen the fate of various government orders on display of arms.
However, the suggestions that sound implausible, but are implementable, are keeping them caged in all circumstances, video conferencing facilities in jail, so that they (mafiosi) don’t have to venture out on the pretext of court appearances, meeting their medical requirements within jail premises and conducting their trail inside the jail by fast track courts. Here also some amendments may have to be made in the rules and procedures governing the state assemblies. They should not be allowed to attend proceedings, as they not only meet their henchmen but also peers. Several times public representatives with criminal background are seen sitting together for long hours in the House and outside. Nonetheless, the real solution lies in banning their entry into politics. This would be possible only by amending the Public Representatives’ Act. Fresh laws would only help if the government shows political will.
In the present scenario one is bound to be sceptic as laws like POTA failed to keep mafiosi behind bars. I think the time has come for politicians to realise that it is primarily in their own interest to stem the rot at the earliest. By now they know that they can never be their loyal soldiers and the price that they demand to prop them in power will slowly become too heavy to meet.
