Madhu Koda creates record in many ways. He is the first independent MLA to become Chief Minister. Along with these unbreakable records Koda had fallen in the Hawala scandal. The political parties which honeymooned with Koda are trapping him in the Hawala net because he is no more useful to them politically. Congress party which supported Koda and Lalu is suddenly whitewashing it as the cleanest party. It is a routine political matter to use CBI and corruption cases to checkmate the opposition parties. It is high time to rescue the legal arms from political hawks.
The Times of India writes (6 November 2009)
Madhu Koda's meteoric rise would have normally made for a heartwarming story. Once a labourer in iron-ore mines, he won assembly elections from
Jharkhand in 2000. Five years later and only in his mid-thirties, he was appointed state minister for mines in a BJP-led government. From 2006 to 2008 he was the Jharkhand chief minister. But now Koda stands accused of being part of a massive corruption scandal and faces the possibility of arrest.
Raids by the Enforcement Directorate and the income tax department over the past few days have unearthed Koda's alleged involvement in illegal transactions worth over Rs 2,000 crore, including several properties and acquisitions abroad. Latest investigations show that the former CM might even have been negotiating to acquire an SEZ in Noida for a staggering Rs 4,800 crore. The scale of allegations against Koda yet again throws the spotlight on corruption in Indian politics and the propensity of politicians to amass extraordinary wealth through illegal means.
Koda is by no means the first politician or even chief minister to be accused of massive corruption and to face arrest. Former Bihar CM and Union minister Lalu Prasad had been implicated in the multi-crore fodder scam, which first came to light in 1996, and was jailed for brief periods. That year, the CBI seized a few crores of rupees from Union communications minister Sukh Ram's house and subsequently arrested him. Lalu and Sukh Ram are distinguished by the scale of corruption charges against them and the high office they held. There are of course several corruption scandals that have tainted politicians big and small, including former prime ministers. Besides, many of our MPs face criminal charges. In the current Lok Sabha, nearly 30 per cent of the MPs face criminal cases.
In such a situation it isn't surprising that citizens have little faith in politicians. It is unfortunate that while investigating agencies and the media have highlighted corruption in the highest places, these cases have dragged on for years. Though some people have been punished in the Bihar fodder scam, it continues to make its way through courts at various levels. In the Sukh Ram case, a trial court found him guilty 13 years later under the Prevention of Corruption Act for amassing disproportionate assets. Sukh Ram has since appealed the verdict. The time taken to decide these high-profile cases gives the impression that politicians are above the law. If politics and crime cannot be prised apart, that represents the biggest threat to India's future.
Showing posts with label Jharkhand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jharkhand. Show all posts
Friday, November 6, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Impose Article 356 in Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a politically fragile state. Many parties keep the small state to everyone’s guess. This often happens after the incumbent government loses confidence at the floor of the assembly. Strangely this time the Chief Minister had lost his election rendering him ineligible to continue in the chair. As it happens always with the Jharkhand political leaders a new method of unethical route can be fixed to continue with their power and positions.
Shibu Soren, the disgraced leader who fought for the creation of Jharkhand had tasted the bitter defeat at the hands of a political novice – Raja Peter in Tamar constituency. The defeat margin was 9,062 votes which speaks the anti-Soren mood of the public. Gopal Krishnan Patar or Raja Peter (46) is a high school dropout and worked in Tata steel. Seeing his relatives like Arjun Munda rising to the level of Chief Minister, Peter entered politics leaving his Tata steel job. In few years he defeated the giant of Jharkhand politics – Soren. Contesting from Ennos Ekka’s Jharkhand Party Peter surprised everyone with his victory against “Guruji”.
The tallest Jharkhand leader till yesterday was reduced to a non-entity after this bypoll result. This school teacher’s son was born in Nemra in Bokaro. In his early days Soren mobilized people against the moneylenders in his area. That time he was fondly called “bhoot”. Later he public name changed to Guruji. To fight for the rights of tribal people he formed Jharkhand Mukti Morcha in 1977. The same he unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha poll. He came to the national limelight after he was accused in the cash for confidence vote in favour of the Narsimaha Rao government in 1992. In March 2005 he was sworn as the chief minister of Jharkhand to resign in nine days later.
Shibu Soren carries several dubious distinctions. He is the only politician who was compelled to resign four posts in less than four years. After the Chirudih massacre case of 1975 final hearing in 204, the Ranchi High Court declared him as an absconder. He had to resign from the union cabinet as coal minister after pressure from all quarters. In another two years he was reinducted and ejected from the union cabinet for the murder of Shasinath Jha – Soren’s secretary.
The other CMs who have lost bypolls while in office are Kailash nath katju (Congress) defeated by L.N. Pandey (Jan Sangh) in M.P, Chandrabhanu Gupta (Congress) was defeated in Hamirpur, T.N.singh of Congress (O) beaten by Ram Krishna Dwivedi from Maniram constituency in UP. (TOI, 10.1.2009, P.16).
The onus is on the union government which should act in the larger interests of the state. As in the past it should not resort to narrow political tactics. The current situation in Jharkhand is open for all political manipulations. Without wasting much time the President rule should be imposed. Although the state assembly has one more year to complete its five year term, it should be dissolved. The election to the assembly should be held along with the parliamentary elections in another five months. This can eliminate the political manipulations and also save few hundred crores to the state exchequer by saving one election expenses.
Shibu Soren, the disgraced leader who fought for the creation of Jharkhand had tasted the bitter defeat at the hands of a political novice – Raja Peter in Tamar constituency. The defeat margin was 9,062 votes which speaks the anti-Soren mood of the public. Gopal Krishnan Patar or Raja Peter (46) is a high school dropout and worked in Tata steel. Seeing his relatives like Arjun Munda rising to the level of Chief Minister, Peter entered politics leaving his Tata steel job. In few years he defeated the giant of Jharkhand politics – Soren. Contesting from Ennos Ekka’s Jharkhand Party Peter surprised everyone with his victory against “Guruji”.
The tallest Jharkhand leader till yesterday was reduced to a non-entity after this bypoll result. This school teacher’s son was born in Nemra in Bokaro. In his early days Soren mobilized people against the moneylenders in his area. That time he was fondly called “bhoot”. Later he public name changed to Guruji. To fight for the rights of tribal people he formed Jharkhand Mukti Morcha in 1977. The same he unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha poll. He came to the national limelight after he was accused in the cash for confidence vote in favour of the Narsimaha Rao government in 1992. In March 2005 he was sworn as the chief minister of Jharkhand to resign in nine days later.
Shibu Soren carries several dubious distinctions. He is the only politician who was compelled to resign four posts in less than four years. After the Chirudih massacre case of 1975 final hearing in 204, the Ranchi High Court declared him as an absconder. He had to resign from the union cabinet as coal minister after pressure from all quarters. In another two years he was reinducted and ejected from the union cabinet for the murder of Shasinath Jha – Soren’s secretary.
The other CMs who have lost bypolls while in office are Kailash nath katju (Congress) defeated by L.N. Pandey (Jan Sangh) in M.P, Chandrabhanu Gupta (Congress) was defeated in Hamirpur, T.N.singh of Congress (O) beaten by Ram Krishna Dwivedi from Maniram constituency in UP. (TOI, 10.1.2009, P.16).
The onus is on the union government which should act in the larger interests of the state. As in the past it should not resort to narrow political tactics. The current situation in Jharkhand is open for all political manipulations. Without wasting much time the President rule should be imposed. Although the state assembly has one more year to complete its five year term, it should be dissolved. The election to the assembly should be held along with the parliamentary elections in another five months. This can eliminate the political manipulations and also save few hundred crores to the state exchequer by saving one election expenses.
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