PM’s role in CVC muddle – a forgivable mistake or a grave error of judgement, with consequences?
News reports say that the PM accepted responsibility for the mistake in appointing Thomas, as CVC.
It is good that the PM has accepted the responsibility for this. Is this sufficient? Acceptance of responsibility for a mistake should have some consequences. Is the PM merely saying sorry? Are we to forget this episode and let bygones be? Surely, this is not some routine decision that went wrong. It was a decision that called for serious application of mind. The PM had adequate warning from Sushma Swaraj. He chose to brush it aside. There were three on the panel for appointment as CVC. Did the PM and HM come with Thomas, as a predetermined choice, before they heard out the leader of the opposition? If so, did they not turn the meeting of the HPC into a farce? If the opposition has no role, in such appointments, why have the opposition leader in the committee?
Next, there is a question of the PM’s ability to exercise sound discernment in decision-making. If he could make such an obviously silly error of judgment, how could the nation trust him to be judicious in other major decisions? We live in a nuclear age, where a PM may be called upon to take a decision on a response to acts of war. Can this PM be relied upon to take the best decision in such a life-threatening situation?
Had the number of scandals that have been unearthed in the past few months, become public in any of the mature democracies, the government would have resigned long ago. A PM who makes such mistakes as the present Indian PM, would have been thrown out by his party immediately. Unfortunately, the opposition party is a pot, if the government party is a kettle. People have a Hobson’s choice. Yet, it is better that this government goes, if for nothing else than to give a message to all governments, they are not above accountability to people. It is strange that no one is even speaking of this. Have we, as a nation, become immune to degradation in moral values? The institution of PM or CVC etc deserve respect. The respect has to be earned. Is this a case of greatness thrust upon one, merely because he holds a post? Let us remember that the PM is not a ruler. He is the first servant of the people. It is time we stopped paying obeisance to people in elected office, as if these are rajas of days gone by.
