Harsh Dev Singh
The term “Minister” has been defined variedly. It not only connotes the Chief of an executive Deptt of a Govt but the one who promotes or dispenses or provides for needs of some one. It signifies one who acts in subservience to the will of others, a servant, agent.
Going by the aforesaid definitions, a Minister in a democratic system is supposed to be a person who goes by the will of the people and serves them in such a way as to promote general wellbeing and interests. The above definition would however fail in its application to the Ministers in J&K who are the symbols of power and authority with arrogance writ large on their public faces. A minister here connotes an authority who is answerable to none. Wearing a VIIP swagger, he portrays himself as ruler rather than a public servant. If you speak against him, you can be declared an anti national. If you oppose him, you could be booked under criminal law. He can make any statement, take any decision without being accountable for the same. People have to follow his decisions or face his ire. It is his way or the highway. He might have made any promise to his electorates during elections but he is accountable to none. He does not like to be questioned. He is most in-accessible to the people to whom he is constitutionally obliged to serve. If you call him on phone, do not expect a response. Occasionally when the PA takes the call, he would inform you that the Minister is in washroom or is busy in some meeting. He believes in monologues and favours one way communication only. He is averse to criticism and could use his position and authority to pulverize you for daring to speak against him. He has an unflinching and obsequious obsession for self praise and self admiration. Behaving as omnipotent, all powerful like a self aggrandizing megalomaniac, he is the one who would circumvent God.
The palpable discontent, the growing alienation in the state is largely being attributed to the peculiar idiosyncrasies of our Ministers. They prefer to dictate rather than listen. The poor indigent masses have hardly any say. The Minister takes pride in taking on the poor and surrendering before the rich and the powerful. The lower rung employees remain the worst sufferers. The daily wagers of various Govt Deptts of PHE, I&FC, R&B, PWD, M&RE, Tourism etc having been promised regularizations during elections are without wages for months and years thus leading to starvation of their families with the Minister happily voting himself whopping salaries and perks. He would spend the public money with a cheerful abandon on tours & travels deliriously oblivious of even the old aged, widows, handicapped who remain without pensions for months and years on the pretext of resources crunch. Enjoying a plethora of perks, cars, security and a retinue of personal staff, he can use his power to further enhance his TA, DA, Car and Housing advances, his personal parasitical staff whether or not the resources allow. He is fond of playing ducks and drakes with tax payer’s money even when he uses the terms financial constraints for others. Holding sabbaticals outside the state and abroad at public expense and travelling with a large cavalcade of vehicles is his favourite past time. The contractual lecturers are forced to resort to hunger strike under open skies in sun and rain for the last around ten months with none to take note of their grievances with the Minister preferring to remain insulated in their cocooned and sanitized environment. With highly qualified female lecturers on chain hunger strike for more than eight months and NHM female workers lathi charged in Kathua while seeking the release of their pending wages, the J&K Ministers can afford to mock at them. The slogans of “Beti bachao, Beti padao” loudly trumpeted and sold with a big splash by the PM all over country and even abroad have hardly any meaning for them. Highly impudent and self flattered with his inflated ego; the Minister can “go for a kill”. Nothing to worry. He never takes the responsibilities for omissions and commissions of the Deptt that he heads. He chooses to deflect the blame on his subordinates and relishes in making them sacrificial lambs by evading responsibility so as to save his skin. Transfers Industry is his favourite occupation and business. He is fairly good at making speeches on corruption which he considers bad, a sin for others except him.
Having lost contact with the masses, the self flattered Ministers are seen mostly during photo ops in the media with their fictional accounts of achievements. While the common man continues to suffer on account of poor power and water supply, the Minister would show the least hesitation in making haughty uncorroborated claims through print and electronic media of having brought about revolutionary changes in the delivery of public services. He would employ a battery of minions to project and promote his image in public notwithstanding the people’s opinion about him. He roars in media giving lofty slogans but desperately lacks the nerve and guts to implement the same. Half tiger and half pussy cat. He takes pride in installing huge hoardings and cut-outs in cities, towns, villages and everywhere, all across state displaying his larger than life pictures so as to demonstrate his position and authority at public expense. He does not bother for the rulings of any court or commission or Govt order or financial discipline or austerity measures. He has a special position in a special category state with a special status. The country wide norm of five year term does not apply to him as he would like to continue in office for six years in view of special privileges that he enjoys.
And notwithstanding the damage that he does to the public office that he holds, he is still treated as honourable and highly respected. We may condemn him in private but never fail to praise him when face to face. Hats off to our endurance and resignation. We gave him power. He divested us of all that we had, even our self pride and honour. Do we not deserve a special award for our patience and perseverance. Time to ponder.
(The author is Chairman JKNPP & Former Minister)
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