:: Arun Nehru

Corporate feuds test political credibility

Arun Nehru

Augest.09 : There are important political developments as corporate battles spill into the domain of political authority and put its credibility to test. Whilst "lobbyists" in the media, many of whom have business interests, are free to take sides, it is unfortunate that the ruling party and the Opposition should get involved in a dispute which is already in the Supreme Court.

Politicians will draw little credit from interfering in the Ambani brothers’ battle for control of natural gas found in the Krishna-Godavari basin.

Several accusations are being made and one cannot help but wonder if all this is being done to pressurise public servants into inaction. A similar situation exists on the "strike call" that was given by private airlines.

Private airlines, led by budget-carrier Indigo and later SpiceJet, left no alternative for Kingfisher Airlines and Jet Airways but to withdraw the agitation. It is no secret that the public reaction to this "threat" was negative.

Keeping emotions aside, the Prime Minister’s Office, which is monitoring economic reforms and their implementation, and civil aviation minister Praful Patel have to look into several issues pertaining to Air India and private airlines without any bias.

I think immediate attention should be on the excessive bilateral benefits given to Gulf carriers that are hurting Air India. It makes little sense to give benefits to Kingfisher and Jet over other domestic carriers by imposing a five-year experience clause, whereas no such condition restricts the foreign airlines.

The oil ministry, under fire in the gas dispute between the Ambani brothers, also figures in the airline issue as excessive credit is being extended to Air India, Kingfisher and Jet.

National interest cannot be dictated by pressure groups in the name of public interest. The credibility of political authority must prevail over private commercial interest, though it is no secret that political funding can play an important role in these decisions.

Since there is no transparency in political donations, and considering the fact that most large commercial groups fund the ruling party as well as the Opposition, we can expect a great deal of fireworks in the future.

SECURITY ISSUES dominate the political agenda. But sadly, Pakistan’s flip-flop, that it has been doing since the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, continues. Clearly this is so because no one is in control of the situation in Pakistan, apart from the Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), that is.

Agreements made by political authority at the highest levels are subject to daily changes. Pressure from the United States is linked to "aid" and "arms supplies" which results in little more than short-term commitments. This is evident in the release of Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, the mastermind behind the Mumbai terror attacks, by Pakistan’s Supreme Court.

The US has its own compulsions in Iraq and Afghanistan where it needs Pakistan’s help. That’s why it is trying to lure them with weapons and cash. But how will this help India?

Pakistan has used these weapons against India and this will happen again. It is time for both, the Indian government and the Opposition, to close ranks and treat terror as an "act of war".

We see a new offensive launched by the ISI as fake currency notes flood India. Unless we have stringent punitive laws to destroy the terror support system in India, our success will remain sporadic and limited.

We cannot deal with terror and link minority votebanks with its solution. In this regard I am glad to see the reaction of both the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). We do not want war with Pakistan.

In 1971, a million refugees poured into India even as hundreds of thousands were murdered by the Pakistan Army in Dhaka and the Richard Nixon-Henry Kissinger duo had dispatched a nuclear carrier to bully India into submission. But Prime Minister Indira Gandhi called their bluff and the Indian Army liberated Bangladesh.

We are again being taken for granted by the US and their allies. The 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks were an acid test and there is a limit to our patience. Looking back at 26/11, thinking of the martyrs and their families, everyone would arrive at the conclusion that we don’t want this to happen again. And yet we see disturbing trends as the trial of Mumbai terror attack accused unfolds — it seems we cannot even expect our own criminal justice system to work in terror cases.

THE ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS in Maharashtra look complicated and attention will focus on the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alliance and the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena combine.

As things stand, there will be the usual pressure about seat distribution but I see little conflict in the Congress-NCP alliance. Considering current political trends, the Congress’ popularity is bound to reflect in the poll results.

The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will have complications as the split in the Shiv Sena can draw a heavy cost if Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s Raj Thackeray decides to contest independently. We have seen the havoc he caused in the Lok Sabha elections.

There is a new twist in the murky situation in Jharkhand. The Central Bureau of Investigation conducted raids on two aides of former Jharkhand governor Syed Sibtey Razi. Considering that the state was under President’s Rule since early 2009, is there a possibility of the governor’s involvement in these investigations?

Politics in Jharkhand is very complicated and a final picture on alliances will emerge once the "corruption" angle has been fully probed. Credit must go to the Congress high command and the new governor Kateekal Sankaranarayanan in ordering this investigation.

All alliances, but especially the Congress-Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and the BJP-Janata Dal (United) alliance, have complications. The RJD, that has suffered a sharp decline, can cause complications for the Congress. It is a very difficult election to read.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati is spending Rs 550 crores on installing statues in her state which is reeling under drought and extreme poverty.

Ms Mayawati seems to have lost her political cool and seems determined to be defeated. If elections were to be held today, the BSP would be decimated. It is a sad situation as she was expected to determine the course of national politics a few months ago. Day by day, Ms Mayawati is losing her credibility as a mature political leader.

Arun Nehru is a former Union minister