:: Govind Talwalkar

Maharashtra needs an effective leadership

Govind Talwalkar

Dec. 8: The Mumbai carnage revealed the failure of political leadership not just in the state, but also at the Central-level. It is, therefore, inevitable that the Union home minister Shivraj Patil along with Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and state home minister R.R. Patil accepted the moral responsibility and quit their posts.

The Navy Chief regretted the "systemic failure" and described how various plans of strengthening the Navy were not fulfilled, as a result of which patrolling of the coast suffered. Moreover, the Navy and the Coast Guard failed to define the duties and the demarcation of their respective spheres of operations. The Coast Guard was working with only 50 per cent of its required strength. In these circumstances why does our defence minister not accept his responsibility?

Vilasrao Deshmukh and R.R. Patil should have resigned a couple of years ago — during the Mumbai floods — when both the administration and the BMC were found wanting. Then there were instances of the failure of law and order in the state. Above all, the Maharshtra government, led by Mr Deshmukh, was callous and indifferent when thousands of farmers committed suicide. It failed to implement the Prime Minister’s aid package efficiently. That was the time when the entire government should have gone.

There was a time when Maharashtra was very well governed, balancing its finances and implementing the Five Year Plans. It had strong labour unions. But all of it started crumbling in the late 1960s. After the Chinese attack, the Communist Party lost its hold on the labour unions. The Socialists followed suit and the Congress unions were only on paper. This gave rise to the upstart union leaders who resorted to violence and "mobocracy".

The Shiv Sena entered the picture the and changed the rules of the game. It could flourish because of the weakened political parties indulging in unholy compromises. The Congress being short-sighted gave tacit support to the Shiv Sena.

But the rot started setting in with the split in the Congress in 1969 and deepened over the next few decades. With the splits in the Congress, opportunists came to the fore. Those who devoted their lives to the party were either relegated to the background or thrown out. The Congress had built a solid base in rural Maharashtra by spreading the net of sugar, milk and other cooperatives. The zila parishads and village panchayats were the other centres of power in which the Congress was dominant. This all-round dominance might have generated some unhealthy trends but at the same time it brought stability.

When the Congress was strong in the state, it used to hold camps where various issues facing the state were discussed. The leaders then did not pontificate, but used to mix with the party workers and listened to their grievances and suggestions.

With split in the Congress this healthy practice came to an end. The split was vertical. So, right from the legislative party to the panchayat level, it became faction ridden. Instead of loyalty to the party, loyalty to the faction leader and his coterie became paramount. Such atmosphere was bound to bring forward charlatans and goons. They indulged in all sorts of nefarious activities. This, of course, was not limited to the Congress alone. Almost all parties suffer from the malaise.

No wonder, that the politicians have become the object of ridicule and hatred.

This is why the crowd that marched to the Gateway of India shouted not only against the politicians of the ruling coalition, but against the whole tribe.

The new chief minister Ashok Chavan would face a daunting task. He would have to give priority to assuage the angry feelings of the people; tone up the administration which has reached it’s nadir; and prepare for the coming elections. He would have to face the antagonism of those who lost the race for the chief minister’s job.

All over the country the economic, social, political problems have become acute and complicated. Meanwhile, the leadership has not come out of the old rut and is not cut out for the task. In addition almost all parties are divided.

The CPI(M) might be ruling in Bengal for some decades but recent events have shown that it is not devoid of factions. The BJP makes much of its discipline but that is a thing of the past. Nobody knows whether or when L.K. Advani would face a challenge from Narendra Modi.

In Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena-BJP front might not have smooth sailing as their unity might be jeopardised at the time of election because of the undercutting by each other. They might face a challenge from Raj Thackeray’s MNS. So, in case the Congress-NCP combine lose the election, the state might not get a stable government.

With the poor record of the Congress ministry and the recent dastardly attacks in Mumbai, the party is bound to suffer most. The NCP might do slightly better, it would not be able to win on its own. Even if both these parties continue as of today, their numerical strength in the legislative Assembly might be reduced. If this happens the next administration of any front would be very weak which would adversely affect the economy, bringing in its wake unimaginable troubles and difficulties. The mandate in the Lok Sabha is expected to be fractious again. So the prospects are far from happy.

Thus the unstable government in Maharashtra, the financial and commercial capital of India would face uncertainties and eventually the present reduced rate of growth would go still further down.

There is some chance to ensure political stability in Maharashtra if there is real unity between the Congress and the NCP. If the leaders of both the parties rise to the occasion and place national interests above their egos for once, they would set an example. In the last five years we have seen how the incumbent government with no clear majority was hamstrung and had to face blackmail. If some states could get stable governments after the elections, situation might somewhat be salvaged.

Much is, therefore, expected from both the factions of the Congress in Maharashtra.