The central weakness

 

 

In Goa, a British teenager is brutally raped and murdered. In Tibet the brutal crushing of the protestors by the Chinese regime continues. In Maharashtra bashing of North Indians continues and in Manipur the manslaughter of Hindi speaking people takes place again while India test fires a nuclear capable ballistic missile to prove to the world, rather ironically that it is a strong nation. The struggle of Scarlett's mother, Fiona MacKeown, to expose Goa Police's cover-up of the case has created more enemies for her, proving as to why India is closer to African states in terms of quality of life. Instead of support, the state government is now questioning her integrity since she alleged that home minister of Goa, Ravi Naik, might have links with the drug mafia. Efforts are being made so that she is denied visa next time. No wonder Goa finds it easier to fight her than to take on the drug mafia, which everyone knows is thriving there. Yet the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) doesn't raise voice against it. If it does, the excuse given will be that law and order is a state affair. The question is if Goa says that it's Goa’s issue, if Maharashtra says it's Maharashtra’s issue then what is India’s issue? And why can't the PMO brush aside these lame excuses and take over matters whenever the need be? Does federal structure mean laissez faire? While brutal crushing of Tibetans continues, Indian administration is having sleepless nights, lest any act of protest here antagonise the big brother of the east. Ironically when Tibetans look up to India to be their voice, the sheer pusillanimous response of the Indian government which couldn't even garner courage to condemn China's action is a national shame. Why can't India's Union government speak up for the likes of Fiona or the hapless Tibetans? And if it can't speak up then what purpose does it serve by existing? Even in the fight against terrorism or Maoist insurgency, the Centre is developing cold feet in dealing it with severity. All it does is to appeal to the states to increase the effectiveness of the police rather than taking on the mantle on its own. Reason? The archetypical paradigm of centre-state relation and that law and order is a state issue. When regional parties bash people from other states for consolidating the local vote, one waits eagerly to have the PMO threatening with dire consequences if such nonsensical regionalism is given impetus. One dies to hear the PMO stating in clear terms that each Indian has unequivocal right, given by the constitution, to reside anywhere in the country. Alas none of these happen. What happens on the contrary is a few missile tests to pacify the bruised egos. One wonders if at all the day of reckoning comes would the PMO or the government at large have the conviction to use the missiles against those about whom the country cannot even raise a voice when needed?