People in public life, be it politicians, bureaucrats, journalists, historians, writers, opinion makers, activists, etc are always subject to be applauded, criticized or even assaulted, especially if they are vocal and dare refuse to toe the official line.
Stifling dissent and being intolerant of criticism and opposition, is unacceptable in a democracy. It is also undesirable and dangerous, though it may help, for a while, keep away and silence one’s opponents. We know what a humiliating defeat Indira Gandhi had to face, subsequent to the imposition of Emergency.
That was because by shutting people up, jailing Opposition leaders and curbing Press freedom, she was unable to assess the people’s anger and disillusionment over these and other happenings. Undoubtedly, it was perhaps the darkest period of the history of Independent India and just as the post-Independence communal and 1984 anti-Sikh riots, we want no repetition of this sad past and no effort must be spared to ensure that we are never any close to such incidents.
In the last ten years or so, however, India has witnessed ample instances of extreme intolerance. The aversion to opposition and to voicing the truth has been so acute that many have labelled it as undeclared Emergency. Even if one wants to disagree, the fact remains that the Government has been unabashedly aggressive towards criticism and exposure of its misdeeds and the so-called independent agencies have succumbed to pressures and become Government agents and most of the media has caved in to such an extent that much of what is happening either remains unknown to the outside world or only half-truths are revealed. People have not even spared the Judiciary, being highly critical of it, though it still seems to be our last hope. It is reported that in the last ten years, 20 journalists have been murdered in India and it ranks 159th in Press Freedom among 180 countries. Rana Ayub, the fearless journalist, who writes to Washington Post says in India Journalism is under assault. Not unexpectedly, she has been a victim of smear campaign and several FIRs and Court cases have been filed against her, for being outspoken about the journalistic freedom in India.
The ED, CBI & Income Tax have been used as weapons to frequently and selectively terrorise Opposition leaders, particularly during election season and reveal a pattern designed at weakening the Opposition rather than conducting a free and fair investigation, which would be welcomed by all those who aspire for a good and corruption-free governance.
However, even after the marginal win of NDA in the General Elections and just before Jarkhand & Maharashtra Assembly polls, some compromised investigative agencies raided and arrested Jarkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and in Maharashtra Sanjay Raut and others closely associated with Uddhav Thackeray. Ajit Pawar, whose 1000 crore worth assets, including a resort in Goa, were seized by I T Dept in 2021, accused of benami transactions, was absolved and had his assets returned a day after he took over as Dy CM in BJP led Maharashtra Ministry in late 2024.
In 2023, Press reports indicated that: 1. From 2014 to 2022, 121 political leaders had been investigated, of which 115 were from Opposition 2. There was a fourfold increase in ED cases against politicians as compared to the ten year rule of UPA 3. During the period, only 25 cases had been concluded of around 6000 registered, the percentage being just 0.42%. 4. Twenty three prominent Opposition leaders facing corruption charges got relief after switching to BJP of which three were absolved and cases closed. Remaining twenty cases have either been stalled or put in cold storage
About two years back, 14 political parties had petitioned the Supreme Court against the Government misusing the CBI, ED and other agencies to clamp down on dissent and to incarcerate Opposition leaders, thus leading to an uneven playing field. The petition also pointed out that scrutiny often eased for Opposition leaders who subsequently joined the BJP, suggesting a selective approach to investigations. However, a bench, under then CJI Chandrachud refused to entertain the petition, stating that politicians cannot claim higher immunity and asserting that if Opposition feels that their “ political space has shrunk, the remedy is in that space, the political space, not the Court”.
It may be recalled that, under the same CJI, the SC did not step in to decide several years old crucial cases pending before it, on the draconian Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA), which legal experts feel have a direct impact on the rights of the accused as guaranteed under the Constitution.
Closer home, we have had lamentable cases of intolerance, presumably either promoted or abetted by those in power. The late night assault on the privacy of the reputed octogenarian writer, former legislator and noted and respectable personality, Adv Udhay Bhembre is not only reprehensible but also grossly distasteful and it only proves to what levels some fanatics can descend to advance and impose by force and sheer numbers their own views and agenda. The same aggressiveness, brazenness and arrogance which is witnessed in going ahead with projects and decisions to benefit a few influential individuals, by discarding people’s concerns, interests, welfare and even human rights, is observed in such actions which put decent people with integrity and intelligence to shame.
Similarly, extremely condemnable was not alone the attack on the well- known and vocal activist Rama Kankonkar but his earlier arrest on flimsy grounds, which are nothing but attempts at curbing activism, which the Government is fearful of, as it is now spreading all over Goa and coming in the way of it going ahead with its evil designs.
What is shocking is that while some people are being targeted for their genuine views, grievances and actions, others are being treated with kids’ gloves. This has been evident in umpteen cases like those of Fr Bolmax, Velingkar, Bhembre, Kankonkar, etc. In some cases, FIRs are still to be registered and some simple cases are treated as non-cognizable, whereas graver ones as non-cognizable.
We are painfully aware that nowhere in the country, the Police acts impartially, with few honourable exceptions, but it shouldn’t be oblivious that Governments change and some day or the other the wrath of the people could turn on those who unjustly target them, at the behest of those in power.
(The author is a retired banker)