The new Announcements
By: Amit Bhushan Date: 15th Aug.2019
There are now new reforms being announced. Some of it like those concerning Water and conservation of resources/measured attack on pollutants like plastic are welcome. Then we also have reforms in the security/strategic sectors, quite a few beyond the understanding of ordinary people including your’s truly. Some of these are conveniently cloaked under the guise of long standing demand of specialist institutions and strategic experts pushed for public consumption. Quite a few in the commercial news media including ‘patrakars’ with independent thinking lapping it up and batting alongside the Netas in government. Often even the opposition Netas are seen playing as they have become comfortable listening to such music relayed for long by the same specialist institutions and have accepted it as the only. Often the overall impact on the other institutions or the lack of reforms in them or their views is ignored as they are not making noise. As for ordinary public, this has little immediate impact and of course this would not result in any groundswell either for it or against it. So such specialist institutions can rule the roost with the commercial news media merely pushing the envelop on behalf of these institutions, rather than looking at wholesome picture on behalf of the larger population, which it claims to represent as the 4th estate.
While your’s truly too won’t have a view on changes in security set up brought forth by the announcement of CDS, however it does have concerns regards hierarchy in government. Presently, immediate below this is the CJI of Supreme Court and if that is going to be impacted by the announcement. Even if this is not impacted however this would place quite a few of the manpower as well as equipment resources under such a Commander. There has been a neglect of the judicial system which remains bereft of resources including requisite manpower and mechanisms to control creep of corruption within. Quite a few of the Judicial faculty remain frustrated on account of investigative lapses and also on the inability to ensure action on decisions/judgments. There has been a near total lack of reforms in the sector. While some attempt or mis-attempt was made by the government, however your’s truly is of firm view that such reforms in judiciary should be driven by the judiciary itself in consonance with union and state governments rather than pushed by the political leadership. In fact, the author like to see may be a permanent position of a deputy CJI with the objective to carry out such structural reforms in the judicial system in coordination with senior judges and independent commissions. It is important considering that there has been little action on Goonda elements who create panic, riots and lynch mobs amongst public. And from a hierarchy perspective may be not only CJI but this new position of deputy CJI be also senior in hierarchy to the position of CDS being envisaged. May be it is for the intellectuals and other learned people to mull over such reforms rather than just consuming the news fodder in the manner laid out by seasoned news designers who would leave public to fret later. Let the Game evolve…..