When the employees of civil aviation go on strike because there has been a decision to privatize and upgrade our embarrassing airports, it confirms why India is rapidly falling apart. The government and its agencies have successfully reduced all its institutions to utter disrepair. Airports are the window of what is in store for all those visiting this country and for those travelling within the subcontinent. The gross mismanagement, the unkempt space, the lounging lizards in uniform, the lack of information, the uncaring government babu all sum up India circa 2005.

When such people have the gall to go on strike out of sheer fear and guilt because they know well that privatization will bring efficient people and working systems into play, one has to demand that strikes notwithstanding, privatization must go ahead whatever the consequences. India has been betrayed by both the striking employees and their political bosses. Sane systems and the delivery of competent services will expose the gargantuan inefficiencies that Indians have had to swallow. Privatization will also expose all who diligently exploit government facilities. All those unsavoury characters with their PAs, pushing themselves to the front of the queue, throwing their weight about, being obnoxious, will begin to fade away from the public space. Politicians and the administration have always believed that India is their personal fiefdom, no different from the maharajas who once ruled this country. Our rulers must be made accountable to the public. Enough is enough.

Cronies together

Since the Congress high command is believed to be seeking a ?status report? on an alleged multi-crore scam in power privatization in Delhi, it may as well seek a PAC investigation into the role of Delhi Congressmen and the land mafias and other such irregularities. Why only one and not the other? It smacks of factionalism and makes one feel that one political group is trying to discredit the other. The high command should conduct its own sting rather than listen to the various general secretaries, most of whom leave much to be desired intellectually, politically and morally. We know how government institutions that are meant to probe corruption succumb to pressures that are initiated by their personal vested interests. This is no secret. The prime minister needs to re-address the constitution of the CBI, the PAC et al and free them from being compelled to be partisan to the ruling powers. These institutions need to be multi-party and need to have independent ombudsmen as part of their team. Only then will their ?findings? be taken seriously.

But alas, the prime minister, himself a man of great integrity and intellectual acumen, is being sabotaged, if I may use the word, by his own colleagues. The ministry of foreign affairs, read fossil affairs, continues to think within the box and can not stomach a PM who is attempting to think out of that box. They feel threatened and are reacting in rather unfortunate ways to create a wrong impression about the PMO. Even routine matters, like a date for a meeting with a visiting prime minister, are kept away from Manmohan Singh. Such matters give the other country the impression that the PMO is not in control of appointments, let alone larger policy issues. This is petulant childishness indulged in by those going through their second childhood.

When political cronies strut about asking honest cabinet ministers to do xyz, they are in fact discrediting their leader and the party. They are the real traitors. Certain ministries have ceased to be dens of corruption for wheeling and dealing. Congress leaders outside of government, most who have either lost their election or are incapable of fighting and winning one, are gunning for their honest colleagues. So typical.