The ridiculous visa policy recently introduced by the government of India has left us gaping in disbelief and bewilderment. It makes no sense at all. Just because the government machinery has failed to enforce the law for decades, it is mindless and unproductive to change the rules that should apply to travellers of all kinds coming to this country, in an effort to curb their misuse. Those who have failed to enforce the law — men and women representing the State who have become lazy and corrupt — should be hauled over coals. The home ministry should have cracked the whip on the employees of its various departments who have abused the system over the years. It should have made them accountable for their failures instead of assaulting innocent citizens of the world with this set of new visa rules. How many times is the government going to change rules that are never enforced with honesty by its representatives? Is this the new process of ‘cleansing’ that the United Progressive Alliance government is experimenting with? If it is, only god can help us.

Shashi Tharoor was absolutely right when he said that militants and terrorists do not enter by announcing themselves. Laws have to be enforced by those mandated to do so. Unfortunately in India, for a bit of money, babus have been known to bend the law with ease. Our newspapers are replete with examples of the misdemeanours of senior members of the armed forces, the judiciary, members of parliament, businessmen and bureaucrats, all of whom have misused their privilege and access to power. This horror has besieged us and is suffocating the citizens of India and Bharat. There is no man, woman or child that has not been attacked by this deadly disease. When a Tharoor contradicts a government diktat on Twitter, a communication device of the modern world, and raises questions in the public domain, within a functioning democracy, about the validity of a policy, the frightening fact that transparency and debate within the government are dead is brought home.

Inner voice

Exclusive decision-making, lack of transparency, no argument in party and government forums, diktats that lead to backroom machinations and negative politicking, lies and counter-lies, non-existent dialogue and dissent, have all come together and corroded the machinery that governs India. If party and government platforms discourage, and more often than not disallow debate, intelligent, thoughtful leaders and politicians will use other means to communicate sane ideas. Our leaders need to look within, listen to their inner voice, and respect their conscience.

The fact that David Headley got away with what he did proves the failure of governance, of the inability of a soft State to enforce existing laws. This has got nothing to do with the premise of the law itself. Why burden people with an incomprehensible new regulation? The prime minister of India needs to ensure a reversal of the rather untenable visa rule. We have become the laughing stock of the world as we proclaim our aspiration to lead the region. We only mark time and take no real strides forward.

The prime minister wants to encourage business and investments from overseas, but no person with a multiple entry visa can return to this country within a gap of two months. What sense does this make? This is not the 18th century, when you had to come around the Cape of Good Hope! Why is the UPA setting India back in time? Is this the way to fight illegal immigration to India? Can a spokesperson of the government rise and explain the logic? The mind boggles at the thought of why any government should react in this unthinking fashion.