The minister for health, A. Ramadoss, has reduced ?governance? and ?priorities? of a critical and important ministry to a farce, a true example of the theatre of the absurd. A ban on smoking in the movies because the public will be corrupted by what their filmy heroes do in a fictional story on celluloid. It is difficult to put this absurdity to words and sound sane. Ramadoss does not seem concerned about murder in films, incest, adultery, robbery and blackmail, his emotional contortion seems to activate itself only when it comes to smoking. Ludicrous. And, strangely, the cautious reaction from the industry and other ?public? figures to this stupidity is as silly. Why are professionals in India fearful of how government will respond to dissension? The minister should be made accountable for the many realities that plague this country in his realm of responsibility. HIV/AIDS, filthy, unmanned and under-equipped hospitals across the country, no medical care in rural India, malaria, which had been eradicated and which is back with a vengeance, are some of the areas that need to be overhauled and rectified. Why doesn?t he get on with his primary job and cease to be a ?policeman??
Shuffle around
As I write, wild rumours are flying around about a cabinet reshuffle. Does it really matter? What difference if Ramadoss is at the helm of health or textiles? What real difference will it make if he is replaced? Will he be in command of the demands of any ministry he may control? Is there energy for bringing about change? That is the truth about ministerial functioning today. Of course, there are some who work hard and who are trying to break new ground. Mani Shankar Aiyar definitely stands a cut above the rest in more ways than one. He appears to be totally smitten by his job. Alas, there is no excitement emanating from any ministry. There is no overhaul that we can see. No hope either.
What is equally absurd is television channels reporting the speculative ?reshuffle? as though they know something and are not telling, only titillating the viewer with a non-story ? weird. This happened on Sunday morning and till midnight there was no cabinet change.
More farces
Then, across the border, across the western front, another absurd drama. Leader of the opposition, a BJP stalwart, L.K. Advani, has endorsed the secular avatar of M.A. Jinnah. He has spoken of his distress over the pulling down of the Babri Masjid. At times one felt he was looking for a permanent resident visa for himself, homesick and longing to return to his roots. Sometimes it seemed he wanted to leave the BJP and join another party. The open anger of his BJP colleagues and that of the larger sangh parivar has taken this nautanki to another climax. Will he return and deny what he said? Will he accuse the media of presenting his remarks out of context even though we heard him loud and clear? How will he explain this change of heart and deal with the anger he has generated? We can look forward to another farce.
And, the left has once again showed its true colours ? elections are around the corner, so they do not want any hike in oil prices. Artificial support, subsidy, is populism at its worst, something the left parties are past masters at. They are no different from any other opportunist party facing the polls. There is another irrelevant demand. They want the CBI to continue probing the Bofors case: three digit crores have been spent on a two digit crore supposed kickback. Heaven knows there is much to be done in India, much that is critical for the nation. The public couldn?t give a damn about this continuing ?probe?. They are bored to tears.
