Magna est Veritas
TRUTH IS GREAT
No Prime Minister
unforgivable=unforgettable
The Statesman writes in its editorial on the 14th May 2009 as follows:
It may not have been the thrust of his media interaction in Ludhiana, but Dr Manmohan Singh cannot emerge unscathed after observing that while the killings of 1984 were “painful”, the issue could not be kept alive forever. If that does not exacerbate yet-to-heal agonies of the victims’ kin, anger could be generated by his contention that vested interests wanted to keep the issue alive. The charge could be turned around, a counter-accusation made that vested interests were anxious to put a lid on a most horrific chapter of post-partition history: for which the only parallel is the massacres in Gujarat. Would the Congress party wish that issue to be buried? For just about every stick being used to flay Narendra Modi & Co. had earlier been used to slam several Congress leaders, particularly some from the Capital. That Dr Singh actually reflected callous party thinking stands reconfirmed by the decision– subsequently rescinded under pressure– to field two of the most tainted netas in the current election. Far from the political arena was Dr Singh in 1984, but that does not enable him to profess ignorance of what was state-sponsored carnage. His mentioning compensation adds insult to injury, money does not make up for loved ones slaughtered. Not when none of the key figures directing that bloodbath have been brought to justice.
It is unbecoming to get personal, but like all those uprooted from West Punjab in 1947, Dr Manmohan Singh has spoken of that trauma. Was the targeted killing of Sikhs in 1984 any less traumatic? To come up with the forgive-and-forget line has as much chance of striking a chord as suggesting that the Jewish people put the holocaust behind them– why only days ago a man alleged to have been active in a Nazi death camp was deported from the USA to face what could be the last of the trials for World War II crimes. It is true that in such emotive matters the dividing line between justice and vengeance is thin, but closure sans retribution is difficult. The vote-winning, or losing, fallout of Dr Singh’s comments is of small relevance. To a widow or orphan of 1984 they would suggest uncharacteristic hard-hearted indifference. If Election 2009 has seen Dr Manmohan Singh “graduate” as a politician, it is no matter for congratulations.
1. Affable Dr. Manmohan Singh’s metamorphosis into a typical creature of Party-politics is complete. And that is why he can now freely indulge in pronouncing in a subtle tone the difference between ‘our’ party and the ‘other’.
It is this mindset of a parochial political creature that can advise people to forget the grievous wrongs done to them by his party, while stoking the memory of untoward happenings and events of a rival party to score a political point.
In the dirty game, named politics, this may perhaps, be necessary to keep oneself afloat and to gain upperhand. But it is quite unbecoming of a person holding the highest position as the Prime Minister of India, who is supposed to have an impartial outlook for the Rule of Law and administration of justice towards all and sundry.
2. It is only the other day that Dr. Singh falteringly admitted– “I was not consulted on CBI clean chit to Tytler”– (vide The Statesman dt. 11.4.2009), thereby disclosing a part of his mind, albeit unwittingly, about the gross injustice done to the Sikh community by not only trampling their sentiments and mental agony, but also by deliberately insulting them by making a farce in the name of catering justice.
Now Prime Minister Dr. Singh’s prescription to forget this event altogether, adds fresh insult to that festering injury.
3. The Congress government, through their clever and sinister plans, have become successful in bailing out all the suspects from their camp, or from that of their associates, against whom many serious charges of aceptance of kickbacks, corruption, graft, even murder etc. were brought by the premier investigating agencies of the government itself, by either covering up the evidences or by manipulating them through various processes.
It is still green in the memory of many persons, particularly those who were direct sufferers and are still alive, how a murderous orgy was let loose by the young leaders of the Congress Party after the assassination of Indira Gandhi. Many of them exhibited special enthusiasm to show their strength and capability to teach the poor Sikhs a lesson, with a view to impressing Rajiv Gandhi and to win his favour. Even Rajiv Gandhi made the laconic comment– “When a big tree falls, many are hurt.”
It was a shame that the then Delhi administration and the Police remained mere spectators to the mayhem perpetrated on innocent Sikhs, in which over 3000 were murdered in two days.
It is more disgraceful when a Prime Minister is found to be acquiescing the issue of a clean chit to the perpetrators of such heinous crime, and advising the sufferers to forget everything.
TRUTH IS GREAT
No Prime Minister
unforgivable=unforgettable
The Statesman writes in its editorial on the 14th May 2009 as follows:
It may not have been the thrust of his media interaction in Ludhiana, but Dr Manmohan Singh cannot emerge unscathed after observing that while the killings of 1984 were “painful”, the issue could not be kept alive forever. If that does not exacerbate yet-to-heal agonies of the victims’ kin, anger could be generated by his contention that vested interests wanted to keep the issue alive. The charge could be turned around, a counter-accusation made that vested interests were anxious to put a lid on a most horrific chapter of post-partition history: for which the only parallel is the massacres in Gujarat. Would the Congress party wish that issue to be buried? For just about every stick being used to flay Narendra Modi & Co. had earlier been used to slam several Congress leaders, particularly some from the Capital. That Dr Singh actually reflected callous party thinking stands reconfirmed by the decision– subsequently rescinded under pressure– to field two of the most tainted netas in the current election. Far from the political arena was Dr Singh in 1984, but that does not enable him to profess ignorance of what was state-sponsored carnage. His mentioning compensation adds insult to injury, money does not make up for loved ones slaughtered. Not when none of the key figures directing that bloodbath have been brought to justice.
It is unbecoming to get personal, but like all those uprooted from West Punjab in 1947, Dr Manmohan Singh has spoken of that trauma. Was the targeted killing of Sikhs in 1984 any less traumatic? To come up with the forgive-and-forget line has as much chance of striking a chord as suggesting that the Jewish people put the holocaust behind them– why only days ago a man alleged to have been active in a Nazi death camp was deported from the USA to face what could be the last of the trials for World War II crimes. It is true that in such emotive matters the dividing line between justice and vengeance is thin, but closure sans retribution is difficult. The vote-winning, or losing, fallout of Dr Singh’s comments is of small relevance. To a widow or orphan of 1984 they would suggest uncharacteristic hard-hearted indifference. If Election 2009 has seen Dr Manmohan Singh “graduate” as a politician, it is no matter for congratulations.
1. Affable Dr. Manmohan Singh’s metamorphosis into a typical creature of Party-politics is complete. And that is why he can now freely indulge in pronouncing in a subtle tone the difference between ‘our’ party and the ‘other’.
It is this mindset of a parochial political creature that can advise people to forget the grievous wrongs done to them by his party, while stoking the memory of untoward happenings and events of a rival party to score a political point.
In the dirty game, named politics, this may perhaps, be necessary to keep oneself afloat and to gain upperhand. But it is quite unbecoming of a person holding the highest position as the Prime Minister of India, who is supposed to have an impartial outlook for the Rule of Law and administration of justice towards all and sundry.
2. It is only the other day that Dr. Singh falteringly admitted– “I was not consulted on CBI clean chit to Tytler”– (vide The Statesman dt. 11.4.2009), thereby disclosing a part of his mind, albeit unwittingly, about the gross injustice done to the Sikh community by not only trampling their sentiments and mental agony, but also by deliberately insulting them by making a farce in the name of catering justice.
Now Prime Minister Dr. Singh’s prescription to forget this event altogether, adds fresh insult to that festering injury.
3. The Congress government, through their clever and sinister plans, have become successful in bailing out all the suspects from their camp, or from that of their associates, against whom many serious charges of aceptance of kickbacks, corruption, graft, even murder etc. were brought by the premier investigating agencies of the government itself, by either covering up the evidences or by manipulating them through various processes.
It is still green in the memory of many persons, particularly those who were direct sufferers and are still alive, how a murderous orgy was let loose by the young leaders of the Congress Party after the assassination of Indira Gandhi. Many of them exhibited special enthusiasm to show their strength and capability to teach the poor Sikhs a lesson, with a view to impressing Rajiv Gandhi and to win his favour. Even Rajiv Gandhi made the laconic comment– “When a big tree falls, many are hurt.”
It was a shame that the then Delhi administration and the Police remained mere spectators to the mayhem perpetrated on innocent Sikhs, in which over 3000 were murdered in two days.
It is more disgraceful when a Prime Minister is found to be acquiescing the issue of a clean chit to the perpetrators of such heinous crime, and advising the sufferers to forget everything.
