Home Minister Not At Home With His Portfolio

If a student doesn't fare well at school, he or she gets poor grades and may not be able to pursue the career of his or her choice. If managers in a company fail to deliver results, they may be sacked or not given an increment. If a journalist writes an incorrect report, his credibility is affected, the beat he covers may be changed or he may have to relocate. The bottomline is that performance matters.

Does performance matter for the ministers, or is it that they will continue unless they are shown the door by the people, once every five years. Unfortunately, we have got used to this norm. But even by our sluggish standards, the present incumbent in the Home Ministry takes the cake, or rather, the bomb. Even heavens can't destroy him because he has the blessing of the so called supreme leader.

Bomb blasts are taking place, a dime a dozen. If they become as common as traffice jams, it doesn't make a difference to the powers that be because they live under high grade security blanket.

But what about the common man? If 20 people die here or 34 there or 47 somewhere else, it is reduced to a daily statistic. But every single person matters to his or her near and dear ones. For those who aren't affected, it is like any other number, 20, 34, 47, but for those who are directely related, it is an earthquake, which words can't describe. Imagine, just imagine or at least try to imagine, someone's father, mother, sister, spouse, daughter, son, has been killed who may the only breadwinner for the family.

If the minister incharge of the security apparatus isn't successful in handling the situation, can't he just call it quits. We didn't even elect him to the House of the People. He got the post by what Punjabis call "via Bhatinda", after being defeated in the Lok Sabha polls. This is what happens, when politicians are allowed to go against the spirit of law even if they are following it in letter.

According to the Preamble of the Constitution, We the People of India gave ourselves this Constitution. Yet, we can't decide, who will be incharge of our internal security because even if we reject him in the polls, he will still enter Parliament by the other House. So may be, we have to just outrightly reject his party.

When, West Indies had established its supremacy in test cricket, there used to be a saying, "Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust; If Sobers can't get you, Gibbs must". Sooner or later, the Supreme Law of Natural Justice will get hold of these non-performers. Till then, we aren't sure how much more damage will be done to the body politic.