The
CM is right in telling the people to be more vigilant, to
be more assertive - that they should demand and get proper
service from their municipality in matters related to roads,
drains, garbage, water, street lighting and a few other
services expected of it. He was also right in his response
to a citizen's complaint about the traffic problem "I
alone cannot do everything. Your mayor is here, talk to
him." He was also right in saying that all elected
representatives are answerable to the people. When people
complained that many a time their complaints went unheeded,
he rightly told them to hold a dharna in front of their
offices. All this is a step in the right direction towards
citizen empowerment. As long as the citizens are told that
it is their right to get certain services from the government,
that the public servants cannot get away with corruption,
that they are accountable to them, such candour is refreshing.
But
there are two disturbing inferences that could be drawn
from the above incidents. First, the CM wants to deliberately
undermine the members of his cabinet and local governments
and an image is sought to be created in the public eye that
while he gets the credit for anything good that happens
in the state, the ministers, local governments, legislators
and officials get the blame for whatever bad might be happening!
Even a small office or organization cannot run on this basis
of "heads, I win; tails, you lose"! Organization
building, teamwork and delegation are the basic principles
of modern functioning - from households to corporate bodies;
and from local governments to national agencies. Unfortunately
some of our chief ministers are so puffed up by their own
self-importance that they put medieval autocrats to shame
and behave like modern-day Nizams. That may impress gullible
and wide-eyed citizens who are easily swayed by theatrics
and cinematic gestures. But it is only on the celluloid
that a painted 'hero' brings about dramatic transformation
through the flick of the fingers or a passionate dialogue
(scripted by someone else) or a song and dance sequence.
Real life and democratic governance demand respect for all
players at various levels, and deep understanding of and
faith in the democratic culture.
The
second inference is that elected local governments are irrelevant,
they exist at his pleasure and he can arbitrarily dismiss
them at will. Local governments happen to be elected by
the same citizen whose wisdom is extolled when electing
the national government, and the same voter whose foresight
is praised when electing the state government. The national
and state governments have persistently belied our hopes
and have been habitually indulging in corruption, nepotism,
short-term populism and gross incompetence. And yet, we,
the citizens, have been patiently indulgent of them.
We
want democratically elected governments not because the
leaders are wise and omnipotent, but because they acquire
legitimacy with our mandate, and can be held to account
by us, We want empowered local governments not because they
are repositories of wisdom and virtue, but because the closer
they are to us, the easier it is for us to resist their
misgovernance and compel better performance. If dismissal
of elected governments is the only recourse available for
every misdeed, how many state governments can survive the
test? If the union government threatens to invoke Article
356 against every state at the drop of a hat, will the chief
ministers remain calm and unaffected? And who is there to
dismiss the union government for its failures? No amount
of hectic activity can be a substitute to solid achievement.
And solid results can never be accomplished by firmans and
diktats of a centralized authority. Strengthening of institutions,
empowerment of people, delegation of powers and instruments
of accountability are the keys to improving things. Will
our heads of governments, self-important leaders, and pompous
public servants realise this simple truism?
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