Practice of fixing Stones with names of Politicians/ Officers at public financed projects must end

If at all it becomes necessary in some cases let only the designation and not the name be there

DAYA SAGAR

The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society housed in Teen Murti Bhavan premises in Delhi has been renamed as Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library Society through a resolution on June 16, 2023 which have been responded with sharp reactions from Indian National Congress. No doubt Nehru cannot be so simply discussed in the context of subject going to be referred here but surely going by the political controversies that are so casually raised these days it has been good that the said society has been renamed by designation.
For nearly last more than 10 weeks there have been regular news stories about a public representative from Uttar Pradesh who had remained a five term member of legislative assembly and also once a Lok Sabha member, who was / is being introduced as mafia king by media as well as official sources and had been shot dead even when in police custody on 16th April 2023 while talking to media. Imagine surely some foundation stones might have been fixed in his name as MP or MLA at public places in his constituencies.
The other day, while out on a pleasure trip, one of my friends had asked why government does not put a ban on writing names of public servants / public men in office on the inauguration plates /foundation stones at projects / buildings / roads financed with state funds when ‘he’ could name some bureaucrats / engineers who had been removed from service in the interest of administration but stones/ plates with their names were not removed from public places.
A District Delhi Court on 16th December 2019 pronouncing a verdict holding Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a four-time BJP MLA from UP’s Bangermau ( who was expelled from the party in August 2019) had guilty of criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, inducing a woman to compel for marriage, rape and other relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
In 2018, in its ruling, in response to a petition seeking to stop MPs charged but not yet convicted of crimes from being appointed ministers in state and federal governments , a five judge bench of Supreme Court of India observed on 23rd Aug 2014 “Will any reasonably prudent master leave the keys of his chest with a servant whose integrity is doubted?” and asked, adding, “corruption is an enemy of the nation. As a trustee of the constitution, the PM is expected not to appoint unwarranted persons as ministers.” Indian laws only ban people convicted of serious crimes from holding office, but not those facing charges.7th March 2019 issue of a leading Hindi daily newspaper carried a news story from Santkabir Nagar (UP) with the lead (BJP MP beats with shoes a MLA on the issue of mentioning names on a foundation stone). There had been hardly any considering ‘voter citizen’ in India who would not have felt ashamed of the reported story about the said “public representatives”.
A former Chief Minister was inducted in another political party and was even made a Rajya Sabha MP who had been otherwise accused of money laundering and land scams. ACCUSED Politicians/ bureaucrats may win legal battles but even “questions” if raised on them do matter in a society . It had taken 18 years before a special Court Judge, John Michael D’Cunha, in Bengaluru concluded a case in which the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa was accused of unfairly amassing wealth disproportionate to her declared sources of income and was sentenced to four years in jail and slapped a fine of Rs. 100 crore. No doubt court decisions are open for further appeal and some judgements could be contested successfully but questions may still not be totally wiped off socially.
Surely there may be some projects / roads/ building executed with public money bearing foundation stones /inauguration plates with names of then working leaders/ ministers/ legislators /bureaucrats who are later questioned for their conduct/ integrity and in a democratic system of governance with the change of governments after five years very often the political leadership holding reins are found accusing the earlier ministers of misgovernance / corruption. What would be the reply incase a kid in coming times enquires about the credentials of ‘some’ inscribed name ?
These days it is not so uncommon to see the stones fixed / installed bearing the name of a MLA along side even a local mohalla drain not more that 25 to 30 mt. long.
Not only that a culture has also started where the Bureaucrats feel pride when their names are inscribed over stones /plagues fixed at projects / buildings made out of public funds. Firstly the executions have been done as part of their duty and secondly in case such officer is dismissed in view of mis conduct will his / her name be erased from the stone ?Two IAS officers have been dismissed and nine IPS officer suspended on corruption charges over last 5 years had said MOS Jitendra Singh in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 26 June 2019. Surely there may also be some plates / stones inscribed with names of some out of them at public funded lanes / structures/ memorials. Should not those too should have been removed / uprooted ?
Law making Constituent powers lie with the politicians / legislators and the judiciary has hence limitations for issuing directions. The social institutions of the day are too week in India of the day to make politicians go by their advisories for reforms.
In Indian democratic system people elect representatives every five years who hold the reins of Governance and change atleast after five years. It is also not so uncommon that the politicians accuse each other of serious charges of corruption and mis governance. In 2023 we find every day government agencies accusing ruling or out of power politicians ofcorruption of serious mal practices / unsocial acts. Imagine how uncomfortable may any considering mind in case a innocent kid asks him/her about a political leader whose name is there on a Stone fixed near his school premisesbut the other day a TV News Channel was describing ‘him/ her’just an alleged ‘thief”/ “unsocial element”/ “Corrupt minister “.?
So, the point that need be taken in focus here is that why should the names of the ruling politicians / MLAs/MPs/ Bureaucrats be mentioned on the foundation stones during their active service days and if mentioned should not be there an agency who will keep a watch on the ill elements and ensure that such stones / plaques are immediately removed from the locations after the concerned is alleged guilty or is atleast convicted (which surely will not be an easy exercise).
It is time for initiating a movement at the social level for impressing upon the political leadership of the day for banning the prevailing custom /practice of fixing Stones with names of Politicians / Officers at public financed projects; If at all it becomes necessary in greater national interest in some cases let only the designation and not the name be there.
(The author is Sr Journalist and social activist [email protected]).