Every time there is a big tragedy exposing the incompetence of those ruling the country or a state, two things invariably happen—demand for the resignation of the minister concerned and announcement of ex gratia payments to the victims’ families. The same followed the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini declared compensation to the tune of Rs 50 lakh for the family of Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, one of the victims.
His Odisha counterpart, Mohan Majhi, announced Rs 20 lakh as ex gratia payment for the next of kin of accountant Prasanta Satpathy. Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal governments declared Rs 10 lakh each. Other governments also made similar announcements. Some added a job or free education to make it look more generous.
How insensitive and pathetic our politicians can be! Is this how you console the grieving wives, parents, and children—offering Rs. 5, 10, or 50 lakh? And they make a public show of what they think is their generosity. Even if they were to offer this money from their own pockets—which is never the case—the timing and the manner of such announcements would still be very insensitive and disgraceful. There are various ways of helping the family discreetly—without making a show of it. But, then, how would our politicians show their ‘magnanimity’ to the world?
Do they really think that their offer of money lessens the grief of the families? Or is it a cover-up for the incompetence of the ruling dispensation, which fails the people, be it a terror attack or a rail accident, or a bridge collapse?
Cash for accountability
Just think of their mindset. Eighteen people died in a stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station on 15 February. The Indian Express reported that in the early hours of 16 February, when the families of those killed arrived at the hospital to collect their bodies, they were given bundles of Rs. 100 and Rs. 500 notes, totaling Rs 10 lakh.
The Indian Railways had announced Rs 10 lakh for the kin of the deceased, Rs 2.5 lakh to the grievously injured, and Rs 1 lakh for passengers with minor injuries. It’s quite a surprise how government officials could withdraw so much cash from banks within hours after the stampede. The government’s message was clear: Take the cash, take the bodies home, and forget what happened and why.
“When I went to claim my mother’s body, they insisted that I take the compensation. I really want to ask, how did they calculate that number? How does one attach a price to someone’s life?” Anubhav Sahay, whose mother died in the stampede, told The Indian Express.
Families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack must be asking similar questions as governments smugly announce ex gratia payments. These families must be waiting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to punish the perpetrators and the conspirators “beyond their imagination”. They can trust him to make good on that. But the PM owes them something else too— accountability for the intelligence and security lapses, which cost the lives of their loved ones. They’re going to be disappointed. If at all, an official here and another there would be transferred or suspended. Don’t expect any accountability at the top.
Also read: Why Nishikant Dubey won’t be worried about JP Nadda disowning his attack on CJI Khanna and SC
The chalta-hai governance
Barely a fortnight before the Pahalgam attack, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had declared victory over terror. “Due to the sustained and coordinated efforts of the Modi government, the entire terror ecosystem nurtured by elements inimical to our country in J&K has been crippled,” he declared after his three-day tour of Jammu and Kashmir.
It’s no secret that Shah is virtually running the Union Territory. Even the Jammu and Kashmir police is under the Centre’s command. The Pahalgam attack is a big blot on Shah’s record as the country’s home minister. Not that it’s the first. To name just a couple of others: the 2020 Delhi riots during Donald Trump’s first official visit to India and the Manipur violence. But, of course, Shah is a different case altogether. For the Modi-led government and the Bharatiya Janata Party, he is like Ahmed Patel, Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram, and AK Antony rolled into one. He is virtually running the government.
No wonder, he is also working hard to keep himself fit, dedicating two hours of workout for his body and six hours of sleep for his brain, as he disclosed at an event organised by the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences in Delhi, a couple of days before the Pahalgam attack.
It won’t be fair to seek accountability from Shah for internal security lapses when he has to ensure the BJP’s victory in every election—from municipal corporations to assemblies and Parliament.
Besides, seeking or fixing accountability has never been the Modi government’s style. Because it would mean that the government committed a mistake. And if the PM starts fixing accountability on ministers, where would the buck stop? From Doklam to Galwan, Manipur to Pahalgam, frequent train accidents to missing bullet train even after 11 years in power, massive time and cost overruns in flagship Bharatmala project and scrapping of its Phase II, pending labour codes to the abandoned promise of doubling farmers’ income by 2022—the list of governance lapses is getting longer every day. Ministers won’t, but what if they turn around and ask why they should be punished when all decisions are taken by the Prime Minister’s Office?
Modi’s reluctance to seek and fix accountability is, therefore, understandable. But what should worry him is the people’s growing weariness and frustration with the complacency—and chalta-hai attitude in governance—that is now bordering on arrogance. The lapses in Pahalgam were just the latest evidence of this mindset, resulting in so many deaths yet again. PM Modi may be Teflon or even titanium-coated, but the surface is beginning to show cracks and holes, as people’s patience with the lack of accountability wears thin.
DK Singh is Political Editor at ThePrint. He tweets @dksingh73. Views are personal.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)
It’s the TINA effect. All will change, The day Congress gets a leader who will bring discipline, national progress/ development as the guiding principle and execute it without bias of language, state, caste, religion and economic status.
Being Home minister Amit Shah is responsible for all UTs including Jammu and Kashmir. So he has to bear the responsibility of the security failure in Pahalgam. He cannot escape behind the justification that he also has to spend time in each election. Similarly do not blame BJP ministers that they are making holes in PM Modi as if Modi cannot make mistakes. He is to be blamed for his own mistakes.
Very well written article.
As war clouds gather on the horizon, the question arises – How would the Agnipath scheme measure up to the challenge of a single or a two front war.
Well written! It’s really chalta hai all the time, in all states.
I am so disappointed at the handling of this tragedy :
1. Projection of normalcy is more important than ensuring security
2. Lie at the all party meeting that baisaran was opened without approval on April 20 when it has been open all year round for a few years now. And if indeed April 20, terrorists must be like supernova, recceing in 2 days and that’s all they need to execute.
3. Modi’s absence in all party meeting was terrible. Bihar projects and elections more important than pahalgam? Are people of Bihar so insensitive that they won’t understand if PM has to alter his plans and be absent or do it later or do it remotely?
4. Why did modi scream from Bihar? He should have been in Pahalgam or at the very least Srinagar. Same message delivered from the soil of Kashmir would have had so much more impact. RaGa is a moron but at least he did what I expected out of the PM, visit Srinagar and spend time with the injured, visit the family of our deceased Kashmiri friend who died trying to save the others.
5. Resignation? Huh! Forget it. No politician resigns these days. Amit Shah should have, Ashwini Vaishnaw should for the rail accidents. Mamata banerjee should have resigned 3x by now. But all they are interested in is keeping power and minting money.
Pleasantly surprised and happy with Mr. Owaisi and Omar Abdullah’s gestures. They have shown more maturity, tact and sensitivity than the rest of our political leadership together.
This government exists only to collect taxes. Period.