Twin problems

The political pot in the 22-year-old Indian state of Jharkhand is simmering with tensions. The fate of Chief Minister Hemant Soren is sealed in an envelope sent by the Election Commission — possibly recommending his disqualification over the mining lease row — to the governor Ramesh Bais. While Hemant Soren and coalition partners of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government are waiting with bated breath for the envelope to be opened, the opposition parties could sense an opportunity. Amid all this, almost all the MLAs of Congress and some from Jharkhand Mukti Morcha have been shifted to luxurious Mayfair resort in the neighbouring Congress-ruled state of Chhattisgarh. Gaining and retaining MLAs have indeed become costly affairs in these times of reckless political poaching! Soren's chief ministership appears to be in clear danger. The entire episode reveals to us two big problems — corruption at the highest level of government and the ever-increasing trend of political poaching. Both the problems are equally formidable. The controversy had erupted in February itself when a former chief minister, also a BJP politician, flagged the mining lease issue. This was followed by an advocate filing two public interest litigations (PILs) against Hemant Soren in the Jharkhand High Court. While one of the PILs was related to money laundering through shell companies, the other was on the mining lease that Hemant Soren granted to himself. Interestingly, at the time of granting of lease, Hemant Soren was himself holding the portfolio of mining, forest, geology, ecology, industry, and climate change! It may be noted that the lease, as per Soren, was granted way back in 2008, and was only renewed during his chief ministership. These incidents reek of corruption at the highest level for petty gains. If Soren had decided to illegally get a bucket of water from the sea of mineral wealth present in Jharkhand, he might have made a great folly, and he must pay for it. His EC-recommended disqualification can be materialised by the governor on the grounds of violation of clause 9(a) of the Representation of People's Act. The clause deals with disqualification for entering into government contracts. Disqualification for holding an office of profit has substantive precedents in Indian politics. In case of Hemant Soren, the threat is even more pronounced as the BJP at the Centre might be having a close look at the situation. It may also be eager to appropriate the loyalty of the huge tribal population in the state ahead of Lok Sabha polls. This brings us to the second problem. Political poaching doesn't sit well with the idea of a government based on popular mandate. This rot, though not new, is getting worse with each passing day in Indian politics. The idea and practice of making and breaking governments through political negotiations (or rather trading) is contrary to the core democratic principle of forming a "government by the people, for the people and to the people." While investigation of corruption charges against corrupt politicians is an imperative, can it be allowed to become a political tool functioning on command of any particular party? Certainly not. This is a loophole that needs to be fixed by the earliest. It is disgraceful to see herds of MLAs being poached or courted by taking them to lavish destinations. We saw it in Maharashtra, Karnataka and several other states recently. The increasing trend of this wholesale political trading is nothing but a pity for Indian democracy. For the present case, the JMM-Congress UPA alliance has stable numbers, but with BJP in power at Centre, nothing can be said convincingly. It will be interesting to see what moves will Hemant Soren make in case of disqualification, if it happens. Speculations are being made that he may anoint a proxy CM in such a scenario. Meanwhile, Jharkhand is a state which, right since its inception in 2000, has been plagued by political instability. On one hand, it boasts of 40 per cent of India's rich mineral resources, while on the other, a large proportion of its population lives in poverty. This irony can be fixed only through stable and able leadership — not by one that is hungry for money or the other that is hungry for power. Are political parties in Jharkhand willing to solve the longstanding issues of people?