In a news that should come as a big wakeup call for Nagaland and its leaders, both the political class and bureaucrats, the former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala and his son Ajay Chautala have been sentenced to ten years in jail in a teachers’ recruitment scam. Besides the former CM and his son, the court gave ten-year-term to two IAS officers and four teachers in the case. On January 16, the court had held 78-year-old Om Prakash Chautala, his son Ajay Chautala and 53 others guilty of illegally recruiting 3,206 junior basic trained (JBT) teachers in the state in 2000. They have all been held guilty of cheating, forgery, using fake documents as genuine, conspiracy under the IPC and for abusing their official position under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The former CM has been declared as “the main culprit" in the recruitment scam. Chautala now joins the league of former BJP President Bangaru Laxman and former Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhram, who were earlier convicted of corruption. As already mentioned by some people, one hopes that the 10-year jail sentence awarded to a former CM, will have impact not only on the state but the entire country. No doubt there is a need for more conviction of the corrupt especially in the world’s largest democracy. Addressing corruption especially at the top has been a slow and frustrating process in India. But compared to before, now at least there is greater sensitivity towards this problem. Several reform initiatives have been put on the ground to take on corruption. It has been slow moving but we are starting to see some results. There are now more checks and balances. An independent judiciary along with a free press is good for the system—to promote transparent, open and accountable government. The anti-corruption crusade of Anna Hazare has had a big impact. This is the trend we are moving towards and this is good news for the greatest good of the greatest number.
While we do not know the full details of the teachers recruitment scam in Haryana, going by media reports, it would seem that the bogus teachers’ appointment scam in the School Education Department of the Nagaland Government could be more serious and involving more powerful people. But it is doubtful whether those who have done wrong would ever be punished. In Nagaland we are still far away from having a responsive-justice dispensing system, one that will bring correction to the kind of corruption and illegality taking place. If a State like Haryana, which is also similar in its traditional set up like Naga society, can start to deal with corrupt practices, perhaps the day is not too far off when the high and mighty in Nagaland will be brought to judgment for their acts of commission or omission. In Nagaland we need to develop checks and balances between the three organs of government—Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. At present there is lop-sided distribution of power in favour of the Executive. The Legislature and Judiciary in Nagaland is almost in the dark, passive and non-performing. The latter two must start to exercise its power and exert its influence in the running of the government. Otherwise the Executive, especially the political dispensation will ride rough-shod over all norms of civil and moral behavior. If each part or organ of the government can play its due role, it is good for the health and vitality of the system. But when one organ (Executive) becomes too powerful at the cost of the others, it will lead to abuse of power. This is what is happening in a State like Nagaland. We need to correct this anomaly. The fourth pillar of democracy—the media will also have to come up to the level of expectation. This means to be a watchdog against abuse of power, to seek truth, to be a guardian of democracy and to represent the voice of the people.
