OJ's Corner : Past Inedible

REFLECTIONS

No doubt it would be a terrible experience when the ugly past comes haunting to ruin the pleasant present. Neither the grotesque past nor the salubrious present can be hidden for all times to come. These get exposed themselves. That is the way of the world. The oddest secret would, one day, be proclaimed from the roof-top.

This is not an attempt to compare the unwholesome situation confronting honorable election commissioner Navin Chawla, who is embroiled in a controversy for a past act.

The way he acquired funds for his private trust, Lepra India Trust, run by his wife, Rupika Chawla, has invited rash criticism and a call to remove him from the august office of the election commissioner.

Funds came to the trust by way of donations by MPs, mostly the Congress tribe, from the MPLAD Scheme (Member of Parliament Local Area Development
Scheme) Fund. Ambika Soni, Karan Singh and A R Kidwai are the MPs in question.

As the call for his removal picked up a crescendo, Chawla tried to trivialise it quoting that a BJP MP also contributed his mite to the trust’s kitty.

It is some comfort that the episode did not happen when Chawla was holding the office of election commissioner, which he would demit on June 30 this year. The funding activity happened much before his assuming the present office.

The BJP, naturally, is only too keen to pursue the issue as a litigation before the Supreme Court. Whatever be the verdict, the issue has already caused embarrassment to the Congress side.

The Central government had sought the opinion of the Attorney-General, Milon Bannerjee, whose advice was that the incident was something that did not pertain to the period when Chawla was in office.

Lately, the apex court has asked for the opinion of the Chief Election Commissioner, B B Tandon.

By the time the court comes to decide on various opinions, in all probability, Chawla would have called it a day.

Remember, the case in Kerala High Court seeking a ban on publication of exit poll results before the completion of balloting, had become infructuous as the elections were over and the results published.
The issue should be approached in a non-partisan way by the appointing authorities as it involves an office vested with great powers during election times. All parameters of the incumbent should have been vetted scrupulously and honestly before naming a person to a high office. Caesar’s wife should be above suspicion. By the way, this is not an attempt to cast aspersions on Chawla in any way. But this should be an eye-opener to the powers-that-be to be careful.

The strength of the nation lies in it being the repository of a galaxy of blemishless intellectuals in various fields. Brain drain has not adversely affected the treasury of titans tending to our offices. Let the best and honest brains beckon us from high offices.