The eight murders in the last eight days or so in Bengaluru are a testimony to the deteriorating law and order in the city. It is a symptom of the deterioration in governance the state has been witnessing in recent years. The law and order situation in Karnataka as a whole and Bengaluru in particular has gone from bad to worse over the last four years. There is no safety and security for the people and their properties. It is particularly difficult for those living alone and the elderly.
When Article 21 of the Constitution makes right to life and liberty a fundamental right of every citizen, it is the primary duty of the state government to ensure this. Moreover, law and order is a state subject and therefore the responsibility of the state government. But it has thoroughly failed on this front. It is wrong to assume that the state does not have the means to ensure people’s safety. It has the infrastructure, the men and the material. What it lacks, however, is the political will to ensure security. If the government is serious about improving law and order, it must post honest and sincere officers in sensitive places. Today as a result of rampant corruption, many inefficient officers and policemen have been elevated to important positions. What can we expect from individuals who have paid for their postings?
On the other hand many sincere and honest officials in the department have not been recognised, encouraged or given important posts. I am told that the Bengaluru commissioner of police is an honest and dedicated officer but to deal with the law and order situation the entire system has to be clean. It is important that persons down the line, even those at the stations too are honest.
This is a classic case of Yatha praja tatha praja (as the king, so the people). If the Chief Minister, the ministers and the government are strong enough, are concerned and sincere, the officers get the right message. When the government is immersed in corruption across sectors, what kind of signal does it convey to the officers? Where is the question of efficiency then?
In the seventies when an issue of policemen misbehaving with two women at a police station in Madhugiri, Tumkur district was raised in the assembly, the then home minister M.V. Rama Rao, took moral responsibility for it and resigned as minister and MLA then and there. But today, even after the Mangalore incident, attacks on churches, and growing number of murders in Bengaluru, nobody is willing to take moral responsibility. This is what our democracy has come to today.
The state needs statesmen and not petty politicians. It’s imperative therefore, for the Union government to amend the election laws. The Representation of People Act, 1951 needs changes to curb rampant use of money and influence in the political system in the interest of good governance. Clean politicians will definitely deliver better than corrupt ones.
— The writer is an advocate and a senior Congress leader