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| Mere change is not enough | | | | After tragic Mumbai terror incident, Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has offered to resign, again because he had no option but to accept moral responsibility. His deputy R R Patil has already quit, paying a price for his irresponsibility and insensitivity. The resignation of Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil will not be mourned by anyone, and it might actually be felt by many that he overstayed his entire tenure in the office. It was only his connections with the highest power centre in the country that helped him to continue in office even after it was proved time and again that the home minister’s attire was not cut out for him. Patil has accepted moral responsibility for the Mumbai terrorist attack and it is a welcome reason for resignation. It is a long time since anyone in the country resigned on moral grounds, but we are not sure it will be considered an example to be followed in future by others. He was not prepared to resign on his own but was almost told to quit. And if he really felt responsible for the functioning of his ministry, he would have resigned long ago. Therefore the resignation does not redeem his image in any way and the leadership would still be embarassed to answer the question why he was allowed to continue in office for so long. While these gentlemen leave the office unsung and unlamented, there are others also who should be held accountable for the lapses which were exposed in Mumbai last week and elsewhere in the past. It has now come to light that there was specific intelligence information which pointed to the possibility of an attack by the sea. If the inputs had been pursued to the end the tragedy might possibly have been averted. It is also known that there was culpable laxity in implementing action plans which were meant to strengthen the security system in Mumbai and in other parts of the country. There are other serious lapses too. The entire top brass of the ministry and the national security establishment are responsible for them. They should also be held accountable for their inaction, inability or indifference, and there must be a scrutiny of performance down the line. The message should be that there is a seriousness of purpose in dealing with the threat to the country and the lives of people. The home ministry needed a change, just as perhaps the finance ministry too, because in the coming weeks these two departments of the government that will have to show a good report card to the country. But a mere change in the face of the ministry cannot ensure that. |
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