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April      Last updated: April 29,  5:00 p.m.

Running out of steam

Smt Indira Gandhi tried to amend the Constitution in order to make it a pocket edition of her political ambitions. In her zeal, she rode roughshod over her opponents. She did not spare even her partymen who raised their voice against it. Since she did not have the required majority of members in the upper house, she even got detained some non-Congress members by the police and rushed through amendments to the electoral law. Today her foreign born daughter-in-law is under pressure in her own party. The odds are against her. There is a growing feeling in the party that she has failed to bring the party up, that she lacks the charisma of the dynasty, and there are occasional yearnings for a true Nehru-Gandhi to lead the party out of the doldrums.

Her latest decision about Bihar in supporting Rabri Government has left many partymen gasping for political breath. It has strengthened the belief that she is groping in the dark, clutching at issues which she and her advisers expect to bring her back into reckoning in the national politics. Her dash to Nagpur on April 14 to mark the birth anniversary of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, one of the framers of the Constitution of 1950, was such a desperate move not just to identify herself with the dalits but to abuse the BJP and RSS on the Constitution review. But in her 13-minute speech-or should we call it harangue-she said little about the Constitution and hurled abuses at RSS calling them "enemies of humanity" and "power brokers"-abuses which can be thrown back at her. After all the world knows who brokered the Bofors deal. Rajiv Gandhi, Quattrocchi and herself have yet to clear themselves of the charges in that notorious episode which brought down the Rajiv Gandhi Government in 1989. No Madam, no. Those who have many skeletons to hide and those whose own hands are not clean, have no right to abuse the RSS of being power brokers.

This is an art perfected by those who had been with the Congress ever since Independence, if not before 1947 also. Nevertheless the RSS cares two hoots for such diatribe because it is the result of the lady's own frustrations. She is running out of steam. The abuses are a symptom of the rot that is setting in her camp. She submitted to the dictates of her MLAs in Bihar. First, party MLAs in West Bengal defied her, now the President of the BPCC is determined to join hands with Mamata to oust the CPM. In Delhi she is unable to take action against the dissidents because the Shiela Dixit Government would be toppled by them. The lady is shaky, is unable to take decisions. Hence, she is looking for issues outside to keep her crowd quiet. The Nagpur rally was one such an exercise. But it flopped because she did not have the wherewithal to make it big.

Save the game

Former president of the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), Shri Inderjit Singh Bindra’s revelation that Shri P.M. Rungta, a former official of the BCCI was involved in the betting racket and, Shri Jagmohan Dalmiya, International Council for Cricket (ICC) chief was "in the hands of mafia and sharks" and that "every player in the world today was part of the corruption", shows how deep the malady is. One can only say that this situation will not go down well for the future of the game in the country. There was a general feeling that something was fishy with the Board’s functioning. Reaction of one of the board officials to the Cronje controversy has only strengthened the public misgiving.

Fears are expressed that efforts are under way to shove the ugly aspect of this business of cricket under the carpet. That will only help save some corrupt officials and players and in no way help the cause of cricket. Needless to say, an average cricket fan is disillusioned by the sordid affair and hopes that the game would ultimatley be saved sooner or later. The indications that the Government is also keen to cleanse cricket of the muck that has come to stick to it, is definitely a solutory one yet, the final responsibility lies with the BCCI. However, of late the Board has come out with some proposals including a list of do’s and don’ts, virtually a code of conduct for players. Further steps should be taken so as to save the game from the clutches of bookies and punters. For that, protecting the players from undesirable elements and corrupt influence is very important. Cricket has been regarded as gentleman’s game. Let us preserve its prestine glory.