"No comments, Your Honor, the matter is prejudiced"

Yet another spectrum scam being reported called "S-Band" scam. Indian Space Research Organization, yes the same organization that helped India send Chandrayaan-I to the moon is in the dock for "illegally leasing" the precious S-band spectrum to a private firm Devas for 20 years. The losses reported by the experts in the media (not accountants) and Nirmala Seetharaman (spokesperson, BJP) is a staggering Rs. 200,000 crores or $50 billion. In a couple of days the entire world would know about "yet another scam" in India this time in space research field and they would wonder, "Wow India is a rich country, their scams are more than their budget expenditures". BJP is gunning for the Prime Minister's scalp as Dept. of Space research comes under the PMO. Turns out, there is not much factual truth in this news item and maybe there was no scam in the first place. CAG, PMO, ISRO and M/s. Devas technology have all denied the presence of any such deal.



The constitution of India, provides even an Ajmal Kasab (convict, Mumbai 2008 attack, who shot people on camera) to plead "not-guilty" in the court. I intend to say, that people have a right to remain innocent until they are proven guilty in the court of law. Its an unalienable right that every individual enjoys and we are committing a travesty of justice if we prejudge matters even before they reach the courts. But we do it; every single day; sitting in comforts of our drawing rooms and watching the news channel. I am all for probity of public life and if people have committed crime (omission or commission) they should be dealt with the iron hand of law. All I ask for, is a little patience. Just don't pass blanket judgement on individuals because its a matter of great shame for a country if its Prime Minister has to furnish a "clean chit" for every other scam happening in the country. Lets keep the PM out of corruption politics until his complicity is proven beyond doubt in the court of law. We do not want our Prime Ministers always under shadow of suspicion and no matter how cynical we are about our political scheme of things, "let the PM, like Cesar's wife, be always above suspicion". Long gone are the days when people used to respect Union Ministers for the high morality and probity that they maintained in public life, today, people don't think twice before naming the Prime Minister as an accused. To an extent the current breed of politicians and the cynical behaviour of public at large is the main reason that we are facing this situation, but let us not discount the presence of a sound-bytes hungry media that loves soap-operas and a billion minds ready to lap it up. In fact we are so in tune with the drama of soap-operas that if our politicians are not involved in something sinister, we find it boring and vanilla. We look for a channel that is unearthing a latest sleazy racket of how political clout is used to subvert laws and we continue to act surprised about it like we are suffering from Alzheimer's disease.



Its a sad state of affairs. People are more angry if a Government is acquitted of wrongdoing than if it is convicted. We somehow want to nail our politicians and if they are proven innocent (in the court of law) we simply do not accept it because we have prejudged the matter and the person is pronounced guilty by us long ago. This kind of lynch mob mentality is not healthy because tomorrow (God forbid) if one of us is caught in a fabricated lawsuit, we would be wanting our rights of not being prejudged in the matter. "Do not, unto others, what you don't want for yourself", let us be equal in the eyes of law. More than being fair to the politicians (who do not need it), I want to see an end to the cynicism that we are feeding ourselves day in and day out. The kind of comments passed are like, "there is no hope" and "we are doomed", are factually incorrect and the media should be part of the change and not the problem. Gandhi used to say "be the change you want to see in the society" and yet somehow, we all want the society to change despite us not contributing in anyway to improve the situation. President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam once wrote to The Times of India to keep the front page dedicated to news which invoked positive response rather than sensationalism of crime and corruption. The point he wanted to make was, lets give out the positives as much as we harp on the negatives. Sadly, the media, in its new avatar of "social activism" has forgotten this golden rule.



Let us all be patient and allow the law to take its own course. If you feel justice is not delivered, petition the courts and ask for justice. If you are still not satisfied with verdicts, demonstrate against the Government and come the next election, vote it out, but for heaven's sake don't accept that "we are doomed" give up or take up lynch mob tactics and take up arms against the government. Our system provides us with many ways to show our displeasure. We have never even tried one and are already giving up. Like in the movie, The Shaw shank Redemption, "hope is a good thing.. perhaps the best of things.." and "I hope", one day the people will stand up for their rights and the politicians will be forced to be more accountable. "I hope", people will ensure that fair treatment is being provided to everyone and avoid lynch mob tactics for speedy justice. "I hope", that one day the court of law will be the only place where a person will face trial.



So long....