Sunday, February 12, 2012

TIME TO STOP DEMONISATION OF NARENDRA MODI

B.RAMAN


The allegations made against Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat, in connection with some incidents of violence against Muslims during the communal disturbances of 2002 were quite serious. They amounted to charges of conscious inaction amounting to criminal complicity.


2. These allegations warranted thorough investigation by a body of professional investigators and follow-up action in the form of criminal prosecution if the allegations proved to be correct during the investigation.


3. Such a body was constituted by the judiciary through the setting-up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by R.K.Raghavan, former Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Raghavan is a highly distinguished officer of the Indian Police Service (IPS) known for his professionalism, integrity, independence and objectivity.


4. He had been associated with many complex criminal investigations when he headed the CBI and continues to be associated with matters relating to the Police even after his retirement.


5. After a thorough and professional investigation lasting about two years, the SIT headed by him has reportedly concluded that its investigation did not unearth any evidence that could warrant the prosecution of Modi under any charge.


6. In other words, the allegations of criminal complicity against Modi stand disproved. The serious allegations against Modi were not pushed under the carpet. He was not exempted from facing the due process of the law in the nature of a criminal investigation. He was treated like any other citizen despite the high office held by him and subjected to a criminal investigation by a team of distinguished professionals.


7. When the SIT has cleared him of the charges levelled against him by some sections of the public---particularly from the Muslim community--- and by some human rights activists, fairness of criminal justice demands that the demonization campaign against him should be discontinued and the sword hanging over his head should be removed. He has been cleared honourably and not conditionally.


8. Instead of doing so, his political and non-Governmental detractors seem determined not to accept the conclusions of the SIT and to keep up the campaign of denigration and demonization against him by recycling the allegations which have already been enquired into and found unproven by the SIT.


9. It is no longer a case of the law taking its own course, but one of malicious witch-hunt against a political leader by his political opponents and by sections of the media and lawyers and others who are not well disposed towards him. Even after having failed to prove the charges before the SIT, they are determined to keep their vicious campaign alive for political reasons and not for reasons of natural justice.


10. Their ill-motivated attempts have to be deplored by all right-thinking persons, who should demand that the campaign of demonization should stop immediately. Modi has so far not allowed this campaign to negatively affect his administration of the State of Gujarat for the last 10 years. The State has made considerable progress under his leadership. This is acknowledged by independent-minded observers and even by persons who are not comfortable with him as an individual.


11. His future should be decided by the people not on the basis of the re-cycled unproven allegations of his demonisers, but on the basis of what he has already achieved as an administrator, his ideas and vision for the future and his capability for achieving them.


12. Those who still have reservations regarding his style of leadership and do not agree with those who praise his governance should confront him politically and establish before the people that his achievements and capabilities are over-rated if that is what they feel.


13. But his detractors and demonisers find themselves on a weak ground in respect of a political campaign against him based on objective factors. They are, therefore, trying to keep alive the demonization in the hope of thereby damaging and destroying his future political career. This has to be strongly deplored and I have no hesitation in doing so.


14. I have never been an uncritical admirer of Modi. Nor am I in the ranks of his perpetual demonisers. I have always sought to judge him as objectively as I can. It is my view that the demonization campaign against him must stop now. ( 12-2-12)


( The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For China Studies. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com Twitter : @SORBONNE75 )

16 comments:

planet1 said...

LOL it looks like that B. Raman knows that UPAs fortunes are going down and NDA is on up, so intime of next elections he want to join winning party to get greener pastures. Well they say Rats Leaving a Sinking Ship, same is the case for B. Raman.

Vihan said...

@planet1 that is a disgusting and immature conclusion based on callous reasoning. Mr Raman has fought evil throughout his life and continues doing so. Either you genuinely don't know this or your malice overwhelmes your thinking, in which case I treat your comment with the contempt it deserves.

Krishna Kacker said...

There was a report in the press recently that the Amicus Curie appointed by the Court had different views on the subject.The report mentioned that he felt that there was enough evidence to charge sheet Narendra Modi.If this is true, the hypothesis of there being no evidence to prosecute him is questioned.

Krishna Kacker said...

In my comments posted a little while ago, I had mis spelt Amicus Curiae.Mistake is regretted.My comments however remain the same

Unknown said...

It is not enough that the slander and hate campaign be stopped. Everyone who was part of the campaign has to apologize. This includes Shri Raman

Vihan said...

@Unknown please read all of Mr Raman's articles on professionally handling investigations and the Gujarat 2002 riots.

Dhananjay AM said...

Right analysis by Raman.Thank you sir.The secular rats will start making noise against him now.I appreciate courageous stand taken by him though he always stood by the UPA govt.That requires lot of guts.The SIT report should be an eye opener to all who did which-hunt against Modi.SIT not a body appointed by NDA/Modi.Its a body appointed by SC of India.Every one should respect it.The voice against a honest and competent authority like Mr.Raghavan head of SIT is uncalled for.Its in bad taste.It shows mentality of the lynch mob-media,secularists,activists,politicians.They are now desperate that they failed to prove falsehood before SIT.Its high time to accept now truth now and move forward.Its great that truth has finally prevailed.Salute to honest officers who keep our democratic principles intact.Jai Hind!Jai Bharath!
-Common Man

Vihan said...

I agree 100% with Dhananjay AM!

Interested Indian said...

Now I am understanding what it means to be a pucca babu and swaying with the wind.

I am pretty sure that I will look back at this post and smile at myself for predicting the future.

My prediction: At the first sign of trouble for Modi, there will be a post in effect the exact opposite of the post.


When a govt starts shaking, it is the babus who will be the fiercest abusers.

Sumanth said...

I find no reason to criticise mr Raman..he was an honest officer and his opinions are honest even though few of us don't like some times...we can appreciate his opinions and we can criticize him objectively not abusively .....and I am admirer of Modi and I am least bothered about Rajiv Ramachandra report....and I appreciate B raman for his analysis and political matters.....

Sumanth said...

it is absurd to say that Mr Raman is looking for a post from NDA ...the imagination is totally wrong....may god bless Raman ...

Vihan said...

@Interested Indian this clearly proves you know absolutely nothing about Mr Raman. In fact if anything you prove the premise that the people who demonise Modi and all who say even one positive or even balanced word for him have no sense of fair play, law or justice while touting those virtues when it serves their holier than thou interests. A disgusting smear campaign.

@Sumanth Very well said! God bless Shri Raman, we are with you all the way Sir!

Gaju13 said...

good read, thanks Mr. Raman for your insights.

SnehalBhai said...

Narendra Modi is absolutely the honest person in Indian Politics.

avinash said...

Sir,
You should specifics or write a blog on the people who are hell bent on demonizing Mr.Narendra Modi, especially the folks present in the media

Santosh John Samuel said...

Agreed sir that if facts show that Mr. Modi is not guilty, the demonisation has to stop. That is a big IF. Are we to believe that more that 2000 people lost their lives, an overwhelming number of them Muslims, the selective targeting of houses and establishments that belonged to Muslims, the continuing displacement issues could have taken place without the knowledge (at the least) of top man in the state? You really must be joking. For a man who runs a state and covets the PM's chair, Mr. Modi has a lot of answering to do for the climate he helped to create that led to the 2002 killings and, in all probability, his own personal complicity. The blood he helped to spill will have to be atoned for before the demonisation stops. And before readers are misled that the SIT gave a clean chit to Mr. Modi please read
http://tehelka.com/story_main48.asp?filename=Ne120211coverstory.