-: [rti4empowerment] Vikram - Betal - Manmohan

Saturday, February 12, 2011

[rti4empowerment] Vikram - Betal - Manmohan - Raja

Good day Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Its Sunday, February 13th 2011

The Indian epics and philosophy are full of tales of
dilemmas and their resolutions.

One such topic is moral responsibilty that is dealt
with in great detail in several scriptures, the Bhagwad Gita
being the foremost.

But, to make it even more accessible to the common folks,
the tradition of passing this knowledge through folk tales
became quite popular (Panchatantra, Jataka tales etc.)
and one such collection was the dialogue between
Vikram and Betaal.

The story of How a King given a task to bring the corpse
from the graveyard and the interim dialogue that ensues between
him and the ghost of the corpse encompasses a wide gamut
of moral ambiguity and ethics that is sought to be cleared.

My post today is about one such tale and its relevance
to the current Indian political mileu.
Actually, its relevance is to contemporary politics and systems
everywhere including interpersonal relationships and their
accompanying responsibilities

You'll see the point I am making
One cannot escape moral responsibility just by being a good guy.

The mail was received from CA Rajesh Desai and subsequently posted
in The CYBUGLE yahoogroups by Ms Asha Gupta

Vikram - Betal... Manmohan - Raja

RECD THIS MAIL.please comment

>Once there lived an old and pious man, renowned for his honesty. One day
his neighbor, a rich merchant comes to him with a request. The merchant was
leaving on a voyage and wants the old man to safeguard his wealth, until his
return. The old man agrees and with God as witness promises to protect and
safeguard the merchant's wealth. *
**
*The old man then entrusts the safe keep of the merchant's wealth to his
son, from whom he takes an oath of propriety and honesty. Slowly the son
starts dipping into the merchants wealth, people notice this and warn the
old man of the son's misdeeds. The old man calls his son asks him to
explain, he also reminds him of his oath on following the right path. The
son rubbishes the accusations as rumors and the idle gossip of jealous
people, who could not bear to see his prosperity. The old man accepts the son's
explanation and things go on as before.*

*The merchant returns and demands his wealth. The old man calls his son, who
hands over a quarter of the merchant's wealth saying that is all there was.
The merchant realizing that he has been cheated approaches the King. The
King listens to the merchant's complaint and summons the old man. The old
man comes to the court with his son and handing him over to the King says
"your majesty, the merchant is right. My son has confessed to the crime.
Please punish him."*
**
*The king has the son flogged and imprisoned. He then praises the old mans
honesty and dismisses the case. But the merchant demands punishment for the
old man saying, "I have still not received justice. I had entrusted my
wealth to the old man which he swore by God to safeguard. The old man's
integrity is intact, but what of me, I have been robbed of my life's
savings, and made a pauper. It was the old man's decision to entrust my
wealth to the son for safe keeping. As far as I am concerned the old man is the
culprit, and should be punished.*
**
*The king is astounded by this demand. The old man, was neither a party to
the theft nor did he benefit from it. In fact, he had sent his son to jail.
Yet, the merchant was asking for the old man's punishment.*

*Then Betal (the Ghost) asks Vikramaditya, "What should be the Kings decision."*

**
*Vikramaditya's replies, "Though the old man is innocent of the actual
theft, he is guilty of dereliction of duty. The son's crime was a straight
forward one, the old man's was a graver crime. He did nothing to protect the
merchant's wealth. Far from being vigilant he failed to take action even
when he was warned of his son's misdeeds. Because of his laxity the merchant
is condemned to a life of penury. He should be punished."
*
**
*India 2010, Dr. Manmohan Singh, esteemed economist, former
Governor of RBI, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission,
former Finance Minister, a man whose personal ethics and integrity
are unblemished, takes oath to protect and safeguard the Nation and
its assets. He appoints Raja, as his Cabinet Minister for IT & Telecom.*

* Unlike the story, this heist of a precious national asset is carried out
in full view of Dr. Manmohan Singh and his cabinet colleagues. Newspapers
across the country cry out at this outrage in front page headlines.*

* The Indian Constitution grants the Prime Minister absolute power in
running the country. He is the head of the Government and the Union Cabinet
functions at his pleasure. As per the Transaction of Business Rules the
Prime Minister has the unrestricted right to demand and get any file, any
record from any Ministry. Dr. Man Mohan Singh could have at any time stopped
this heist of a National asset, yet he chose to remain silent. The
Minister's failure to exercise his constitutional rights has caused
irreparable loss to the Nation.*

* Dr. Singh did not profit personally from Raja's shenigans, but his failure
to act, to honor the oath of office, to protect and safeguard the nation and
its wealth is unforgivable. Like the old man, he has sacked Raja from his
ministerial berth, but does his culpability end there.*

* The people of India had entrusted their faith and the future of the Nation
in Dr. Manmohan Singh, believing him to be a man of integrity and honesty,
and not to Raja. Does dismissing Raja absolve Dr. Singh or like the old man
is he guilty of dereliction of duty and failure to safeguard the Nation and
its citizens. Does he deserve punishment?*

*It is for the Indian citizen to decide. *

--
posted by
CA.RAJESH DHIRAJLAL DESAI
<ca.rajeshddesai@gmail.com>
in various yahoogroups

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