Prime Minister Rajiv’s Gandhi’s sudden generosity in announcing rupees 100 corer relief to the flood victims of Punjab has raised many an eyebrow. This offer stands in sharp contrast to his first announcement which stipulated a meagerly sum of rupees 20 lakhs only for the victims. The Punjab farmers, according to official estimates, have lost more than 500 corers of rupees in crops only. The loss of equipment, property and livestock in the state has yet to be estimated. Over a thousand precious lives have also been lost.
The Prime Minister also indicated that the relief work will be organized directly by his office and not by the Punjab government. Evidently, the generosity is not without strings. The relief work would in all probability be entrusted to the party functionaries so that the victims should feel obliged to their local Congress (I) bosses for the timely succor. With his eyes on the forthcoming Panchayat elections, Rajiv Gandhi plans to put a fat amount from the central pool in the hands of the Congress (I) to further its election prospects. The generous gesture is motivated by political considerations and not by any altruistic concern or out of empathy with the affected people. Since the relief will undoubtedly alleviate the sufferings of those who have been badly hit by the floods, it is most welcome. But exploitation of natural calamities for furthering electoral prospects is to say the least most unethical and is contrary to the spirit of true democracy. It is plain bribery.
By proclaiming that the relief work will be handled by his own office, Rajiv Gandhi has virtually disbanded the Punjab government and substituted it with his party workers. This patently undemocratic action must be reversed and the relief amount should be given to the Punjab government. Prime Minister’s office can however provide broad guide lines and can also supervise the operation so as to ensure equitable and just distribution. It should have no function beyond this.
Organizing relief work through party functionaries is also not desirable because it provides a readymade ‘opportunity to misappropriate funds as well as to indulge in malpractices. The victims should consider themselves lucky if even half the relief amount reaches them. Besides, the dispensation may not necessarily benefit the really deserving ones. The possibility of manipulators pocketing the major share will surely be the rule rather than an exception if relief amount is disbursed through them.
The announcement seems to have irked anti-Punjab newspapers. They have suddenly discovered that adequate relief was not given to flood affected state of Assam and they are denouncing this discriminatory treatment and have started talking about the necessity to formulate norms and procedures for determining the assistance to the affected areas. While there is considerable weight in their argument about the necessity of evolving definite norms, but their criticism is motivated by communal prejudice against Punjab. It has nothing to do with evolving a rational procedure or clear cut norms for assessing the relief amount. These quarters don’t relish even when Punjab’s legitimate right is recognized. They instantly brand reluctantly recognize right of Punjab as a concession to the Sikhs. It is, perhaps, for the first time that relief to the victims of a natural calamity has been criticized. The idea of discrimination did not occur to these quarters when Rajiv first announced a paltry sum of rupees 20 lakhs only for the flood victims of Punjab.
These quarters also reacted unfavorably when the Pepsi Cola project was sanctioned for Punjab. They don’t want Punjabi speaking areas left out of Punjab to be returned to the state. They want the plundering of Punjab resources to continue and they oppose remunerative prices for the agricultural produce of Punjab. In short, they treat Punjab either as a colony of India, or as an enemy territory under Indian occupation. Yet there is a section of self-seeking Sikhs which continues to play its deceptive tune and asserts that Sikhs can lead a life of freedom in India. It is time the true character of these “vegetable” Sikhs is exposed and the program to carve out Sikh destiny is put on firmer ground.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 28, 1988
