Apang goes : Consequence of unduly favouring one tribe

The builder of modern Arunachal Pradesh, Gegong Apang, who enjoyed power and prestige for nearly two decades, now has egg on his face. He actually asked for it. He could have averted defeat in the Assembly had he left quietly after the revolt by seven ministers belonging to the Nishi tribe of Changlang and Tirap districts. They reportedly withdrew support at the behest of two tribal organisations. Apang loyalists, however, gave a different twist by claiming that ministers were forced to resign by the Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland. It is inconceivable that the duly elected representatives could be so chicken-hearted as to capitulate under threats. The Chief Minister's panic reaction in recommending dissolution only opened the floodgates for others to desert him, an opportunity many were awaiting. Governor Mata Prasad acted constitutionally by ignoring the suggestion and asking the CM to prove his strength on the floor of the House. Eight days were enough for disillusionment to set in. But he tried a last maneuver to obtain stay of the Governor's order by filing a writ petition in Gauhati High Court; he even approached the Supreme Court.

Apang gave the impression that his team was cohesive, despite internal dissensions. Seven months ago he asked all ministers to resign and in the major shake-up that followed, disgruntled elements were given plum portfolios. Some senior ministers were critical of Apang promoting his son Omang Apang, now Union Minister of State for Tourism. Admittedly, Apang has been a symbol of stability in the border State, which now seems headed for uncertainty. He still has 23 members in a House of 60 and his capacity to bounce back cannot be underestimated. His mistake was the failure to evenly distribute largesse among all tribes and not listen to their grievances. Only the Adi tribe, to which he belongs, is said to have prospered in government departments dominated by them. This is a recipe for disaster.

The Statesman

Gravy train: The new Guwahati Rajdhani signals the old patronage raj

If the railway did not exist, it would have had to be invented. Not so much as an extremely valuable facility for transporting human beings and material to various destinations, but as a never-ending source of political patronage. The new bi-weekly Guwahati Rajdhani service, which began last week, is another startling example of just how politicians take this country for a ride. Rajdhanis, as they are generally understood, are superfast trains travelling on electrified, double-track routes. Train No. 2435/2436, in contrast, although bearing the prestigious label of Rajdhani, chugs along at less efficient speeds on non-electrified single-track stretches and halts at no less than 10 destinations. Incidentally, the other Rajdhani that plies between Delhi and Guwahati thrice a week, halts at far fewer stations. What's obvious then is that at least some of the halts that the new train makes are dictated more by political expediency than the exigencies of efficient route-mapping.

It's this ability to play God and dispense favours to all and sundry that makes the post of railway minister a particularly coveted one. This is precisely why Mamata Banerjee, the stormy petrel of West Bengal politics, is so keen to capture the ministry for her party. She is apparently convinced that this is the surest way to win the lasting affection and respect of the people of her State. Not one railway minister in recent times has been able to resist the temptation to use the offices of the railways to further his own political profile. So if Ram Vilas Paswan played Santa Claus to Hajipur, Ghani Khan Chowdhury was partial to Malda. If Pune was the destination Suresh Kalmadi favoured, Bangalore and Gwalior gained immensely from the Sharief and Scindia tenures. But the tunnel vision that's manifested in such an approach doesn't help in the overall development of the railways. It was not always like this. In the past, rail ministers like Lal Bahadur Shastri had conducted themselves in a scrupulously honest and even-handed manner. Being accountable to the nation was so important to Shastri, that he didn't hesitate even for a moment to hand over his resignation to Prime Minister Nehru, when news of a major rail mishap came in.

When Nitish Kumar, Minister of Railways, first took charge of this crucial ministry, with an annual budget of Rs. 8,500 crore and which employs some 5.81 lakh people, he indicated that he was interested in rescuing the railways from the image it had acquired of being a universal provider. One of his first decisions was to get the railways to withdraw from the sticky business of railway recruitment — instead the Railway Recruitment Control Board was deputed to oversee this process to ensure greater transparency. But the bi-weekly Rajdhani to Guwahati seems to indicate that he has changed track. Which bodes ill, not just for the railways, but the country.

The Indian Express