Letter from the Editor

The present crisis in Arunachal Pradesh is a blow to democracy. Institutions of Speaker and Governor have both taken a downward turn in the state. Many feels – do we need Governors?

The Arunachal Governor Mr. Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa’s discovery that the cow slaughtering was one of the factors that led to the low and order situation in the state – has a very few takers. It has even been alleged that it was not cow but ‘Mithun’ which was slaughtered and Governor mistook mithun with cow. Whether it is cow or mithun- slaughtering is no reason for President’s Rule in any state. In fact the office of the Governor has reached a new low. It is on record that many Governors at different times have been partisan in their deeds but this time, the report of the Governor has confused the political masters and also reflects his ideological associations. Even the elected members’ offices were locked, laptops seized and files taken away within an hour after the President’s Rule was imposed. This was questioned by the Supreme Court, where the battle is being fought, where it has never happened in a democracy. Are these elected representatives criminals? Why did the Governor Order seizure of documents from the offices within an hour of Presidential proclamation?

There are many lessons to learn from the Arunachal Crisis. Firstly – if there is any institutional mechanism that needs an urgent correction, then it is the office of the Governor. This will help in strengthening of our democracy. Secondly – it reflects the inabilities of Congress parties to settle the internal disputes and the BJP’s haste to form the government. Thirdly for Congress, loss of Arunachal would have impacted the Congress’s strength in the North Eastern Region.

Arunachal Pradesh is an important state of the country playing a geo-political role bordering with China on one side – with whom we do not have comfortable diplomatic relations. In circumstances like this, the Governor and political masters must play a role which is best suited for the nation and which is above political considerations.

Events like this only dilute our federal system and affect the central and state relationship. The fundamental duty of a Governor is to preserve the actual constitutional crisis.  It is true that he was abused, threatened and nearly assaulted by some ministers of Nabam Tuki, but for this article 356 is not applicable and it is the police which can tackle the situation.

Let the Arunachal crisis be the beginning of better politics in the days to come.

Harsh Jhunjhunwala

Executive Editor