For God`s sake, GO! Navin Chawla!

By: V Sundaram
February 16, 2006
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Postings and transfers of senior bureaucrats have a crucial impact on two sectors - law and order including security and the delivery systems in the country. On both these counts we have reached a critical stage in our national history and we will be in a deeper crisis if the government of India under the effete and de jure Prime Ministership of Dr Manmohan Singh and the de facto machinating, manoeuvring, mendacious Prime Ministership of Madame Mother Superior with her epicentre in Italy continues to be afflicted with the Mother Superior Disease Syndrome (MSDS) of apoplexy at the centre and anaemia at the extremities.

Two months before his appointment as Election Commissioner, using his clout with Mother Superior, he was moving for his appointment as Union Home Secretary. At that time on 16 March 2005 I wrote in News Today under the headline `Shame Without Honour`:

`The most spectacularly classical evidence in Indian bureaucracy is that whilst all bureaucrats of similar seniority are equal on paper, yet some chosen few are more equal than others`.

Navin Chawla belongs to the latter category, with tremendous clout in the UPA government, thanks to his unbroken record of `loyalty` and `service` to the Nehru family. He was very close to Sanjay Gandhi and wielded unprecedented power in his official capacity as Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Delhi Kishan Chand during the emergency in 1975-77. He functioned as the de facto Governor of Delhi and several bureaucrats who happened to interact with him during this period have confirmed the fact that he was known for his unabashed authoritarianism. His controversial role as secretary to the Lt. Governor of Delhi was noted by the Shah Commission which went into Emergency Excesses. Navin Chawla did not cover himself with glory when the Constitution of India was subverted with impunity during emergency. As one who occupied a vantage position during that period, he was charged with arbitrary exercise of authority. Any other officer with this kind of background would have been sidelined under the cliché-ridden `Law will take its own course` umbrella. But there are spectacular exceptions to this general rule in our decadent and perverted democracy. Navin Chawla comes under the category of special exceptions and special exemptions under the law of the land`.

As a free lance and unknown journalist, after penning the above helpless lines, I have remained of the earth, earthy. But Navin Chawla has risen by ascending spirals to dizzy heights. He was appointed as Election Commissioner in May, 2005. His track record of having subverted the Indian Constitution during emergency in 1975-77 and his several acts and deeds of misconduct during that period were buried under the sea and he was considered as suitable and fit for appointment as Election Commissioner of India. Justice Shah had commented on Navin Chawla in his report: `Navin Chawla became the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and Kishan Chand the Lieutenant Governor became Navin Chawla`s lieutenant`. Thus this Chawla, the distinguished Daftri (perhaps `Chaprasi`) of the Nehru dynasty and Sanjay Gandhi`s Man Friday was illegitimately rewarded by the government of India for his life-long loyalty not to the nation but to a family. Thus the ghosts of the Emergency were finally exorcised by the elevation of Navin Chawla to the post of Election Commissioner.

In his farewell remarks, the outgoing Chief Election Commissioner Krishnamurthy rightly said that he feared the politicisation of the commission. Perhaps Chawla`s shady and sordid background was very much in his mind when he made this comment.

Chawla`s appointment as Election Commissioner was against the public interest and all the more objectionable because, by sheer seniority, Chawla would be the Chief Election Commissioner in 2009 when the general election is due. It may not be out of place or out of context to reasonably imagine that Sonia Gandhi has cleverly planted him in this post keeping in view the interest of her son Rahul Gandhi whom she wants to elevate to the post of Prime Minister of India in 2009. In case Navin Chawla performs as per her expectations in 2009, he may as well land up to begin with as the Vice-President of India and later with Sonia willing, may even become the Indian President! Normally when we are helpless we say that `God only knows!` But unfortunately for India and for all of us, even God does not know. Perhaps `Sonia only knows` - all the way, now and for ever!!

One more striking instance of the reprehensible conduct of Navin Chawla has recently come to light. Using his official influence in the Indian Administrative Service and with the full blessings of his Mother Superior, he has collected large sums of money for a non-governmental agency being run by his wife Rupika Chawla under the contrived umbrella of `Social Work and Social Service`. Ambika Soni seems to have contributed Rs 15 lakh, Karan Singh Rs 10 lakh, A R Kidwai Rs 45 lakh and God only knows how much money other Congressmen have contributed to this great humanitarian effort without parallel in human history! Are they all preparing themselves for 2009 elections? Are they all doing strategic perspective planning?

Navin Chawla has stated that after his appointment as Election Commissioner, no money has been collected. His response is both irrelevant and irresponsible. The moot question is whether before his appointment as Election Commissioner, he was a private citizen or a member of the IAS. If he was a member of the IAS, then he was very much governed by the All India Services Conduct Rules and as per these rules, any collection of unauthorised money unconnected with one`s official duty from any member of the public or any organisation is prohibited. But as I have stated earlier, right from day one of his entry into the IAS, he was exempted from all rules under the All India Services, first by Indira Gandhi, then by Sanjay Gandhi, again by Indira Gandhi after 1980 and subsequently by Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. I am saying all this only in the light of the fact that senior Congressmen have participated with gusto and enthusiasm with huge sums of money in the collection drive of the NGO controlled by his wife. The whole nation knows that their aim is not to wipe every tear from every eye! Their aim is only to wipe every tear from every eye in Mother Superior's family.

Soli Sorabji, the former Solicitor General of India, has rightly suggested that Navin Chawla should step down. But as one who has voluntarily chosen the path of shame without honor, it is not unlikely to expect Navin Chawla to treat the observation of Soli Sorabji with indivisible contempt. I expect the Chief Election Commissioner of India to take note of this article and to initiate appropriate action against Navin Chawla as per the law. I would request the President of India to remove him forthwith from the post of Election Commissioner for functioning as an informal agent of the Congress party with the panoply of official authority for 30 years and more.

The Election Commission always talks with bravado about the need for a code of conduct amongst political parties and politicians. In this context I would like to make it clear that all the Election Commissioners themselves must have a code of conduct and they should all realize the fact that they too are not above the law of the land.

V Sundaram

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