A new beginning awaits Kiran Bedi, as well as the people of Puducherry. Her appointment as the lieutenant governor of this southern Union Territory, apart from being a positive step, is interesting at several levels.
Kiran Bedi has proved her mettle in several walks of life. From being a junior national level tennis champion to being the first woman who joined the Indian Police Service, from reducing crime against women to reducing drug abuse wherever she was posted, from ushering in bold prison reforms to being an acclaimed anti-corruption activist, her credentials are well known. The one domain where she didn’t taste success was electoral politics. Aligning herself with Prime Minister Modi’s developmental agenda, she was unable to capture the national capital for the ruling party. Her new appointment is a positive step, for it is an indication that the union government doesn’t believe electoral defeat should be an obstacle for able men and women to serve the country.
Why she has been appointed as the lieutenant governor of Puducherry, meaning why this little coastal union territory was picked for a person of her stature, is indicative of Puducherry’s current situation. The residents are very happy with the decision, for they unanimously agree that the union territory desperately needs a cop as opposed to a politician at this juncture. There are four primary reasons why this otherwise unimportant job befits somebody of her calibre.
The first of course, ironically, is political. That the decision to appoint her came three days after the new government was elected wasn’t lost on anybody. The union government’s attitude towards the union territory wasn’t exactly proactive, considering it’s been almost two years that it has shared a lieutenant governor with the Andaman Islands and no new appointment was made.
But after the Congress Party’s victory in the recently concluded Puducherry assembly elections, before they could even settle on a chief minister, Kiran Bedi was dispatched.
We must keep in mind that this is the first Congress government in the country after Narendra Modi’s emergence.
Yes, they might be a junior partner in Bihar and the Delhi government is probably a B-team, but this will be the first Congress-led government after 2014. Considering how the rest of the country has moved on, and the power-tussle antics which are on display in Delhi, Puducherry too is likely to become another contentious opposition-ruled union territory. There is hardly any doubt that the Congress will follow Kejriwal’s footsteps in Puducherry, attempt to consolidate power beyond their constitutional right, attract attention and play the victim. A strong personality to put them in their place, and more importantly a credible one, is a must.
The second reason is the crime den that Puducherry has turned into. Nobody in their wildest dreams had imagined that this quaint former French colony known for its beaches and its spiritual roots would one day transform into an embodiment of ‘goondaraj’. In the last five years, thuggery and loot have become the norm here. Residents feel unsafe. The recently concluded assembly elections too were fought on this agenda. Considering the fact that the police force in the union territory comes under the Center’s command, more politicians or newer politicians aren’t exactly the solution to the problem. In fact, residents believe that the local political class, cutting across party lines, is complicit for the dismal condition of law and order in Puducherry. Turning a situation of this sort around has been Bedi’s forte.
The third reason is the looming total prohibition in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. Puducherry is known for its inexpensive liquor. No extra taxes are imposed since it is a brewing hub. People from all over South India throng the little town to inebriate themselves cheaply. Every weekend, the traffic handling mechanisms undergo a complete breakdown. Not only arterial roads, but almost every road is completely clogged with vehicles and people, preventing any mobility whatsoever. The prohibition in Tamil Nadu, if implemented, will worsen the situation manifold. Authorities have proved to be highly incompetent in dealing with this situation so far. A stern individual whose traffic handling skills are well known, will be a godsend for the residents.
The fourth reason is that this is a test of sorts, a moderate beginning for more important roles in the future. Somebody like Kiran Bedi could have been made the president of India, but her talent would have been completely wasted on a ceremonial post. The bigwigs in Delhi want to see if she can live up to their expectations with this responsibility, which is unimportant but essential at the same time. Let her pass with flying colors, and there is no doubt that the future has much greater opportunities in store for this incredible woman.