Governor, Speaker shut eyes to CM’s Advisor

Axe falls on PB’s CEO in Delhi; Masoodi, Mubarak are holy cows in J&K

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

JAMMU, Dec 11: One of the country’s most influential bureaucrats, CEO of Prasar Bharti Broadcasting Corporation B S Lalli, is being fired on Monday for his indulgence in corruption. Over a dozen others, allegedly involved in some lately exposed scandals, have been already sacrificed for the sake of credibility of the democratic system and institutions. Powerful politicians, from Shashi Tharoor to Ashok Chavan to A Raja, have been laid on the altar. But officials like Lalli’s protégé and Director of Doordarshan Kendra Srinagar, Dr Rafeeq Masoodi, and Chief Minister’s Advisor, Mubarak Gul, can comfortably escape with their escapades in the “special status state” of Jammu & Kashmir as long as they are favourites of politicians like Ghulam Nabi Azad and Omar Abdullah.

Masoodi would have been handcuffed and jailed in any other Indian state for repeatedly playing patriotic songs on six Independence and Republic days in the last three years and making fresh payments each time to the Jammu-based producer D Kohli who, in turn, facilitated purchase of palatial houses for two senior officials of DDK Srinagar in Jammu. That, anyway, is just tip of an ice burg of the loot-and-scoot by Lalli’s men in Srinagar in the last three years.

In any other Indian state, (exceptions like Karnataka, apart), Gul would have been removed like a fly from the milk, no matter Chief Minister or Advisor to Chief Minister, on account of his breaching sanctity of the institution of Legislature. With or without a motion in the House, acclaimed custodians of the Constitution, like Governor Narender Nath Vohra, and Speaker, Mohammad Akbar Lone, would have asserted without caring for the good humour of Chief Minister. Judiciary would have made an intervention and the Bar would have filed a PIL.

But, strife-ravaged Jammu & Kashmir has immunity for the individuals who have been making their own fortunes in the name of fighting an invasion from across the border. Here the Election Commission of India does not move beyond filing an FIR when President of the ruling party barges into a polling station alongwith 16 armed guards and prevents bona fide voters from exercise franchise. Judiciary and custodians of Constitution ignore scandals by refusing to take suo motto cognizance. Central Bureau of Investigation, Central Vigilance Organisation, State Vigilance Organisation and Central Information Commission are on oath not to act. Much hyped State Accountability Commission and State Information Commission exist only on papers in the “national interest”. Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India is Mr Nobody.

Who then would care for the scandals unearthed by the poor fourth estate?

Minister Natwar Singh was forced to end his political career when it became known that his son’s firm had attempted to get a petroleum contract in Iraq---then reeling under UN sanctions. Our own Mubarak Gul argues that he had just got himself empanelled as a “freelance producer” (private contractor), just appeared in the interview before DD’s Evaluation Committee, just got a drama serial of eight episodes allotted in favour of his business firm, Gulistan Productions, just submitted a script, but not signed any contract, not drawn any money and not executed the contract! By this argument, Section 307 (attempt to murder) should have dropped from Indian Penal Code.

If well placed sources in Mandi House are to be believed, Gul had managed to grab a project in DD Kashir commissioning even 10 years ago---that time in the name of his wife. He, however, appeared himself as Producer and Director of the serial before the Evaluation Committee and later put his own signatures wherever his spouse was supposed to put a thumb impression or signature. That time also (1996-2002) he was NC’s MLA from Iddgah.

During his young master Omar Abdullah’s times, Gul has excelled. He not only managed to grab a Dogri drama serial in the name of his son Younis Gul’s firm, Himalayan Communications, but also another for his own business firm, Gulistan Productions. As already reported, Younis Gul sought and got the government contract when he was working as NC’s elected and paid Councilor in Srinagar Municipal Corporation. DD Kashir’s Director, Ananya Banerjee, who, as DD’s PIO, has declared both Mubarak Gul and Younis Gul ineligible in her reply to the RTI petition (see box), has now allotted the frozen project to the junior Gul in her capacity as Director of DD Kashir. Shooting is currently underway in Jammu.

Advocate Sheikh Shakeel’s RTI petition, duly replied by DD, makes it unambiguously clear that Mr Mubarak Gul responded to DD Kashir notification for Empanelment of private producers, dated 30-11-2007, when he was NC’s MLA of Iddgah. He held the same constitutional position and status when he submitted his application in December 2007, when he was empanelled as “Private Producer” (contractor) on 1-7-2008, when he submitted his detailed proposal of the serial in February 2009 and when he appeared for an interview before DD’s Evaluation Committee on 23-06-2009.

MLA Gul had been further appointed as Advisor to J&K Chief Minister and held the superior status of a Cabinet Minister when his serial was approved by DD Kashir in September 2009. Holding the same status, he even submitted his script for the serial in the month of October 2009. However, his project was withdrawn and that of his son frozen, pending inquiry, when DD learned that the duo had suppressed information about their father-son relation and political status (Councilor and MLA) in their affidavits.

Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, is unlikely to act--- obviously for fear of losing a resultant by-election in the summer capital. Sheikh Shakeel’s RTI revelations from Mandi House would, however, test the Governor’s and the Speaker’s conscience.

END