Jaipal Reddy to be Eased Out?

S.Jaipal Reddy, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, may be shifted from his post in the name of Cabinet Reshuffle.

Jaipal Reddy

Jaipal Reddy’s tenure in the Ministry has been marked by his refusal to raise the price of natural gas, as demanded by Reliance Industries Ltd led by Mukesh Ambani, well before it is actually due for revision in April 2014. Jaipal Reddy has also questioned the sharp fall in the yield from the oil fields in KG Basin leased out to RIL. He succeeded in forcing RIL to let the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) audit the KG D6 gas field.

It may be recalled that Mani Shankar Aiyar was removed from the very same ministry in 2006 because he was not considered to be sufficiently “industry friendly”. We have the case of the suave and sophisticated Jairam Ramesh in recent times. We need not be surprised if Jayanthi Natarajan and K.C.Deo also soon join the understandably short list of politicians who have paid the price for their no-nonsense, administratively upright and laudable stands.

We wonder why we don’t let Corporate India run this country instead!

The malaise of business houses influencing gubernatorial decision-making seems to have taken roots in the Indian political system too.  Business Houses make large donations to political parties; and political parties know very well what the quid pro quo is in each instance. It’s  a reasonable guess that voters are bought for a few hundred rupees each out of these corporate funds. Yet, neither the common man (guilty as he is) nor the media (whose role in politics has been increasingly suspect) question this practice of donations to political parties.

Political parties which make sanctimonious noises when it comes to the common man do not maintain transparency in their financial matters. It is the political process, democracy, the welfare of the country and the common man that are sacrificed in the murky scenario. Is this what our forefathers have sacrificed their lives for?

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“I dare do all that may become a man. Who dares more is none”. And all, may be. It may be the vigor. Or the spirit. Or the courage to avoid being “politically correct” or bent. And, ban all averse with immaculate overture of graciously fathomable words firm in views. Subtle. Justifying the undying conscience. Values. Knowledge. And, dares to stay true. True to own. True to the world. And, to the words. With a dream in eyes it exists. In you. In me. In all. The sprite that never shies away. The spirit that never dies!