COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES…!

 Over the years I've found that a useful way of denying justice or not bringing a culprit to book is to appoint a committee or commission: "Mr Chairman!" shout the members of a club, "We find the treasurer guilty of embezzling club money!" The chairman looks at his treasurer who winks at him, and the chairman looks back at his angry members, "Friends!" he shouts, "Justice will be done, I am appointing a committee to go into the charges and find out the truth!"

"Who will be on the committee Mr Chairman?" shouts an angry member. "You!"

"And who else Mr Chairman?"

"You tell me! You can have the secretary over here, ah Mr Gupta over there and if you want you can have me if you still trust me?"

"Of course we trust you Mr Chairman, yes it is a good enough committee, when shall we meet Mr Chairman?"

"I insist that the first meeting is held at my house, and it is a dinner meeting with cocktails also, but there is only one problem, my wife's sisters son's marriage is there next month so it will be after that! And I insist you all come for the wedding!"

"Arrey Chairman sahib, we can wait and of course we will come for the wedding!" The chairman and the treasurer smile at each other and leave. Many, many chairmen and treasurers later after many committees have sat together and tried to gather material half heartedly from members who have either left, died or lost interest the report is tabled, "We find the treasurer guilty!"

"Which treasurer?"

"The late treasurer who was the father of the present chairman!"

"You want to upset our present chairman about something his father did?"

"No, no, we don't want to upset anybody!"

"Then give the report here, we will put it into the shredder!" And that is the way with the reports of most committees and commissions. It is another way of doing nothing! Another way of fooling the people that something is being done! Another way of letting the culprits get away, die, either a natural death or allow the crime to be forgotten with the passage of time! Seventeen long years have passed since the Babri Masjid was demolished, seventeen years in which this country whose texture and fabric were so beautifully interwoven was ripped apart with blood on the streets, inside homes and even reaching the insides of legislatures and assemblies. Justice delayed is justice denied; which is why commissions and committees are formed, flourish and finally fail…!