Raj Bhavan unbound

The Constitution requires governors to be above political loyalties. This, of course, is easier stated than done since years of opportunistic politics have long undermined an institution that symbolised the delicate balance of power between the Centre and the states. Nevertheless, there have been some basic norms that most governors, regardless of their provenance or patronage network, have largely adhered to. Foremost among them is the injunction against assuming overtly political stances.

It is this principle that Haryana Governor Babu Parmanand is guilty of having violated in his address to the Dalit community at Rewari on Ambedkar Jayanti. At a moment of time — with a general election in the air — when he is required to be even more circumspect about the signals he sends out, he overtly exhorted the crowd to plumb for parties other than the one presently ruling the state and covertly made a pitch for the NDA coalition by commending Vajpayee’s peace efforts. It was a speech that would not have appeared out of place if an Opposition candidate in the fray had made it, but appears distinctly odd when mouthed by the man symbolising the united people of a state.

What is going wrong here, we may well ask? We have one governor express his reservations in his Republic Day address over the law and order situation of the state he is presiding over; we have another governor using the Raj Bhavan to stage durbars and mass contact programmes; and now we have this example from Rewari. They all go to show the politicisation of the governor’s post, which is now unfortunately perceived as a “reward” for political services rendered to the party in power. We need to win back the independence of the Raj Bhavan, if its incumbent is to play his or her constitutional role and be an effective representative of the Centre to the state, and vice versa.