Caesar’s Wife & a Bribe

Corrupton Kerala Model

By The New Indian Express, Nov. 10/15

(The long serving (over 50 years) Kerala Congress Chief K.M. Mani, was fondly known as Kunjumani (Little Mani) to Palai folks. To the Church establishment he was the blue eyed boy. His fall from grace could not have been more shameful. Surely his departure from public service (others say “public looting” is the correct phrase) could have been more 'graceful'. Even his bitter critics wanted him to do that but he didn’t cooperate, they say. “Even the good God who created you can’t save you without your cooperation,” they say is the reason. In other words, that good sense didn’t dawn on him. Of course, he has done a lot of good to his constituency and to the Church when caught between the devil and deep sea. Similar problems are plaguing Pope Francis also, but he has no use of blue eyed boys. He would rather face Vatican looters head on, he has said it. Let corrupt politicians and churchmen take a cue from Francis. james kottoor, editor)

Julius Caesar, in 62 BC, is chronicled to have said that his wife Pompeia should be above all suspicion, justifying his decision to divorce her as it was about public perception. Kerala High Court judge Justice B Kemal Pasha’s decision to take a leaf out of the pages of ancient Roman history to tell Kerala Finance Minister, and ironically Law Minister, K M Mani it was up to his conscience to decide if it was morally right for him to continue in office, has opened a Pandora’s box for the state government. If this was insult, the judge had already caused injur­y by way of caustic observations against the state Vigilance Director about acts of omission and commission to save the minister. The damage was done. And at the receiving end was the state government.
Allegations about Mani taking bribes from bar owners for granting licences and tables being turned on him as the state government took the high road on abstention have been doing the rounds for months. The die was cast once the vigilance court cracked down on Vigilance Director Vinson M. Paul glossing over the investigating officer’s findings that were detrimental to the minister. By approaching the High Court, the state government painted itself into a corner. Unprecedented scenes followed. The prosecution, led by the Advocate General and counsel Kapil Sibal, kept questioning some observations by the learned judge, even forcing him to retract once. With the ‘postpone decision’ plea, the government’s desperation became evident.
It is one thing to do what is morally correct but quite another to be forced to do so. Because, public perception, as Caesar said about his wife, is not only against Minister Mani, but the entire UDF government. It’s only natural that pundits have begun comparing notes between the present goings-on in Kerala and what happened in UPA 2 when Congress paid a stiff price for the wrongdoings of its allies. Finally, the call for Mani’s head by the Chief Minister, other Congressmen and UDF allies and the inevitable resignation that’ll follow, is like bolting the proverbial gate after the horse has fled the stable. Meanwhile, the jury is out on whether Mani could be Caesar’s wife and Chandy Caesar himself.
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