Re: [IAC#RG] RAJ BHAVANS CANNOT BE REDUCED TO BEING POLITICALDENS

The post is a relic from our colonial past.

In the initial decades since Independence, it was meant to be just ornamental (at considerable expenses of ordinary Indians) - as testified by many of them.

In the later years, it started being used by the Centre to heckle, or even remove, state governments that it considered, for whatever reasons, bothersome.

After the celebrated Supreme Court judgement, in 1994, in the famous SR Bommai vs. Union of India case, things did improve for quite a while.

Now, it's, again, (nearly) back to the bad old days.

This unelected post - chosen completely arbitrarily and appointed unilaterally by the Union Government, goes against the very grain of spirit of federalism.

Needs be forthwith abolished.

Sukla 

On Mon, 7 Jun 2021, 03:39 Aires Rodrigues, <indiaresists@lists.riseup.net> wrote:

It is high time that the nation reflects on and debates the manner in which Governors are appointed and whether we need ornamental puppet Governors who needlessly burden the taxpayer.

Constitutionally the Governor possesses executive, legislative, financial and judicial powers. The role of the Governor is very important and essential for the healthy functioning of democracy. However, in recent times this post has been reduced to becoming a retirement package for politicians. As a result people think that the post of the Governor is worthless and  just a financial burden on state governments even though technically the role of the Governor if exercised wisely and fairly for the benefit of the state and its people is very vital.

Some Governors of the past had this to say. Sarojini Naidu, the one-time Governor of UP had said that she considered herself "a bird in a golden cage". Dr.Pattabhi Sitaramayya, Governor of Madhya Pradesh had this to say, "My duties as a governor lay more in getting visitors and providing them tea, lunches and dinners than anything else. The first thing I do in the morning is to peruse the list of visitors and invitees to lunch and dinner". KM Munshi, Governor of Uttar Pradesh had a tiff with his Chief Minister and had complained to Pandit Nehru for redressal. When his plea was turned down, he described his job thus: "to run a hotel and entertain guests". NV Gadgil, Governor of Punjab considered himself as "the Patwari of the State of Punjab whose function was to assess the conditions prevailing in the state and report to the Union government".

Governors should not end up being mere rubber stamps as they constitutionally have a major role to play in overseeing that the State is well administered in accordance with law. They should be appointed on merit as the Raj Bhavans cannot end up being shelter homes to rehabilitate the deadwood of the ruling political party. It is imperative that the Governors should be truly non-partisan at all times. We need to reflect and consider whether there is a need to house a "spare wheel" at the state level?

Adv. Aires Rodrigues

C/G-2, Shopping Complex

Ribandar Retreat

Ribandar – Goa – 403006

Mobile No: 9822684372

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Email: airesrodrigues1@gmail.com

                      

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