The President’s Rule being the first one for the State, it has set the Government officers speculating deeply over the likely fallouts. They think that they are hardly different from the common people who have been found gathering in groups and relishing the speculations over the likely consequences of the Central Rule. Things are impalpable and so a fear of the unknown hangs in the air. Some elderly people said the Central Rule has reminded them of the dark days under internal emergency under the Indira Gandhi regime.
Yet, there are differences. While the common people sound pleasantly excited when gossiping over the downfall of the ‘arrogant’ or ‘development-minded’ Chief Minister a fear seems more marked in the officers. A vague sense of apprehension seems to be lurking in the discussion the officers are indulging in.
Now, with things under the control of the Centre through the office of the Governor, the officers must be on their toes round the clock to see to it that things are in perfect order. However, what would befall those who were deemed close to the previous dispensation if the President’s Rule gives way to BJP forming a government for the period preceding the 2017 election is seemingly haunting them.
Some of the common people are, however, smarting under the fear of living under a Police Raj as they tend to equate President’s Rule with police hegemony. This correspondent has talked to many, particularly, the youngsters, who fear that they would not be allowed to move freely along with their friends in the evenings with over-vigilant police shadowing them. However, the elderly say that things would better for them as crimes would be effectively checked and corruption curbed with the power resting with the Governor who is reputed to be a seasoned administrator. A few of the elderly people who had memories of the 1975 Emergency days say they fear that the rights might be suspended during the President’s Rule.
The fear that haunts some government officers is different though. They are fearing to be transferred immediately.
A police officer said that as the State is having its maiden experience of the President’s Rule things are intangible for them. “We wonder what it means in terms of the functioning of the administration and police. Things look fearsome as they are un-experienced,” he said.
Even most of the journalists sound curious over what the President’s Rule implies. Questions like whether the media-both print and electronic- would get advertisements from the government agencies. Some ask whether the Governor would meet them as the Chief Ministers are used to. “Would the Governor be accessible if some important developments or crises happenIJ” one of them asked. Some of the journalists say that DGP or district police chiefs would be powerful as they would prove to be the principal instruments through which the Governor would function.
Constitutional experts talked to, however, allayed fears, saying that the President’s Rule is nothing but an interim period of the power resting with the Governor instead of the elected political executives. “The rule might be extended for another six months if the political parties fail to form government. However, this is most unlikely in case of Uttarakhand bound for polls in a year. Otherwise, things would be same as under the political rule. However, things might be better as the administration would be run by the administrators and not by the politicians who are often ignoramus as far as the art of administration is concerned,” said one of the experts.