Rahul's resignation and ethics in politics

Rahul Mangkootathil MLA stepped down as Youth Congress president following revelations that he had sent obscene messages to a young actress and others. The serious allegations being raised against him include that he had forced a young woman to undergo an unscientific and illegal abortion. Screenshots of the messages, said to have been sent by him, have been widely circulated in cyberspace along with audio clips of his phone conversations. Rahul , who was completely on the defensive, had no option but to resign, when the Congress leadership announced strong action, taking the revelations seriously. Even after announcing resignation to the media at his residence in Pathanamthitta on Thursday afternoon, new allegations kept emerging against him; a complaint has been filed with the police and the State Child Rights Commission alleging that he instigated forced abortion. In this situation, the demand for Rahul to resign from the post of MLA has also become strong.

No one would have expected the downfall of a young leader who had found his place in state politics in a very short time. The allegations emerging now point to the fact that the young man, excelled in political debates and organizing his party, had used his positions to breach the political ethics and morality. Therefore, the resignation was inevitable and the good thing about it was that the leadership ensured it was not delayed.This incident raises some serious questions about the culture of political activism in the state. The fundamental principle of political culture and morality is that all positions and powers that one acquires through political activities should ultimately be used for the service of the society and social welfare. Contrary to it, the continuous misuse of power and positions points to the decline of values in our democratic system. The incidents of public representative/political leader exploiting in various ways those who approach them with great expectations were also reported previously in Kerala. These incidents, after flaring up controversies at some point, would gradually be forgotten; predators escaping through loopholes in the law are a regular sight in Indian politics. The BJP leader, facing allegations of sexually assaulting female wrestlers who represented the country in international events, still continues to be a darling of the country’s ruling elite. Even the women leaders of that party do not give respect to the tears of the wrestlers. This is another example of erosion of values in our politics. Those who occupy high positions of power are confident that no one will raise a complaint against them; and even if a complaint or lawsuit arises, they know how to tame it with litigation tactics.

Usually in similar situation, the political opponents would demand for the tainted leader’s resignation. But the Left parties have not made a strong demand for Rahul to resign from the legislative assembly. Urging the Congress to look into the matter seriously, the CPM state secretary, among others, has said that Rahul should resign because the people are demanding it. It is clear why this lax approach is taken.The ruling party is concerned that if Rahul is asked to resign as an MLA, the similar incidents linked to the leaders on the other side will also be discussed. When allegations and cases were filed against Mukesh MLA following some parts of the Hema Committee report were released in February, the CPM leadership decided against his resignation. The Women's Commission also took a similar soft approach towards Mukesh. There is still criticism against the CPM that it previously tried to resolve within the party a sexual harassment complaint against an MLA. Because of these reasons, the CPM was unable to clearly state that Rahul should resign as an MLA. Therefore, stepping down from the party leadership enabled Rahul and the Congress to temporarily settle the issue. Even as the matter reaches the court, the same 'political cooperation' will be certain, because the situation is similar on the other side too. These incidents points out that our supposedly enlightened political culture has degenerated. Therefore it is meaningless to limiting the current protests to mere demands for resignation. In today’s changed situation, politicians and public servants must learn new lessons about political morality and ethics. If not, the public must show the will to discipline them.