Truth Commission

Roney, On e-mail
It is interesting to see the Truth Commission, which shoulders the mammoth task of exorcising some accused with such alacrity, has got the dose of legal medicine, that is, the very legality of it formation is now in question. The SC stayed the HC verdict for two months. But eminent lawyers and legal experts say TC should stop working on moral grounds. We, the common people of the country, think that this brainchild like others of this caretaker government has gone in a coma. The Truth Commission saw the light of the day at a point when the ACC chief was trying to build mass awareness against corruption at the grassroots level. It was also against the backdrop of the government's adoption of hard-line against corruption. Reportedly, some people, as it were , made an all-out effort to take up the cudgel for such commission on the grounds that the government has already got engaged in too many tasks and find those difficult for it to carry out, so, for the sake of the preparation for a free and fair election, there is nothing wrong to unload some, to its relief. In the same way, some think it is necessary to dispel the fears of the business community and, that is to say, for the sake of smooth going of their business, giving them a way out. But whatever rationality it has, drawing an analogy between post-apartheid era of South Africa and the prevailing situation of this country of almost homogenous population seems a weak argument. And when we have an independent judiciary the necessity for the commission to deal with some special cases will further leave enough ground to question. Furthermore, this is another hit-and-miss approach which has the mechanism to let the accused off lightly, who have been known to have more or less involvement in many unlawful activities that caused sufferings to the people. But what do the ordinary people of the country think? Neither do they want to know the ins and outs of the reform, nor the elixir for it. How prompt our governments are to act out of whims to serve particular interests , whereas when it comes to the question of a viable future of the people of the country as a whole they sloth and hedge against every question asked in this regard. Take the example of separating the judiciary from the executive branch. Year after year, we had enough of their excuses! If one remembers the past of the country, they will find that from independence through today, the ruling elite, over and over again, loses sight of the truth as they act out of expediency, not principle. Every now and then, there is an emotional outcry for democracy but hardly do you find a sensible look of the facts on the ground. Will things improve after the next general elections?