Why I'm ashamed Kejriwal turned ex-serviceman's suicide into a spectacle

With an ex-serviceman committing suicide over his pension anomalies in Delhi, political parties swung into action searching political ground, to the extent that prominent leaders like Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia as well as Rahul Gandhi, did not mind landing themselves in a police station lock-up.

The loss of life of a person over the long-pending issue is indeed painful. The factors, circumstances and pressures that drove the individual to take this extreme step are a matter of detailed introspection and investigation that will unravel in due course.

No serving or retired officer from the Army or other security forces, whether or not associated with the OROP campaign, will ever justify the act of suicide by any uniformed person. In the armed forces, the act of suicide by an under-command is considered as stigma and, to some extent, the joint failure of the command, administration and supervision. Such steps are avoided through psychological and medically-researched measures as well as counselling sessions.

In this case too the public may have sympathy for a person who lost his life, but there would be hardly anyone who would justify the act. In the course of investigation, efforts should be made to see if there is anyone who was instrumental in forcing the individual to commit suicide. Also, whether other remedial measures, relief and clarifications on the existing pension disparity were sought by and provided to him.

The most intriguing and disturbing fallout of this suicide is the spring-like jump made by some politicians to seek a godsend to launch an attack on the government. If the individual was aggrieved about the OROP implementation, should this be considered a failure of the government? In our attempt to discredit and expose the government, it is a very dangerous move on the part of political leaders to show undue support to an act of suicide. Announcing a grant of Rs 1 crore is clearly acknowledging the support to the ex-serviceman's suicide. It will set a wrong precedent and may give rise to a different practice.

Unfortunately, the Delhi CM is in the habit of announcing such a largesse at the drop of a hat. Was the man a resident of Delhi? Does the Delhi CM have any moral responsibility to justify the misuse of government funds for a purpose he has no constitutional or administrative responsibility and liability to serve?

In our country, millions fail to get relief from the system, society, employers, judiciary, public services and so on; many Delhites too may be unhappy with their government. Will the Delhi CM be prepared for every other such act committed by citizens and compensate their families?

The public feels ashamed of such acts that are clearly politically motivated, premature and indicative of the narrow-mindedness of their leaders, who act with the sole aim of scoring some advantage. It seems unconvincing when the Delhi chief minister said on national television that "he, as a CM, is being denied by police to meet the family of a person who has committed suicide".

Mr Arvind Kejriwal, tell us how many times have you visited such families as CM? Please don't make such a sensitive issue your political battleground. It eerily reminded of one of the movie Peepli Live!, whose protagonist must lose his life to seek compensation.