Q: Coming to Panchayati Raj, you headed an expert committee that has submitted its report to the government but they are yet to take any action. Do you think the govt is serious in implementing your report?
Mani: I think the Prime Minister is because the PM's immediate reaction was to order the cabinet secretary on the 6th of August 2013 to issue a circular to all the secretaries concerned with centrally sponsored schemes to bring the guidelines of the schemes in conformity with the constitutional provisions as recommended by our committee. Now at that time the circular gave a two month deadline and I have been following it up very closely with both PMO and the cabinet secretariat. The secretaries to the Govt of India are not reacting with alacrity that they should. But the exercise is on; it is being monitored from PMO and by cabinet secretary. So in the light of this, I cannot say that they are not serious. All I can say is that they have thus far not successful.
Q: You said you are completely cut off from decision making process of Congress. Do you believe that there is a coterie in Congress that is deliberately keeping you out of the decision making process? Who do you blame for it?
Mani: Allah Jane…How would I know? I don't think that in terms of my mental faculties or my physical health, I would be a handicap to the Congress. But only if the Congress leadership wishes to associate me, can I make my contribution. What has happened is that on three matters that were crucial to the Rajiv Gandhi legacy, the zonal cultural centres, the universal nuclear disarmament and Panchayat Raj, in the last four years after my defeat in 2009 elections, I have been made the Chairman of three different groups. And Today, I have been given cabinet rank as the chairman of a committee that is coordinating the work of zonal cultural centres.
So I think the party leadership has concluded that I have more to contribute to certain sectors of governance than I have to party work. I had been warned of this by Rajiv Gandhi. Rajiv told me when he was refusing to give me the permission to quit the civil service. He said, Mani, I'll never be able to make you a minister. I said, I accept. He said- but I have to tell you, why? This system will never accept you. He said that it did not accept Arun Nehru, leave alone Arun Singh and you want to come into it. I said, sir, all I want you to make me a Rajya Sabha member and I am not asking you to make me a minister. He asked- now or never? On the assurance that I would not ever be made a minister, I joined the Congress party.And the same party has kept me as a cabinet minister for four different portfolios for 5 years. So why should I be complaining.
In politics, if you don't know how to rise and fall, You can't be in politics and you should not be in polics. As a politician- kabhi haath aa jaata hai, kabhi chalaa jaata hai.
