Guv blinks finally, govt wins battle for anti-gambling law
Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi’s stiff challenge to the long-pending anti-gambling bill has finally turned into something of an anti-climax. Soon after the political din reached a crescendo after Ravi’s public elucidation that a bill withheld means it is dead, the governor gave his assent to the bill, keeping the protracted spell of hostility between the state government and Raj Bhavan aside. So, why a sudden change of heart? Is it Narendra Modi’s visit to Chennai a few days ago, where the PM accorded top priority to the state’s growth? Or is it the government’s high-pitched criticism of Raj Bhavan that finally led to a resolution aimed at censuring Ravi’s activities? Or the proposed scrutiny of the discretionary spending by the governor? There is no clarity yet.
As patience ran out, Chief Minister MK Stalin called to amend the Constitution to remove the “anomaly” of letting the legislation enacted by the state assembly be assented to by the governor, whom the Central government appoints. He said the arrangement does not augur well for upholding the dignity of democracy, especially when governors act like politicians. In the last 20 months since he took charge as governor, the relationship with the DMK-led government has been on a roller coaster. Nearly 20 bills are still pending with Raj Bhavan or have died a natural death in his ‘court of justice’ because he thinks the bills do not conform with the Constitution and central policies.
In January, the governor’s address to the legislative assembly consciously omitted portions of the prepared text, including a reference to the ‘Dravidian model of governance’, to the dismay of the ruling DMK alliance. Subsequently, Stalin’s resolution that said the House record would reflect only the prepared text, not the impromptu editing, and Ravi’s walkout epitomised the government-governor bond. Ravi’s statement that the state should not call itself ‘Tamil Nadu’ also created a political cacophony. Barring a few headlines, these controversies have contributed nothing to the state polity.
A day after the consent, the Stalin government did not waste any time and notified the anti-gambling (online) law intending to prevent further suicides. The law will likely face opposition legally by the thriving, multi-billion-dollar online gaming industry. But for now, the government can take pride in making it a law. TN’s fight to create a federal polity in the country and ensure autonomy for states should continue.