LIFE AFTER CAMPAIGN: ADDRESSING THE CULTURAL LAWLESSNESS IN FATSSSA EXECUTIVES’ CONDUCT

 

 

The man wore the skin of intolerable self-confidence. He stood at the podium to address the honourable members. Everyone present at the Sitting knew something was amiss in his conduct. He seemed to look down on everyone, the body gestures spoke volume. The man on the podium was to make a presentation and introduce members he has chosen for his committee. He had submitted a list untallied with the names of the members presented, but there are no punishments for these even though commonsense alarms an offense.  He would not even stand straight, if the Speaker had not commanded it. All the people to whom he spoke must be under him, he looked like a Chief Manager speaking to his assembled employees, whereas if reality had been well calculated, it ought to be the other way round. His face wore the skin of defiance, his pose reeks disregard to all rules.  

But this ignoble Social Director isn’t alone. He was merely demonstrating the typical Executives’ culture in FATSSSA Politics. “No be today”

The AGS before him had submitted a screenshot as letter to the Clerk meant to be an official correspondence. Neither the treasurer nor PRO had for once (in this semester) stepped into the hallowed chambers to partake in its hearings, perhaps because they were no legislators, and the Constitution had not commanded them to be so passionate. Only the President and Gen Sec had made constant registry and even the President many a times would have to be re-fetched and re-called upon when some duty appears which he ought to perform.

It is public knowledge that the Treasurer of the Executive Council had also dissolved into thin air since his inauguration, and evidently passing most if not all of his responsibilities over to the Finacial Secretary who had somehow found a way to stand out among the rest, for responsible conducts.

The second accusation is the full willfulness to reject being sent to make any withdrawals for the association. He would not fulfill even this simplest of his sworn duties if he cannot do it from the comfort of his bedroom. He must have been assured that at the back of this barrage of misconducts will come nothing. There will be no consequences, no one will raise any eyebrow on whatever offense, and the only thing FATSSSA punishes is theft of funds up to some millions. All else are welcome, and this is the beauty of FATSSSA Politics.

The same Social Director now flexing his guts on stage, had a whole agendum about his office a fortnight earlier at the FHR Sitting. He had decided not to show up, and had taken comfort in the excuse of “unforeseen circumstances”. During the inauguration of the Constitution Review Committee which followed, the two members to be furnished by the Executives were short of one. No letter was sent to inform of his absence, the FATSSSA House leadership was not even informed beforehand whom the two representatives of the Executives would be in the committee. Such disregard! Yet when asked the same excuse was made to justify his absence; “…he had unforeseen circumstances to attend to…”  It seems this gospel of unforeseen circumstances covers all sins in FATSSSA regardless of gravity or cost on the institution.

 There are no punishments for not doing what you have sworn to do in FATSSSA Politics. There are no accountability channels, to compare campaign manifestoes with power realities. The Life after campaign is free for all, having only one watchword “…do what you want and do as you like…. the watching dogs can only bark, they do not bite. The days of grace are unending…”

As soon as the ardor of campaign is over, nothing else matters other than taking a break from as many as possible official duties, as long as you are not the President of the association.

Last session, it was a struggle knowing who the PRO of the association was. He simply detached from all activities whatsoever. Though the constitution demands for the publication of an annual magazine, the last PRO close to fulfilling this must have come five sessions ago, at least, when no current student today was around. Since its first sessions this semester, a great chunk of the business of the FHR had been about correcting, amending, and rejecting the Executives’ proposed Committees and Reports, asking them to speak louder when they address the House, requesting for details which they ought to have naturally included in their Presentations, teaching them that Official Reports of Events ought to include the approved budget, not just a list of spending. They always look unprepared, unready, as if brought to serve against their will.

But a flashback at FATSSSA Political life during campaign says an entirely different story. Where was the energy puffing everywhere then? Who threw away the beautiful manifestoes which most of them crafted while contesting? Why won’t the Press monitor and compare their manifestoes during campaign with the realities after Power, seeking explanations for promises and projects unmet?

The Conduct scorecard of the Executives is ugly, especially at the FHR Sittings and in the performance of their sworn duties. The Constitution ought to have reserved punishments for any Executive member who decided without notice to be absent at the Sitting, when his activity was meant to be debated. There are no sins in the absence of Law, and a No-Punishments Constitution is no better than a simple code of advice. It can only be weakly regarded as law. The members of the FHR ought to demand more in terms of responsive conduct from the Executives, to save the face of the Association at least, especially now that we always have visitors around.  The demand for responsible carrying out of sworn duties should be made on all the Executives, not just the President of the association. Where there are no punishments, no law has any worth.