The spontaneous public support by massive open demonstrations - the strike by automen and the peaceful but effective morcha by residents - to demonstrate to the entire body of elected representatives, including the local MLA & MP, that the citizens at large have no trust in them and that the municipal commissioner whom the councillors want to oust is indispensable for the good of the city, has no parallel in the history of relationship between a public servant and elected representatives.

The single minded, energetic cleaning up of major public streets of the throttling encroachments in a few months and the capping of a corrupt administration by vigilant leadership whichChandrashekhar displayed in abundant measure, places him among a few eminent civil servants whom citizens have witnessed in the past. The difference, however, is that Chandrashekhar, unlike most other similar civil servants, started his campaign with a mandate from the political dictator of the ruling party which had misused its power at the local level for over a decade.

Thane has earned notoriety for its corrupt civic management, the unholy collusion between the bureaucracy and criminals and the illegal activities that are ruinous to the orderly growth of this city whose population has been increasing with no parallel in the state. Strangely enough, the mandate from the top political boss and the interests of his local henchmen, soon reached a degree of conflict that exploded in a summary removal of the municipal commissioner by a united vote of almost all the councillors, belonging to various political parties.

The apparent reason, though not specifically mentioned, is the neglect by the commissionerof all round improvement of the city; further, in order to evoke support from the political boss, by a servile display of unquestioned loyalty by these henchmen, the commissioner is alleged by them to have shown scant respect to or caution in saving the photographs of political bosses in the demolition of unauthorised buildings built in innumerable numbers in the forest area of Thane.

If the commissioner was not checked, they feared, the hammer and the bulldozer would soon strike even the unauthorised bungalow of the party boss, in that area. Whether Chandrashekhar would have shown such unflinching courage to strike his political supporters is a matter of conjecture, since he obviously started his demolition drive with the bungalows of those who were relatively less powerful.

The councillors were also annoyed by the disclosure by the commissioner of their untrustworthiness as revealed by a special investigation report made independently by a Secretary to Government giving details of names of as many asforty-nine councillors, who in collusion with municipal officers were responsible for protecting or promoting illegal constructions in Thane. Obviously, the councillors were unworthy to be the trustees of the wellbeing of the city.

Speaking legally, the local municipal body is within its legitimate authority to remove its Chief Executive by 5/8 majority. Thane Municipal Corporation is not the first in this state to do so, Pune Municipal Corporation having exercised this privilege in a democratic manner four decades ago. Under the law, the government must remove the commissioner, if such a resolution is passed by the corporation.

With what authority the chief minister emphatically asserted that he was going to ignore the lawful authority of the corporation is not known. However, a petition before the High Court by one of the councillors, challenging the legality of the procedure in moving the resolution to remove the commissioner, has resulted in a temporary reprieve. The bravado of chief minister Joshiin supporting the commissioner against his party's councillors is compelled by the unanimous public opinion and continuous media glare the controversy has attracted.

He is, however an ineffective puppet, dancing by the strings pulled by his `supremo'. Besides, his own past record of obstructing the municipal administration in Greater Bombay in removal of the unauthorisedly built Shiv Sena offices and other structures erected on pavements and his continuous conflict as a councillor with two capable municipal commissioners of Bombay - J B D'Souza and B G Deshmukh - and recently as chief minister his inaction against those who brought about the collapse of buildings by unauthorised and dangerous structural modifications, adequately reveal the stuff he is made of. He has publicly admitted that he has prevented the demolition campaign of Chandrashekhar on Thackeray's instructions. It is now Thackeray who has to save the face of CM.

The material evidence collected by the government of misdeeds of the presentcorporation of Thane is strong and adequate to supersede the elected body as per the provision of municipal law, and appoint Chandrashekhar as the administrator to carry out the unfinished task. He is on trial. Is he going to appear repeatedly before a political Supremo and be accountable to him, and suffer clipping of his wings? Or would he demand unobstructed enforcement of the rules of law in the interest of the city? It is his choice, and on that choice depends the preservation of his present image and support of the people.

(S S Tinaikar is former municipal commissioner of Mumbai)