WHY with each passing day feuding within BCL cadres centering around turf wars and money making has been on the ascent is much too known to bear repetition. But what we find patentiy incomprehensible is the apparent lack of seriousness and inaction of the government reinforced by a clear abdication of the authority of the ruling party before the BCL cadres.

RPO has required political parties' de-linking with any front organisations which are to operate independently with a constitution of its own. That is a coveted positive thing provided for; but can it be held up by the government party as a reason to circumvent its responsibility in treating criminals as criminals whatever label they take on even if it is that of BCL?

The point we wish to drive home is: does the reform of the RPO mean that the party in government will wash its hands of all responsibility about diabolic student excesses when they create violence in the campus, vitiate academic atmosphere, assault a VC and proctor ora teacher and, what more, monstrously hurl already beaten up fellow students of another faction from the ledges of second and third floors of a student hall? How cruel and brutal that is! Yet, the perpetrators are identifiable and so can be brought to book. But will they be? Except perhaps for their expulsion from the party and suspension of the BCL unit in question! Can anybody guarantee even the little penalty given them will not be nullified soon after the dusts settle?

Why hoodwink the people with an attempted but expedient tactic of skirting action? It forces the government' s credibility to touch a new low and some of its good work getting overshadowed in the process. Good governance is only worth the authority it is exercised with. If seeing inaction in the face of growing misdeeds of errant students the public were to suspect that feuding politicians are themselves nurturing support groups among students, will they be wide off the mark?

However much the police are under instructions to act, more as a matter of public posturing than perhaps as a conviction by the leaders, they are basically seen as virtual bystanders. They must be induced by the government to treat gun-running students as nothing but criminals and have them punished accordingly.