Tsunami of Corruption
I go back to my favorite refrain. People get the governance they deserve. So actually we are getting what we deserve. The only problem is, we don’t wish to admit that this is what we deserve. Since a candid admission of a malaise is the first step toward a remedy, being in mode of chronic self denial, we never set ourselves to cure it.
Also, corruption is not unique to India. If there are few who believe there is none in USA, they are deluding themselves. I am not particularly a fan of Micheal Moor but I am indeed a believer of the old folk truth, that there is no smoke without fire. In fact I feel the colonial powers both old and new, are plagued kleptocracies, which systematically loot and ravage geographies. Can someone justify the American misadventure in Vietnam or the shameless ingression in Iraq for the ennobling cause of toppling a dictatorial regime or Afghanistan or even the apparently innocuous policy of turning a blind eye to Israeli “ nuclear ambivalence”, or continually funding Pakistan knowing fully well that such aide was being used to fuel anti India terror.
That Lincoln reshuffled some his top aides on charges of corruption, Watergate compelled Nixon to resign. The pursuing investigation of Watergate, exposed the Americans further. But clearly, all prevalent and pervasive corruption is peculiar to only some 3rd world countries. Clearly, it is symptomatic of dictatorial regimes, of banana republics and of communistic oligarchies. India is one unique example of a vibrant democracy plagued with rampant corruption.
On corruption in India, a history professor of mine used to joke, when a despot like Allauddin Khilji could not curb corruption, then no one can. Manmohan, you have an alibi. In India the ire has been, foreigners ruled far too long. May be 1000 years. Just about when the Muslim rulers were forgetting their foreign roots and were integrating with the civilization of the Ganges, they got replaced by British and the saga was retold. To the British, duping India and exploiting her resources and oppressing its people, was a their duty to the crown, and the underlying principle of colonial burden. A brazen and most depraved devouring of a land was clearly not corruption. It was an institutionalisation of corruption. In India there is lot of hypocrisy. At least the well meaning minions and mandarins, an ever dwindling miniscule minority thinks nothing less than bringing in Ram Rajya, knowing fully well, it is utopian and not practical. So the starting point is itself is wishful. We often extol something that we call personal integrity. This means, “I don’t touch money”. Yet I have a pocket that you could put this in.
If money has changed hands for the nuclear liability bill, Manmohan who was championing this, is tainted. How can he claim impeccable personal integrity? Who cares, if the money did not go into any of his personal account or those of his kin. A government he was stewarding has used unaccounted and ill-gotten wealth to buy votes and trounce democratic opposition. In India, there is another issue that ails the system. You are everything first before you an Indian. The only moment you are Indian first is when playing cricket against Pakistan. The Pakistanis should think so, is clear, that is indeed always the psychology of the younger delinquent son, whose fortunes have been compromised vis a vis his illustrious elder brother. He is destructive, envious and conniving. The fault lines moved, wreaked havoc – 8.9 on the Richter scale. The buildings swayed yet did not collapse. The quality of construction was so good. The damage in Japan was due to the Tsunami, ie. the water not the earthquake. Do recall, there was an earthquate in Bhuj. Just 6.9 on the Richter scale and all of Bhuj saving some buildings of the Airforce was razed to the ground. This is corruption too. 3G / Adarsh / CWG, they have just got highlighted. Pick up anything, you will find a scam. Police and army bharti ( selection at Sepoy Level ), liquor licenses, the list is endless, and most honest or their offices or their parties are beneficiaries of this slush income.
