This is perhaps the best analysis of how and why corruption thrives in any feudalistic, poor, and inefficient democracy. Corruption is why they win Shobhan Saxena, TNN If 650 million Indians squat in the open because they dont have access to toilets and more than 250 million people are forced to drink filthy water, its not a coincidence. If more than 1,000 people die in accidents on Indias roads every day and almost the same number falls to TB on a daily basis, it cant be blamed on fate. If India has the largest number of poor, hungry, mentally-ill and suicidal people in the world, its not destiny. Its something the ruling class hasnt tried too hard to change, almost as if they chose to keep the country trapped in bondage. If corruption has become a part of our DNA, its because they - the politicians and bureaucrats - have made it systemic. Corruption keeps them going as they win again and again while others fight over scraps in the streets. In 2005 flick Syriana, a Texan oilman defines corruption as government intrusion into market efficiencies in the form of regulations . Thats probably not true even in America anymore. In India, corruption is governments intrusion into peoples lives because of lack of regulations. For the Indian politician, corruption gives an opportunity to play the saviour - mai-baap to the people - as institutions are made to rot and crumble. Again, its a choice. So, when an old widow cant get her pension thats due to her, she has to run to the local corporator and plead in front of him. When parents of a rape victim cant get an FIR registered in a police station, they beg their local MLA to do something . When a cluster of villages cant repay their debt because they have been ravaged by flood or famine , they implore their MP to save them. And very often one phone call does the trick. The victims, their families and entire clans become indebted to the politician forever for getting them what has been guaranteed by the Constitution. But they dont fix the system because if it works, they wont be able to play god. So, no one talks of police reforms ; administrative reforms are not on the agenda of any party, and they dont want to make local governance strong. They dont want to end corruption because it helps them finance their election and buy support. Its not without reason that all elections in India - local, state and national - look and sound the same. They always promise bijli, sadak and paani, which are basically municipal issues. These amenities are promised to people not as their right but as a favour, which should be returned in the form of votes. And the favour is returned because its given after mathematical calculations done on the basis of castes and clans . In his book Pakistan: A Hard Country, Anatol Lieven described how Pakistan is still governed by the traditions of overriding loyalty to family, clan and religion . According to Lieven, Pakistans political parties are congeries of landlords, clan chieftains and urban bosses seeking state patronage for themselves and their followers and vowing allegiance to particular national individuals and dynasties . Isnt this true for India too? How else would one describe the tainted politicians and mafia dons winning polls - sometimes from jail? So, when the BJP opened its doors this week to Babu Singh Kushwaha, who was recently sacked by UP chief minister Mayawati, the party was trying to tap votes of certain castes who will support him anyway. If not BJP, some other party would have grabbed him. All the 17 ministers sacked by Mayawati have already been accepted by other political parties with open arms. In this semi-feudal culture, corruption is not an issue. The growing wealth of politicians, too, is not an issue. People vote for those who give them roads, water and electricity. Corruption is Indian politicians way of restoring faith in democracy.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 02:31:30 +0000