Despite global scrutiny, the systemic corruption persists, raising questions about the future of India's democracy and its socio-political landscape
A few days ago, an old American acquaintance happened to be passing through Delhi en route to Calcutta. He was all praise for the noticeable progress India has made in the last ten years, which was admirable by any standards, he admitted. But he was nonplussed at how the same Indians tolerate so much corruption, so widely advertised and widespread. He had learnt that some chief ministers were currently in jail. What amazes people in the US, he told me, is how good Indian folks are willing to tolerate this scale of misconduct that draws much negative publicity the world over.
Some years ago, Japan had a prime minister who had to go to jail. But the Japanese were highly embarrassed and there has been no repetition of it, as far as we know. What my American acquaintance was laying stress upon is that there appears to be no shame or embarrassment due to the continual coverage of this phenomenon.
It isn't as if there is no corruption elsewhere in the world. Former US President and again the challenger for the Presidency in 2024, Donald Trump has been convicted of felony by a New York court. This is a crime more serious than misdemeanour. A couple of days ago, Hunter Biden, son of the incumbent President Joe Biden has been found guilty of concealing facts about his use of drugs. India's record in not only tolerating, but also rewarding tainted chief ministers and politicians is highly 'illustrious'.
Lalu Prasad Yadav, former chief minister of Bihar, was convicted and jailed for defalcation of Rs.600 crores from the state budget meant for cattle fodder, in a country whose people worship the cow. The late Jayalalitha, former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, once a shining star of the silver screen, too had to go to jail owing to corruption. Lately, chief ministers like Shibu Soren of Jharkhand and Arvind Kejriwal of Delhi are behind bars for their involvement in corruption scams running into thousands of crores of rupees. Did they need the money for their survival, running their regimes or for fighting elections? Certainly not. They were obviously driven by greed. What is amazing is all these individuals are so blasé as they have done nothing wrong at all.
I have, over the years, had the opportunity to meet punished thieves and criminals. Some protested to me that they had been 'over-punished', but did not in the least look embarrassed, nor said they wished they hadn't done what they did. Such people also boldly contest elections again and again, campaign enthusiastically, and often win with thumping majority. The message is that they voters did not disapprove in the least.
What do sociologists have to say about this phenomenon? Most voters are people who are likely to be honest, or at least expect honesty from others in their own lives, but happily tolerate their leaders pocketing public money on a large scale. Doesn't it occur to them that some of that money is their own hard-earned wealth?
The late Indira Gandhi had justified corruption by declaring it to be a "global phenomenon" and asking, "Which country is free of corruption?" Many a politician of her time took this to be a signal of approval for gorging on public money unhindered. Her elder son, when he was Prime Minister, was involved in a major corruption scandal over the purchase of Bofors artillery gun. Dr. Manmohan's Singh's regime was littered with mega scams of corruption throughout its ten years in office. Corruption and endless appeasement of a particular religious minority.
If any of his ministers were convicted or had to go to jail, Singh's defence was that they were coalition partners and not of his party. What could he therefore do?
That apart, he had no qualms in publicly declaring that Muslims must have first claim on the country's resources and that 15 per cent of resources would be allotted to them by default. While this may not fall in the category of corruption, it does amount to moral turpitude.
What does this portend for the future of democracy, especially in India? For the last ten years, India has been fortunate to be ruled by a Prime Minister who has been unrelenting and uncompromising in his crusade against corruption, most articulately defined by his own maxim, "Na Khaoonga Na Khane Doonga" (I won't steal nor allow others to).
His measures and steps, beginning from demonetization, exposing and extinguishing fake shell companies, non-existent NGOs, streamlining of the country's tax system through GST, harshness against corrupt politicians and officials including sending them to jail have made him an admired global leader.
It is no coincidence that India has become the world's fifth largest economy and is poised to become the third largest; this is directly related to Modi's unrelenting and uncompromising war on corruption. But it is also true that a segment of the people, used to the entrenched, corrupt ways of earlier regimes, making money without effort, and enjoying office or power without any accountability or fear of punishment, and suddenly forced to confront a world they don't like, might have suffered and felt aggrieved. The BJP losing seats in this election is a reflection of that as well.
(The writer is a well-known columnist, an author and a former member of the Rajya Sabha. The views expressed are personal)
