65 ‘Independent’ Years
By Poonam I Kaushish
“Agar mehnat karoge, jee lagaoge, agar inhe meetha paani de doge, to thodi bahut chori kar sakte ho, dakait nahi daloge (If you work hard and able to provide drinking water, you can steal a little, but you must not behave like dacoits). Undeniably, these ‘pearls of wisdom’ by UP’s PWD Minister Shivpal Yadav underscore the tragic testimony of 65 years of Independent India where corruption is the religion. Whereby, public funds translate in to apna money, money!
Questionably, as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh unfurls the tiranga at Delhi’s Red Fort tomorrow, the aam aadmi is wondering: What are our leaders celebrating? That in their ‘collective wisdom’ all have desecrated, vandalized Mera Bharat Mahan? And reduced people’s aspirations to perspiration and one-upmanship? Turning the voice of the masses into an invoice for themselves — money, power and kursi?
Shockingly, instead of atoning for their sins of omission and commission, our rulers brazenly and blatantly continue to plunder and how! Sans any remorse, their in-your-face dacoity is backed by an unmatched and unashamed arrogance of catch-me-if-you-can.
The latest example being Haryana’s former Home Minister Gopal Kanda who rose from being a small-time street vendor of rubber slippers in Sirsa district to owning an airline and real estate multi-millionaire in a span of 10 short years. Thanks to his ‘closeness’ to politicians.
Why single him out? Remember Suraj Mandal, who blew the whistle in the JMM case in 1996. Asserted he: “Paisa boriyon main ata hai, gathriyon main nahin.” Alas, as the 2 G scandal, Coalgate, mining scam et al show over 90 per cent of our polity is tarred by the same brush, be it at the Centre or States. A cursory glance of their wealth disclosures to the Election Commission every election underscore the brutal reality.
None work in any 9-5 job, do office work; private business yet amasses huge wealth. All ‘earned’ by seva of the garib janata. Read bribes for everything — from getting a ration card to income-tax, SC certificates et al. Thus legalizing corruption and putting their seal of approval on the culture of plunder. Clearly, when gold speaks, all tongues are silent!
Worse, with Gandhian Anna Hazare disbanding his Team and the Government studiously ignoring Baba Ramdev’s demands on black money and Lokpal bill at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan one can kiss goodbye to our polity’s pious protestations on having a Lokpal. Confessed a senior MP, “Sab mangtai hai ek sashakt Bill but chup-chap kahte hain bhai galle main phansi kyoin daal rahe ho. Pass maat karna hum sab ka bhalaa hoga.”
Unmistakably, something fundamental is wrong which makes the Government incapable of dealing with simple matters and complex issues. The Prime Minister lacks authority, has no control over his Ministers who do as they please. Nor does he enjoy his Party’s confidence, Congress President Sonia who has no views on anything and heir apparent Rahul Gandhi is “work in progress”.
Thereby, underscoring the inherent weakness of the personal arrangement between Singh as Government head and Sonia as Party Chief with the Party refusing to heed him. As a result, the Administration lacks a clear leadership structure, and functions as a confused babble of vested interests, egos and animosities. Alas, neither Sonia nor Manmohan Singh seems willing or capable of stemming the rot.
Things have come to such a sorry pass that credit rating firm Moody has not only downgraded growth rate to 5.5% but squarely blamed “a weak Central Government that has badly lost its way…creating instability. Divided leadership at the Centre may be the biggest hurdle… Paramount political power rests with Sonia Gandhi… while the Government is led by an unelected Prime Minister, who lacks a political base of his own.” Plainly, for all practical purposes, Sonia-Manmohan Singh seem to have lost the plot.
Socially too, things are depressing. Six decades after Independence, after spending trillions on education, health and food over 700 millions live below the poverty line and continue to be hungry, illiterate, unskilled and bereft of basic medical care. Borne out by rising farmers’ suicides, despite doles by the Prime Minister.
More shocking, the Planning Commission which grandiosely announced Rs 32 per day was enough to keep body and soul together for a family of five, has spent over Rs 38 lakhs to renovate four toilets for 60-odd VIP’s in Yojna Bhawan! No matter, millions use fields for their daily chores.
The other ‘flush’ idea, is to give mobiles to 6 million BPL families costing Rs 7000 crores. Exposing the dichotomy between Power India and Asli Bharat. Arguably, how will “Har Haath Mein Phone” eradicate the daily aggravation of being bin bijli aur paani, sky rocketing prices, unemployment, increasing poverty and the ever-demanding ghoo-skhori?
On the obverse, look how hundreds of crores of the tax payers hard-earned money is spent by our netagan on protecting themselves. Example: Over Rs 250 crores is spent only on protecting 400 plus VIPs annually. It matters little whether these worthies face no risk or at best little risk yet they refuse to budge without the elaborate security paraphernalia.
In Delhi alone, over 14,200 policemen are deployed on round-the-clock VIP security duty —- Special Protection Group for the top of the ladder, followed by Z-plus provided by NSG “black cats” consisting of six personal security officers, two head constables, 12 constables, in a cavalcade of AK47 toting ‘black cats’ in a convoy of cars including one pilot vehicle with ‘lal batti.’ Then come the minions with Z (68 VIPs), Y (243) and X (81) categories. Salaam Independent India’s new Maharajas!
The most striking aspect of their feudal mentality is that our netagan have collectively subordinated national interest to personal egos and aggrandisement. Thus, undermining further the people’s eroding faith in democracy as a desirable system. Even as all the Parties blame each other for the present state of affairs.
What next? Events have their own momentum. Arguably, one can say this is what democracy is all about. However, few remember that democracy is not an end in itself but only a means for the peoples’ well-being through an honest and stable Government run by dedicated leaders committed to the country. Not ram-shackled coalitions of fair-weather partners in corruption and crime. The writing is on the wall. Our polity needs to recognize that they must deserve before they can desire, else become increasingly irrelevant. The people want change. He is not willing to stand as a mute spectator while the country gets vandalized by our jan sevaks and their goondas.
As a Chinese saying goes in every crises lies an opportunity. As we celebrate 65 years of Independence our leaders need to realize, when politics degrades itself to political adventurism, India would be on the calamitous road to inevitable disaster and ruination. Let us not risk it. It is time to introspect…. so that India can grow as a mature, healthy, vibrant democratic nation. What gives? —- INFA