How many lies by politicians will it take to know they’re not fighting corruption DailyO 31 May 17
The nation is aware, Lakshman had amply illustrated it in his cartoons, that finding an honest politician is akin to seeking a needle in the haystack. The needle may still be found, an honest politician unlikely. Politics is never the art of caring for the common human, but first of filling pockets, then possibly catering to the needs of the common man, provided there are leftovers. Politics is also seeking power. With power flows money, accompanied by corruption. India is ranked seventy-nine out of one hundred and seventy-six countries in the corruption index. This does not imply that only bureaucracy is corrupt, while politicians are holy cows. The Indian knows that without feeding money, nothing moves. Political parties need funds to function, to pay their workers, hire audience and manipulate protests. Money does not always flow from donations, there would be alternate routes.
In recent times, investigative agencies and Income Tax (IT) authorities have been extra busy investigating criminal cases, money laundering, hawala transactions and tax evasions of politicians not in power and anti-national leaders. The sting operation on the Hurriyat clearly indicated that inimical foreign powers are more than willing to fund anti-national activities. Agencies are restricted from investigating those in power, as sanctions are hard to come by and pressures from the top. The turn of those in power would also come, albeit shortly.
It is only after a political authority has vacated his high office do his misdeeds come to the fore, suppressed by his power, while he maintained a façade of honesty, while serving. An issue which every Indian would ask is why do politicians need to amass such wealth that investigation is mandatory. In each case, the amount being investigated is mind boggling for the common man and enough to feed extended families for generations.
In recent times, almost all leading political parties, personalities and their close kin from those out of power, are under the scanner. The Gandhi’s (including their extended family), Mayawati, Lalu Yadav, Virbhadra Singh and Chidambaram are amongst the few, hogging the limelight. The Congress, AAP, RJD and the BSP are parties facing the heat. The Hurriyat, which the nation knew, but the government hesitated to act, has also been blown apart by the sting operation. Court cases against political luminaries drag for years, with no conclusion, as essential witnesses either turn hostile or disappear. Cases are delayed and not argued on various pretexts, permitting the accused to continue their lives without interference, solely prevented from contesting elections. Simple Indians are denied such privileges and benefits.
Interestingly, every time any agency commences an investigation, the concerned individual, his political party and supporters cry foul. They claim political vendetta and targeting simply because they criticized the government and it decided to clamp down on them. Even the Hurriyat is claiming innocence. Few clean politicians exist, who also criticise, but have never been targeted. Politicians are aware, that criticism is part of politics and never affects those in power, as has been amply proved in recent times, but would do anything just to seek sympathy. They claim investigating agencies only function under the control of the government, hence the government decides whom it should target. While this may be true, but the agency can only act once there is evidence of misappropriation or evasion. It cannot conjure evidence, it requires a spark.
Surprisingly, I have yet to witness any politician, even when charged with wrongdoing or amassing wealth, agreeing to the fact. How could justice ever prevail, when no decision has yet flowed on the fodder scam and hundred others, since hearings are adjourned and cases delayed for decades. To prove their innocence, they hire supporters to take to the streets in support. It is simply cry wolf and wolf, hoping to offset the investigation.
Why do we maintain such hypocrisy? Is lying and claiming innocence an accepted trait amongst politicians and political parties. Are they blind to reality and feel that the Indian voter is unaware? They are grossly wrong. The common Indian is very aware and has witnessed obscure political entities amassing wealth beyond their means, in short tenures. Similarly, the nation is aware that protests in Kashmir are being funded by money routed through the Hurriyat, hence its claims of innocence is being laughed at. The Indian has witnessed an exponential growth in politicians’ assets and is no longer ignorant. However, we know democracy is essential, hence bear up with corrupt leaders. One rule politicians learn, immediately on joining the profession, is maintaining a thick skin, ignore criticism, care for themselves rather than the common man.
Th government too plays games. It commences investigations in financial irregularities, slows the same, awaiting elections, when suddenly the issue gains prominence. The AgustaWestland helicopter scam, involving retired Air Chief Marshall Tyagi, always came to the fore just prior to elections, vanishing under the carpet, immediately thereafter. Similar are cases involving the extended Gandhi family.
The press is also part of the act. Visual media houses and their personalities, depending on which party funds them, or the ideology they support, discuss these charges accordingly. Funding, TRPs, advertisements and political support have purchased visual media houses. In select cases, caste, creed and religion is invoked to claim bias in investigation, with the hope that the public would sympathise. The fact is that no one believes such post truths.
It is time, for the non-political intelligentsia, from all walks of life, across the nation, to create and address forums which could be a means of conveying to the Indian masses, the games political parties play and the means they employ to hoodwink the public. The courts must set timelines for completing investigations, preventing them being dragged solely for political gains. Delaying the case, with the politician on bail, is unfair to the common Indian criminal, lodged for years without a hearing or bail considerations. Why should crooked politicians be treated any different, as the case of the South Korean ex-president has recently proved.
About the Author
Maj Gen Harsha Kakkar
Retired Major General Indian Army