India determined to break the bribery-corruption trap

Social activist Anna Hazare (centre, L) waves to photographers after attending a meeting at the Indian finance ministry in New Delhi April 16, 2011. Hazare attended the first meeting of the newly-constituted joint committee comprising of ministers and civil society activists to draft an anti-graft law, the Lokpal bill, local media said on Saturday. - REUTERS

by I.S. Senguttuvan

(April 26, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The news on April 24 , the infamous Suresh Kalmadi, the man who dominated the corruption and inefficiency riddled CMG 2010, was arrested shocked a few around him, did not surprise many following the issue and is a general pointer the culture of a corruption and bribery-free India given inspiration by ex-jawan Anna Hazare is slowly but surely on the way to gain some initial success. How Kalmadi's men managed to Invoice a roll of toilet paper costing no more than Rs.3 to Rs.300 and escape the maze of audit and other protective features in the sytem is baffling. A demanding and vibrant media - formal and informal - leads the way with able support from many sections of the lower and higher judiciary. An India after Independence unable to feed itself or take care of the health of much of their largely illiterate people dying of infections diseases by the tens of thousands now leaves behind this ugly burden of history and is giving way to an agriculturally performing, fastly industrializing and politically healthy India. While the gap beween the rich, the middle class and the poor remains sharp it certainly is less pronounced than, say 3 decades , ago. The India that my English teacher – charming British-Lankan lady who visited there in the 50s said “there are 3 species of women there – lady, woman and female” is now gradually becoming a thing of the past. A once chronically hungry India is feeding her 1.2 billion now - though inequitably in many cases. She is now a major exporter of rice, wheat, sugar and many varieties of foodstuffs. She is within the 3 largest economies in Asia and a major global economic power. Her economic and political power is such that her claim for a place in the Security Council of the UN cannot be delayed any further.

The growing middle class wealth also generates a greater demand from her huge educated class for a politically and administratively cleaner India – a corruption free local and Central government, a clean Civil service administration,

a more just and pro-active lower, middle and higher judiciary. Indian civil society, in brief, demands a better quality system of transparent and accountable governance. Above all a more credible and answerable politician – now a combination of crime lord, deal-maker and fixer. Whle Indians in general are proud of their giant economic progress, they are quite impatient about the culture of impunity that has now sunk into the body politic and among the elected. The India of today intensely demands action against truant politicians. It is a badly kept secret many of them have amassed “unaccountable and uncountable wealth” in the duration of their brief careers. Where is the neutrality of the Tax departments and its thousands of officials is the question in the lips of many Indians. Successful Indians in the US, North America and Europe point out a honest and efficient Tax Department is one of the reasons of success of the Western economies – a message that engages a chord of acceptance in India.

The sudden inexplainable wealth of Laloo Prasad Yadav (the Fertiliser scam)

Mayawati (scams far too many to list), the Karunanidhis of Tamilnadu (2G spectrum scam) Jayalalitha, the ill odoour generated by the Commonwealth Games 2010 Contracts have offended many Indians. When initiated India learns China annually attracts US$200 billion as FDI whereas India just $50 billion, they feel angry. To learn the cause is the massive corruption among Indian politicians - without whose good graces these FDIs cannot work - shames Indians who fight for a radical change in their fastly growing Sub-Continent.

The Anna Hazare campaign for greater accountability and transparency in government has engaged national acceptance. In many States, he is seen as the new Mahathma Gandhi. People by the tens of thousands visited his fasting campaigns in Maharasthrai – joining hands with him to rid the country of the growing cancer of corruption. Hazare is looked upon as the symbol of change from the corrupt to the New India.

The arrest of the much despised Andimuthu Raja (DMK)in Tamilnadu – former Central Government Minister of Telecommunications, a major accused in the 2G spectrum scam was widely acclaimed as a step in the right direction by the Manmohan Singh (Sonia Gandi) Congress government. It is well known the MM govt generally ignored many giant scamps purely because the offending politicians were part of the Congress Coalition. But an alert press and an activist judiciary is making the necessary differences.

The regime can no longer ignore the mood of the people for a clean government. Today’s news of the arrest of a government favourite Suresh Kalmadi – former MP – is further proof the government is running for cover against a citizenry demanding better and honest governance – or something close to that. The speculation Karunanidhi’s wife and daughter also may face arrest in the 2G Spectrum scam soon is seen as steps in the right direction The days when the political establishment went about in the belief the role of the people was only to elect them and thereafter they do as they please– right or wrong – is giving way to an adult populace demanding accountability That indeed is good for governance in the largest democracy in the world. There is little doubt, like the winds of change in the Arab lands, the culture of a corruption free government the people of India clearly favour will blow to other lands in the region as well –sooner than later.