Vociferous activists urge citizens to stand up for their rights and end corruption. But it is only when a Raja crops up or a Kalmadi surfaces, that society trains its guns. And once news channels stop airing faces of corrupt individuals every two minutes, once the papers move on to other news and the bloggers traverse other topics, the issue is put on the back-burner and allowed to fizzle out.
Even before the Common-wealth Games began, it was in the news globally, for all the wrong reasons. Charges of corruption, allegations of siphoning off funds, the more one dug into the issue the murkier it got. But once the games started, sports took centrestage. And the man who hogged the limelight was Suresh Kalmadi, the same person whose name cropped up in every CWG-related scam.
Last month, British magnate of Indian origin Lord Swaraj Paul, who had done the nation proud with his illustrious achievements, was suspended from the House of Lords on charges of of corruption. The committee found that Swaraj Paul lived lavishly in London but designated a one-bedroom flat in an Oxfordshire hotel that he owned as his residence. The suspension created shockwaves, but corruption is not what Lord Paul is going to be remembered for in the long run.
Lalit Modi gave India its biggest cricketing extravaganza. Earlier this year, the IPL Pandora’s box opened and out came images of money laundering, match fixing and the likes. While Modi denied the charges against him, the nation debated furiously over what was labeled one of the worst cricketing scams of the century. Some teams were suspended from the league; other cricket experts were called to take over and while all this goes on, fans can’t wait for the fourth edition of these matches to begin. Corruption in the IPL? Well, let the authorities deal with that.
The choice of A. Raja as the union telecom minister surprised some, but his involvement in the telecom scandal mess shocked the nation. While this simple lawyer-turned-high-profile minister finally gave in his resignation, many wonder why the exit took so long.
Images of officials accused of corruption flash on TV channels, the details make front page spreads in newspapers, and these are the hottest topics of conversation among citizens. But it stops there. Has corruption become such a given in our society that Indians seems to have become immune to it? Why is it that those accused end up becoming poster boys for corruption? Are we as a nation allowing this practice to sustain and thrive?
The first woman leader of the CPI (M) Politburo and activist Brinda Karat feels citizens cannot be blamed for this. “Regular citizens are alienated from the process of governing, so it is not right to blame them. With all the things that have been going on — we’ve been looking at one scam after the other — people have begun to accept corruption as a part of democracy. Those who need to be blamed are politicians because they are the ones who have the power to make a difference; instead they choose to sacrifice their values and ideals to just hold on to their seats. This is when we compromise on corruption by not taking any action.”
Even with powerful tools like the Right to Information Act (RTI) which empowers citizens and gives them the right to question the very workings of the country, how is it that citizens’ anger doesn’t transform into action? RTI activist Ramesh Sawalkar feels corruption has stopped surprising us. “We need to realise that this is not why we elect a leader to power. It is unfortunate that we’re still victims of the ‘chalta hai’ attitude. It is like bargaining with the vegetable vendor; don’t we all haggle nonstop to ensure we get the best deal? It has to be the same with leaders — citizens must question every move of theirs because it has a direct impact on the nation’s future,” he says.
Another thing that frustrates most truth-seekers who use the RTI is that it takes very long. “I’ve seen people abandon causes and petitions midway because they are frustrated by the entire process. In the end, they give up and become non-believers in democracy. The attitude changes from that of a fighter’s to one of a citizen who chooses to be ignorant. Such a trend is unhealthy and hampers the progress of a democracy,” says Nilesh Pant, an active volunteer with Jaago Re, an initiative that urges citizens to fight social evils.
“We have come such a long way in the trail of corruption that in the minds of people these days, a political leader is synonymous with the c-word. But how long will people tolerate this, there has to be a breaking point,” opines Dwaraknath Joshi, an ex-professor of political science and human rights activist.
Politician Milind Deora, one of the youngest MPs in the country, believes that transparency and information are the keys to a ‘cleaner’ future. “Corruption is completely unacceptable and I would never encourage something like this.”
As we move on from the Raja episode and immerse ourselves in whatever life throws at us, it is imperative to remember that by keeping quiet or not lobbying for transparency, we are giving tacit approval to corruption.