LAW and DISORDER
India has always been an enigma not only to the world but even to us Indians
We are drowning in a sea of corruption, dysfunctional institutions, pathetic government and exhausted citizens.
How can there be so many problems and yet the country continues to be the second fastest growing economy in the world?
My theory of 'Law and Disorder' could help explain. The first part is given below.
We swear by democracy and feel proud that we are the largest one, but is our pride justified? Why are we as a nation making rapid material progress and yet in plummeting morals?
One only has to take a look at the nation’s leaders; the composition of the 543 member ‘Lok Sabha’ the lower house of the Indian Parliament to get an idea;
6 members are currently lodged in jail.
29 members have been charged with spouse abuse.
7 members have been arrested for fraud.
19 members have more than three criminal cases pending against them.
119 members have been charged and being investigated for serious cases pending against them, these include, rape, murder, extortion and robbery.
71 members cannot get credit or loans due to bad credit histories.
21 members are currently defendants in various lawsuits.
84 members have been involved in serious offenses and have paid fines
More than 27% of our elected leaders are suspected or out on bail for major criminal offences. As per Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) an NGO 150 of the 543 parliamentarians have criminal charges against them. The leaders of the masses who have the responsibility for leading the country and for enforcing the law are themselves highly suspect.
It is a known fact that just as the family follows the head so do the masses follow the leaders. What the leaders project in terms of values and conduct is what the masses emulate.
This is what a large majority of our political leadership has done and continues to do.
Why rob a nation when you can hijack it ? Increasing criminalisation of politics has permitted many unsavoury characters to hijack the nation and become the law unto themselves. Worse they have now perched themselves above the law and largely protected from investigation and prosecution, because they now control the law and order machinery.
Here are some reasons;
The political parties have sold out.
It is well known that the nominations for each candidate fielded for elections by each political party is made mainly on the basis of the highest bidder in closed auctions. This is the rule rather than the exception. As per the statement made by the chief election commissioner the average price to be paid by a candidate for securing a party nomination is Rs 5 Crores (US$ 1.1Million)
If huge money has to be spent to just get into the race for elected office, then what chance does an ordinary citizen without deep pockets or gang of goons have? Some brave or foolhardy individuals who do try to buck the system and dare to contest are threatened and sometimes killed for daring to enter the fray.
Here is a shameful example; After the Supreme Court passes embarrassing strictures against a serving union minister on a serious offence, the prime minister elevates these indicted people from rank of minister of state to full cabinet minister.
The 'Democratic' political process
On an average voting turnout is only 50% with the winning candidate securing no more than 17% of the total votes. Majority of the middle class people do not vote.
The politicians and elected leaders.
Votes are purchased by spending obscene amounts of money and on an average each candidate has to spend Rs 10 Cr or US$s 2.25 Million).
If one is not particular about things like ethics, integrity, patriotism etc then becoming a successful politician is the most promising career nowadays. The return on investment can be phenomenal.
These elected leaders do not view their office as that of serving the people but to enrich themselves using whatever means available to them in the shortest possible time. After all elected office is an unstable position. Many elected representatives have borrowed heavily or have demanding backers and supporters whose expectations must be met.
These investor politicians set out to recoup and seek a return on the investments they or their supporters have made.
Many of the top winners of the aggressive and often violent race to office become ministers etc and head the various ministries. Starting with the Secretary all staff downwards are expected to generate a fixed target of money to be paid to the minister.
Here targets are strict and while rewards can be a plum posting and an opportunity to earn more illicit money. Any failure to achieve the targets means a punishment posting or worse framed or entrapped on grounds of some trumped up charges. A promising career of a bureaucrat can be destroyed by a mere whim or snap of the fingers.
Here management is tight and practices followed results will put many management gurus to shame. The results almost always exceed targets.
Unfortunately these management practices are not to provide good governance, or enhance the quality of life of the citizens but to merely make the entire chain of government management starting with the honourable minister or other elected representative right down to the not so lowly clerk /peon rich. They can get their share only by getting the protection and patronage of their political master or organisational senior.
Now if all these people which represent our elected leaders, appointed officers and majority of the government are engaged in all this hard work of generating money for the predators higher in the food chain, do you honestly believe they have time for governance.
It is only when a colleague is deprived of his perceived share or cut of the loot, or someone else wants to muscle in and demand some share of the spoils is that the truth is allowed to emerge. A political liability is sometimes put up for the slaughter.
We cannot all politicans and bureaucrats with the same colour. There are also good people, however the environment is too inhospitable for such good people and their percentage in the total population is shrinking rather alarmingly.
The media thrives on sensationalism and will briefly headline the crimes only to relegate them to the inner pages within a few days and forget all about it in a couple of weeks. They then jump on the next scandal of which there are umpteen, all waiting to be exposed by rival politicians and leaders at the right time. These disclosures or leaks are not to serve the cause of justice but to finish off rivals.
Democracy is the act of ruling oneself so as not to be ruled by others.
It is your solemn duty to understand your rights and responsibilities and to exercise them judiciously if you want a better future for yourself and your children. Awaken and become socially and politically active. Support good, competent and capable people who will put our nation’s interests above their own.
If you do not wish to belong to the hordes who merely grumble. Then you may consider joining one of several new political parties that seek to rebuild India on a clean plank.
One such party is ‘ Professionals Party of India’ www.ppi.net.in hoping to woo large numbers of the 250 million middle class who reside mainly in urban India. As per Asian development bank projections based on current trends India's middle class will grow to 840 million people by the year 2026. PPI is betting on it's value based clean politics approach to attract this hitherto politically dormant base.
PPI is already present and active in 10 cities. Candidates do not have to pay any money to get nominated if they are found to possess the right moral fibre with good capability and commitment.
Since candidates will attract mainly middle class votes on basis of merit they will not need obscene amounts of money and their low cost high impact campaign will be funded by PPI.
Candidates will be educated and groomed by a group of eminent experts in a number of fields over a minimum period of 3 years. This will prepare the chosen candidates to discharge their role as responsible members of the Indian parliament of a new India.
