Wages of cronyism

Corruption is neither new nor unique to India. The history of this part of the world as well as other areas on planet Earth, from ancient to medieval and modern times, is replete with instances of not just individual greed, venality and nepotism but organised and institutionalised forms of corruption.

Why then has corruption in this country become such a huge issue at present, an issue that is agitating the minds of so many people?
There is something strange about what is currently going on. Never before in the history of independent India have so many influential political leaders, bureaucrats and corporate captains spent time behind bars on some corruption charge or the other as they have over the last few years. Yet — and this is what appears to be the puzzling part of the story — the government headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, whose personal integrity has not been questioned, is perceived to be an administration which is packed with individuals whose ethical values are flexible (to put it rather mildly). Why the paradox?
The answers to the questions raised can be found in the sheer scale of the corruption that has taken place and the brazenness of it all. The Bofors scam involving alleged kickbacks of `64 crore pales into pathetic insignificance in 2012. We are living in different times today. What is happening now is that more than one “Bofors-moment” is before us. And the incumbent regime is floundering helplessly, desperately seeking credible rejoinders to the flurry of allegations that are flying thick and fast.
Dr Singh is seen to be presiding over a government in which more than a few of his ministerial colleagues are crooked to the core. Worse, as the first among equals in a Cabinet and a council of ministers, Dr Singh is perceived to have turned a blind eye to what has been going on right under his nose — whether these be the manner in which second-generation (2G) electromagnetic spectrum was allocated (sorry, misallocated) and valued (sorry, undervalued) to mobile telecommunications companies or coal acreages doled out using an opaque method to a variety of private firms with rather dubious antecedents and associations.
However hard government representatives and Congress Party spokespersons try to shift public focus and media attention away from corruption towards so-called economic reforms, their efforts seem to be in vain. The situation has come to such a pass that few will be surprised if the 16th general elections take place ahead of schedule. Reason: a section within the Congress may convince party president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi that the longer the government stays put the worse it will be for the future of India’s “grand old party”.
The contrary view within the Congress runs along the following lines. Wait for the next budget in February to announce populist schemes such as the right to food, free medicines for the poor and a revised land acquisition law. Pray for a good monsoon to cool down food inflation. Hope the international economic situation improves. And then prepare for elections in late 2013 or early 2014.
There is a strong possibility that the forthcoming Winter Session of Parliament will be washed out. As the government seeks to push its reforms agenda — to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) in insurance and pensions — the Opposition (including the Trinamul Congress) will scream blue murder not merely about FDI in multi-brand retail. There is a problem of plenty as far as issues with which to bash the government are concerned: Coalgate, the impasse in the joint parliamentary committee’s investigations of the 2G spectrum scam, Robert Vadra’s property deals, Salman Khurshid’s NGO and the alleged involvement of Nationalist Congress Party leaders in the Lavasa project.
Besides pointing fingers at BJP president Nitin Gadkari, Congress MPs will accuse the Opposition of deliberately stalling reforms and thereby, the economic revival of the country. The government may announce a new law to curb corruption in the private sector. It is expected to again shoot the messenger (read the Comptroller and Auditor General of India). It could perhaps even fast-track the process to set up a Lokpal or people’s ombudsman. Who knows? Friends of the Congress may find a few interesting facts about Ranjan Bhattacharya. Ranjan who? Remember, the foster son-in-law of the former Prime Minister. Large parts of the script appear to have been written already. But the conclusion is not clear.
Here is the head of our government repeatedly asserting that his is not the “most corrupt” government the country has seen. No longer is the blame being laid on the compulsions of coalition politics. Whatever actions the ruling dispensation may take from here onwards, it may be instances of “too little too late”. Unfortunately for Dr Singh, it is being grudgingly acknowledged by even the most ardent votaries of his government’s policies of economic liberalisation that crony capitalism has become rampant.
Natural resources have been bartered away on account of poor regulatory mechanisms which, in turn, have been deliberately manipulated by the corrupt nexus between business and politics with sections of the bureaucracy and the media playing along. The ruling coalition was lulled into a sense of complacency because of the political opposition on both the Right and the Left was weak and splintered. But it has belatedly woken up to the harsh reality, which is that people’s anger against corruption has spilled over into the streets. Still, the government remains unsure what should be done.
The writing on the wall is clear. Couple cronyism with corruption and food inflation which has sharpened inequalities — the combination is likely to prove disastrous for those who are in positions of power and authority.

The writer is an educator and commentator