Congress and Corruption





Corruption is a fact. That it percolates from the top echelons to the down-the-ladder clerk is a fact that all Indians have internalised in their psyche. Independent India witnessed the surge in corruption making a peak through the licence raj era. Only after liberalisation set in and globalisation became a phenomenon that India, especially a young India looked at corruption as an evil that could be tamed, if not killed. Major corruption scandals dwindled in number barring an occasional Sukhram stashing money in flower pots or Jayalalitha having hundreds of shoes, just to cite a few popular examples.

However the second term of the Congress led government experienced three major corruption scandals in a very short span of time. Readers may note that this is not to spare the Madhu ‘Money’ Koda, but just to bring to light three scams rocking the nation at almost one point of time. The trio of Commonwealth Games, 2 G spectrum scandal and Adarsh housing society scam has taken corruption to new heights or I must say rock bottom. Interestingly these three scandals share the common denominator of involvement of congressmen or its ministers. A chief minister of a large state, a cabinet minister and a president of a sports body since as-far-as-your-memory-might-take-you have come out as the chief of the corruption orchestra.

The details of the scams are too gory and mind boggling. While commonwealth games hit the image of the nation hard, the 2G spectrum involving huge amounts of money, the Adarsh housing scam exposed the ever so disciplined army. The damaging acts of these three scandals brought to the fore three faces of Suresh Kalmadi, A. Raja and Ashok Chavan. Two congressmen and one congress ally is how people recognize them. What distinguishes these men is their blatant brush with power and the immunity they carry.

Behind these incidents lies a greater matter of concern which involves the people of power, which when translated are Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi. There is a particular reason in the order of names. While Mrs Gandhi calls the shots, the Prime Minister Dr. Singh is the face of the government (though I would rethink on that statement given the surge of the next name) and the PM-in-waiting Rahul baba. Sonia Gandhi has had her knowledge of politics from her mother-in-law and imbibes many of her virtues. One who has seen how people in the corridor of power act, when the strings needs to be pulled, what is socialist, populist and what is monarchy, she understands like no other the art of power handling.

The noble yet toothless prime minister who was served the post on platter has been one of the cleanest figures of Indian polity. His admiration is pervasive of party lines in matter of integrity but where he falters is in playing an unquestioning comrade to the orders of his boss. Rahul Gandhi the official prime ministerial candidate believes in making you believe that he is the young crusader who will fight all evil and will be champion of the poor and downtrodden. Nothing wrong with that but what the nation expects at the face of such huge scams is these three people stand up for the cause of the country.

The socialist in Mrs. Gandhi could announce huge package for farmers’ loan waiver in a budget, could move Right To Information Act, could pass Right To Education but at the same time overlook corruption occurring under her nose in the house of which she is the undisputable leader. Reminds something of the original Mrs. Gandhi? A man of rare integrity, Dr. Singh has all the right ingredients to lead the nation, yet falters in it because where he lacks is the teeth to bite. Unassuming would be the best way to describe India’s most learned prime minister. Rahul Gandhi, need not be mentioned, has certain clout in south block and has many a times been instrumental in moving files of interest. Recently he has targeted corruption in a strong way but alas it has not gone unnoticed that they pertain majorly to non-congress ruled states.

The right time for these three leaders to show their substance is on hands. While timely and strong action against corruption can prove their mettle to the voter, inaction would prove them to be paper tigers. For the government to not end with a black patch of corruption, the cleansing act has to be done effectively and as soon as possible.

Temple and Mosque

Define what a temple is, define a mosque to me
What do we need to build today, can anyone tell me

Of what use will be a temple
To one who spends chilling nights on roads
Of what use will be a mosque
To one on whose back is sack of heavy loads

Define what a temple is, define a mosque to me
What do we need to build today, can anyone tell me

She doesn’t know what to cook for lunch and dinner
Her husband’s purse over the days have become thinner
Gold for her are the vegetables on display
Tough its getting to see through each day


Define what a temple is, define a mosque to me
What do we need to build today, can anyone tell me

When will he get a job the question doesn’t let him sleep
In this quagmire how will he his sanity keep
Directionless he wanders, aimlessly, fruitlessly
He has to earn for depends entirely on him is his family

Define what a temple is, define a mosque to me
What do we need to build today, can anyone tell me

Unfailingly he rises each day before the sun rise
Only then to get a seat in bus his chances rise
Invisible wars in office throughout the day he fights
Only then two pricey school seats for his children he finds

Define what a temple is, define a mosque to me
What do we need to build today, can anyone tell me

Deadlines to be met, targets to be achieved
Facts and figures only to be believed
Where nights don’t count for there its day
There is sunshine, the corporate makes hay

Define what a temple is, define a mosque to me
What do we need to build today, can anyone tell me

A first day first show and there is a huge crowd
All hail the hero and they hail him loud
No one asks who is sitting besides
In entertainment no one any religious rules abides

Define what a temple is, define a mosque to me
What do we need to build today, can anyone tell me

On icy peaks they stand holding guns in their hand
Driven by ulterior aim to protect motherland
The bullet doesn’t ask their identities to them
Building an own house does matter to them

Define what a temple is, define a mosque to me
What do we need to build today, can anyone tell me

His crops ends up in flood when he waits for rain
Who understands the poor farmers pain
Ending his life burdened under loans
Countless such in agony they moan

Define what a temple is, define a mosque to me
What do we need to build today, can anyone tell me

We need more roads we need more dams
We need in country more lush green farms
We need health care we need better fare
We need the government to take more care

We do need a mosque, we do need a temple
No violence in thier names, we have had them ample!

Ram Mandir on Facebook

              
                This isn’t about politics. It is neither about preaching nor about practice. It is about being practical. Eighteen years after Babri Masjid was demolished, a thirty years year old activist then is close to fifty years and maybe has a voice but no tooth. A child born then is vying for a seat in a reputed college. And people not even ready to listen to Kalyan Singh, the then chief minister, who is failed to draw a decent crowd in his ‘Ayodhya chalo’ rally. The dynamics of the movement which witnessed the mobilisation of various forces, both constructive and destructive, has changed considerably. Instead of people carrying bricks from all over the country to build Ram Mandir at Ayodhya then, what would work today is some application on facebook like ‘donate/gift a brick for the temple’.


                   That the court is to sound its verdict on 24th of September, on a sixty year old litigation, has brought to the fore an issue that had been dormant since a long time now. Unprecedented security measures are being taken to avoid any communal disharmony. News channels in a welcome move have decided on self restraint by not playing sensitive videos of that fateful day of 6th December, 1992 (needless to say in all forms and round the clock). Religious groups involved have not yet issued inflammatory statements. And suddenly the passions that would have whipped up even on the mention of Ram Janmabhoomi seem to have died down. What has changed in all these years? Answer is too many things.

              Even though the debate of whether there was a temple over and on which the mosque was built is significant, what has become insignificant is the use of the debate to mobilise people to achieve an agenda. Adding political colour to the issue today has become difficult because vote bank politics today does not rely on playing religious card. It is the card of development, infrastructure and economics, that garners votes today in most of the constituencies, if not all. BJP the party which got associated with the issue and perhaps gained the maximum of it, did eventually realise the fact that Mandir in Ayodhya cannot provide stepping stones to Delhi. Demands of the inevitable coalition politics today sometimes (in very few occasions though) acts in a mutually beneficial way.

                The verdict is bound to upset one of the litigant and the larger group it represents. The case will then move to Supreme Court thereby automatically hitting a pause button. Communally sensitive areas might see some unfortunate action thanks to petty politics but the issue lacks the firepower anymore to kindle up larger emotions. All major parties want to steer clear of the matter. The BJP would do good in cornering the Congress government on minority appeasement issue, floundering Kashmir issue, and rising prices issue, rather than Ayodhya issue. The Sants and Qazis have nothing to gain either and have realised the fact in all these many years.

                 Disenchantment with controversial religious issues have taken place almost in entirety in uptown India and to a large extent in small town India. A youngster in Ayodhya today wishes to move to Lucknow or Delhi to land up in a decent job, rather than participating in the Mandir-Masjid issue whenever it rakes up. A software professional working in a MNC is least bothered what stands in Ayodhya. Young India today would rather click on the ‘like’ button for Mandir or Masjid at Ayodhya or better still join a virtual community ‘build a orphanage/hospital at the controversial site’, read e-paper on the verdict and post a comment on it, read couple of blogs (maybe this one included), and go about building their own dreams.