Political Diary

New Delhi, 14 November 2009

Koda’s Millions, Manu’s Parole

WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL, YAAR

By Poonam I Kaushish

Phew? It has been a busy season keeping track of the garam-garam-teekha-teekha horrifying tamashas of the poweratti. Wherein our netas have not only cleverly perfected the art of self-deception but scaled new heights of corruption, rule by law and capture of power by pelf. After all darlings, it has everything to do with the power of politics and the politics of power!

Nothing illustrates this better than the political nautanki and stench of money in four States. In Jharkhand Madhu Koda is under the CBI scanner for amassing over Rs 4000 crores in all of two years as Chief Minister. In Karnataka, we stood witness to the BJP Chief Minister Yedurappa’s unholy surrender before the mine-rich Reddy brothers. In Maharashtra the delayed swearing-in of the Congress-NCP Ministers thanks to a tussle over which Party should control the lucrative purse-strings of Home, PWD and Power with a total budget of over Rs 60,000 crore is testimony of money seeking to determine who would rules the State. And the postponed Cabinet expansion in Haryana which hefty trade-offs written all over it.

More, that our laws are far removed the paper they are written on. Nowhere is this better reflected than in the ease with which Manu Sharma, son of senior Haryana Congress leader Vinod Sharma managed to get parole for two months within a few years of being convicted of murdering the model Jessica Lal in 1999 for refusing to serve drinks. Worse, that the way parole was granted made a mockery of justice.

Take Koda, who found himself as CM despite being an independent MLA minted money by trading his signature for issuing mining licenses. How many in poor asli Bharat have even heard of Dubai, Mauritius and Liberia, in which Koda stashed away millions of US dollars. True  like his elk before him, Koda is innocent until he is proven guilty and law will take its own course. So confident is he that he will come up trumps that he has nominated his wife to fight the poll. Once again underscoring that politics is the last refuge of scoundrels!

Significantly, if Koda made his millions after coming to politics, the Reddy brothers in Karnataka used their monies to direct politics. They sought a change in the State's leadership on the grounds that their business interests were not being furthered under Yeddurappa. Not only that. They wanted the entire Bellary administration revamped and their projects cleared fast. So strong was the force of the mining magnates money power that Yeddurappa and the BJP buckled under. A weeping CM went on TV had to say he would change his ways! A horrific moment in media history.

Coming to the Jesical Lal saga of how the mighty get away with even murder. It has now been established that rules were bent when Manu Sharma, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of Jessica was given parole on three grounds: To participate in the religious rites of his late grandmother, attend to his ‘ailing mother’ and tend to the family business. Never mind, that his granny died a year ago, his ‘ailing mother’ was seen heartily addressing a press conference on the State’s women’s cricket team  and his business interests being well-attended to. Compounding this, he was spotted at two  Delhi night-clubs.

Shockingly, while the Delhi police turned down Manu’s plea for parole, the Delhi Government cleared his request in unseemly haste based on the Chandigarh police report. That too, after the Supreme Court had rejected Manu’s petition for bail on similar grounds. Further, Tihar Jail inmates have filed a petition with the Delhi High Court, alleging that parole is being given only to the influential and seeking transparency in the process. This year, out of 132 applications for parole from prisoners in Tihar, only 11 were approved. Despite a Court directive that parole applications be processed quickly it takes more than 8-10 months to decide most cases. Manu’s was done in days. Needless to say, Congress ka haath khaas criminal ke saath hai!

What’s new? Aren’t we accustomed to an immoral, corrupt, criminal and unaccountable polity who could stoop to anything for paisa and gaddi. Wherein scams no longer shocks, worry anyone or causes mass protests. Don’t we know that there is something rotten in the State of Denmark. With unscrupulous manipulators emerging as the new rulers --- of politico-criminals, feudal lords and power dons. Shrugged off as a price one has to pay for democracy

What troubles one is the new dimension to this age-old malaise. That it does not strike any chord among our leaders who have reduced graft to a farcical political pantomime. Most distressing is that there is no longer any sense of outrage or shame even when caught red handed. Corruption today is naked, unashamed, and brazen. Nowadays, they conveniently wash their hands off by calling corruption a “systemic failure.” Or cursorily dismiss it as one of the ‘unlisted’ perks of their jobs. Are they kidding? No, in plain English, they are damn serious.

 Tragically, the downslide has been rapid. With every passing year and election, the barometer of corruption and immorality has steadily risen. Worse, our netagan neither want to change or be accountable. Not even to God. Transparency is a far cry. Accustomed  as there are to being a law unto themselves. The tragedy is that the private face of our netas is ugly. It wins hands down over their public mask. One hand washes the other.

The proud founders of Power &Money India Limited ---- dream merchants of power and the money that goes with it.  Liberally interspersed with malice, selfishness, greed for money, back-stabbing and coarse language. The most enterprising and lucrative industry in India today. A lethal dhanda which has ensnared a captive people.

Look at the benefits. One, money power greatly adds to their political clout. Two, parties put up the moneyed to strengthen their own hands. This works on the premise --- that you scratch my back and I yours. Three, money-power comes in handy to settle scores with opponents and use them for partisan political ends. So far so good. But when governance and power demand at least outward projections of piety, morality, goodness et al they don their public mukhota and drone endlessly about eradicating this scourge. All talk, no action. Remember, politics is all about sounding good.  

One can go on and on about hedonism in the year gone by. Of scams which have been reduced to one-day cricketing wonders. And argue that the rules of the game have got changed recklessly without a thought to the future and a premium put on criminality and immorality. But the moot point is: Will profligacy be allowed to become the bedrock of our Parliamentary democracy? Basically, is it good for our democracy to have such people represent the voters? When those who are supposed to lead become saboteurs, it is time to call a spade a spade. Above all, we need politicians who are men of conscience, integrity and credibility. Not comrades in crime.

In sum, the aam aadmi is damn sick of political corruption and want accountability, honesty and transparency. Else, he will be justified in concluding that all talk of eradicating corruption by out netagan is nothing more than shameless hypocrisy and a Himalayan humbug! Is he asking for too much?---- INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)