POLITICAL DIARY

NEW DELHI, 10 November 2007

Cracking Whip Inadequate

SACK CORRUPT MINISTERS

By Poonam I Kaushish

What is it that scares our ruling polity more than anything else? Having to declare their assets and liabilities. Specially when they love talking ad nauseam about honesty and cleansing the political cesspool. They even go blue in the face about belling the big fat cat of corruption with insatiable appetite. Go to any extent to proclaim their honesty and sincere endeavours. Yet when it comes to acting on their words, they feign ignorance and play dumb, even blind and deaf. Declaration of assets and liabilities, what’s that? 

So what if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has now issued his third diktat in three years, reminding his ministers of the ‘Code of Conduct’. This requires them to submit to him at the earliest details of their and their family assets and liabilities and business interests. Shockingly, despite a deadline of March 31 every year, his recalcitrant brood has not only missed three such deadlines (for 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07) but also ignored his earlier two missives.

Look at the tragic dichotomy. We have today an honest Prime Minister who allegedly not only heads India’s most dishonest Government but even justifies it by arguing that there is no law or convention that bars tainted Ministers from holding office. Nevertheless, Manmohan Singh deserves to be complimented for showing much-needed guts to crack the whip through a reminder from the Cabinet Secretary on October 30. But if he still cannot get the Union Council of Ministers to declare their assets, what good is the whip and high-sounding lectures on honesty and transparency.

The moot point: what has the UPA Government done so far and is doing to combat the   spreading cancer of corruption? A big zilch, if its track record is anything to go by. In fact, like many earlier Governments, it has indulged in a surfeit of sickening, empty rhetoric and convenient amnesia. Whenever push has come to shove, it has fallen flat on its face.

One scandalous example out of many which exposes the Government’s so-called serious intent or, shall we say, indifference to corruption is its failure to appoint a long-needed Lok Pal, an appointment which has been hanging fire for over 30 long years. Yes, dear reader, the Lok Pal Bill has been awaiting Parliamentary approval since 1977. The measure was designed to go a long way in curbing corruption and making our netagan accountable. Alas, successive Governments of all hues and ideologies have been equally guilty of playing truant and fooling the people.  

The last one heard of it was three years ago. The Union Cabinet, presided over by Manmohan Singh, then took it up for consideration. But nothing came of it as the Cabinet was divided. A few favoured it. Most others sought tongue-in-cheek clarifications. Some simply trashed it as useless. The main stumbling block? Should the Prime Minister be included in its purview. Predictably, the draft Bill was referred to a Group of Ministers. And it remains there till date. Dumped and conveniently forgotten!

Early this year, amidst a slew of scandals, the Government once again talked about introducing a liberal dose of “Ethics in Governance”. The institution of the Lok Pal was suddenly rediscovered, when the Administrative Reforms Commission, headed by Veerappa Moily, senior Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister, pushed for  the eagerly awaited Rashtriya Lokayukta at the Centre and in the States but excluding the Prime Minister once again from its ambit. Notwithstanding Manmohan Singh’s view that the PM too should come under the scanner.

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. Nowadays, they conveniently wash their hands off corruption by calling it a “systemic failure.” Or cursorily dismiss it as one of the ‘unlisted’ perks of their jobs. No, they are not kidding. In plain English, they are damn serious.  

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. Tragically, the downslide has been rapid. With every passing year and election, the barometer of corruption and immorality has steadily risen, wherein it no longer shocks or causes mass protests. Curse all to your hearts desire, but India’s majority has willy nilly come to lump it. Shrugged off as a price one has to pay for democracy.

Sadly, even an ongoing Gandhian Satyagraha, spearheaded by the Lok Sevak Sangh of the Servants of the People Society (founded by Lala Lajpat Rai and inaugurated by the Mahatma in 1921 at Lahore) at Raj Ghat since 19 August last against the failure of successive Governments to combat mounting corruption has left the polity unmoved. Not even the threat of indefinite fasts by satyagrahis aged between 70 and 90 years.

The satyagrahis have reason to protest and protest forcefully. Incredibly enough even letters to the Prime Minister over the past two years and more demanding eradication of political corruption and criminality failed to elicit any reply, leave alone  acknowledgement. What is more, their demands were not out of the blue. Many before them had suggested the same, time and again.

Briefly, they have been demanding immediate appointment of a Lok Pal with adequate powers. Secondly, disqualification of candidates with corrupt and criminal antecedents from contesting elections to Parliament and State Legislatures (as suggested by more than one Chief Election Commissioner). Lastly, forfeiture of illegally acquired property of public servants including Ministers, MPs and MLAs (suggested by the Law Commission of India).

Where does one go from here? How does one eradicate this scourge? There are many remedies if one is dead serious. For starters the Government could set up a Public Grievances Redressal System. Like the institution of Ombudsman, which is becoming a standard part of Government machinery the world over. Take Sweden. The Ombudsman functions as a watchdog over all public officials, including Ministers and has all the power to take action on a complaint. Denmark and New Zealand also offer appropriate models.

It could also look at several thought-provoking suggestions made by none less than the former Chief Vigilance Commissioner, N Vittal.  These include implementing the Benami Transaction Prohibition Act 1988 amending the Prevention of Money Laundering Bill to cover income tax, customs, excise and sales tax; enacting the Corrupt Public Servants (Forfeiture of Property) Act; amending the Income Tax Act on the principle of zero exemption.

The UPA and its leaders, especially Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chairman Sonia Gandhi, are clearly on test. With the next general election only 18 months away, and public anger growing by the day over spiraling prices and rising corruption, they need to watch out and get their act together. Their sincerity and credibility are on test as seldom before.  Are they serious about combating corruption or have they willy nilly surrendered shamelessly to horrendous corruption?

All in all, it is not enough for Manmohan Singh to issue fresh missives and crack the whip. He must follow it with ruthless action. Those colleagues who have amassed assets beyond their known means or do not file their returns must go, coalition or no coalition. Manmohan Singh needs to prove that he has the political will and courage to take tough decisions – and that he is not the “weakest Prime Minister” as repeatedly denounced by L K Advani.

Additionally, the Lok Pal Bill must be enacted soonest, preferably during Parliament’s winter session, beginning on Thursday, and the other two demands made by the Gandhian Satyagrahis conceded without further procrastination. The people at large are sick, damn sick of corruption and want the cleaning process to start from the top. They remember well the age-old saying: Yatha Raja, Tatha Praja. Else, the people will be justified in concluding that all talk of eradicating corruption by even a good man like Manmohan Singh is nothing more than shameless hypocrisy and a Himalayan humbug! ---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)