The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) had assured, on national television, a report on the Commonwealth Games investigation within 90 days. After all, they said, time is of the essence in such investigations. That deadline passed on January 18, 2011.
There is no report yet. And it is not coming anytime soon. Many of you will shrug your shoulders and say "So? We knew that? Were you stupid enough to take that deadline seriously?" It is true, i was stupid. Some of us in the country are stupid. Stupid enough to care. Stupid enough to think that politicians are here to service society. That leaders are accountable and, if in the wrong, will be tried and punished just like an ordinary citizen.
Yet, nobody powerful gets convicted unless there is a stroke of luck or his powerful enemies bring him down. The CAG is either under-resourced or lazy or scared to take on the big guns, or maybe all of these together. The CBI is no different. A CBI raid on politicians equates to some CBI officials coming over to your residence for a cup of tea. Offer them plum transfers and the CBI guys might even make the tea for you.
Contrast this with China where the punishment for the corrupt can be death by firing squad. Not only that, the family of the convict gets a bill for the bullets, just to emphasise the point that no one steals the nation's money. This, in what is not a democracy.
There are two reasons our leaders roam scot-free despite all their crimes. I call it the King and Robin Hood system. First, our leaders are like little kings. They are elected but they are not accountable. Just like erstwhile kings, once in power, they are free to use the kingdom to their advantage. The laws are meant for the common people, not for them. Yes, our kings keep changing through the election process. However, whosoever gets the seat is free to raid the republic. We are not a democracy; the more apt name would be kingocracy. And our politicians being tried, punished and made to bring their money back from Switzerland would not be very king-like at all.
The second reason is the Robin Hood factor. Robin Hood stole from the rich and distributed to the poor. This led him to acquire heroism despite being an outlaw. In the same way, our little kings cultivate their constituencies like Robin Hoods. Especially within their caste or community support base, they are local heroes. They could distribute anything from free televisions to alcohol to get votes. In fact, they don't even have to distribute much, as people love them anyway. They are often local icons for a particular caste or region, being the big guys who made it.
When A Raja landed in Tamil Nadu after his resignation, hundreds of fans mobbed him at the airport. In Karnataka, B S Yeddyurappa continues to be backed by Lingayats. We know there are still people who will vote for Suresh Kalmadi or Ashok Chavan. Why does that happen? In a country where common people's lives border on the pathetic - half the population doesn't have electricity or clean drinking water - just seeing one of your own doing well can be uplifting. It works as Bollywood stars work, relatable yet aspirational at the same time.
Similarly, a voter thinks - look at that senior minister, he is from my caste, speaks my language and his village is near my own. I am his fan! With such an emotional bond, even the biggest revelations of corruption become highly irrelevant. In fact, they threaten the hero-fan relationship. Thus, misdemeanours are often ignored. Robin Hood continues to enjoy support, steals massive amounts at the top, and offers little more than small freebies and a chance to be a fan down below.
Thus, the king overpowers the weak laws and the Robin Hood continues to keep his support. The looting never stops. How do we fix this?
Frankly, it isn't easy. Most of India doesn't know the concept of the politician being a service provider, not a king. Awareness programmes explaining democracy need to come first before, say, programmes asking people to go out and vote.
Next, we citizens must demand an independent, constitutional authority that can prosecute the kings. It can be an offshoot of the judiciary, but whatever it is, the top guy cannot be under a politician's control. This is the number one priority if we have to have any hope of killing corruption. This requires all the politicians to come together, in a non-partisan manner, and pass new laws that actually reduce their unchecked powers.
Of course, it is tough. However, if people demand it, and make it a bigger election issue than, say, religion and caste, it can happen. If not, prepare for even bigger scams. India needs new forefathers, the few genuine leaders who will put forward the principles and systems of a new, modern India. Otherwise, this old King and Robin Hood system will continue to rob India under the watchful but impotent eye of the CBI and the CAG. Now will someone complete their homework and at least do that report please?
