The difference has started showing within two
days. For the first time in the history of the republic, we have a Prime
Minister who plays on the front foot, who has clarity on the direction the
country should take and the measures that would need to be taken to propel the
nation towards prosperity and development.
Inviting the heads of SAARC nations for the
historic swearing in served twin purposes – first to convey the message that the country wants good relations
with its neighbors and second that India is emerging into a nation that cannot
be messed around with. Our heads swell with pride at the bold assertion of the
nation’s sovereignty and self respect.
The setting up of a special investigation team
for bringing back black money stashed in safe havens abroad clearly shows the
will of the new government to eradicate corrupt practices. The missive in the
form of an advisory to the members of his cabinet to abstain from nepotism in
all their dealings and also not to splurge on improving offices and residences
is akin to long awaited music to the ears.
His message is loud and clear. Gone are the
days when we had a reactive chief executive, we are now in an era where the top
guy knows what needs to be achieved, how it needs to be achieved and believes that
the conduct of those in the business of governance has to be exemplary and
above board. The conduct of the government in the first two days gives me ample
confidence that the slogan “Acche din aane wale hain” was not merely an
exercise in creating a feel good factor.
I am absolutely certain that the message would also have traveled right across the bureaucratic spectrum and would be giving
shivers in the spine of the corrupt, especially those who were brazenly
indulging in corrupt practices and also exploitation of the government
machinery for their personal gains. Yet fixing the bureaucrats would indeed be
as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack given the chameleon like traits
that are widely prevalent in this tribe. Most of the tainted bureaucrats would
have already dumped their old masters and would be busy attempting to attach
themselves to the new guy in the chair.
The last ten years in the life of this nation
displayed the worst that is possible to showcase in the arena of governance. The
series of scams – with CWG taking the cake for brazen corruption and
accompanied by the likes of 2G, 3G, Coalgate, Railgate, Chara and Adarsh to
name a few had jolted the collective conscience of the nation. Open corruption
at apex levels inspired the hoi polloi also to partake of the loot whenever
they found an opportunity. It is indeed sad that our nation had emerged as an
entity where each and every single interaction of the ruler and the ruled was
invariably laced with graft. Apparently the book on ethics was thrown out of
the window at the first opportunity.
Corruption is an issue, the biggest issue that
now stares at this nation, yet it is merely a symptom of a much deeper malaise
in governance, in the complexity of our decision making and contractual
processes. Why a system designed for the british to rule over Indians is being
continued even after sixty seven years of self rule, I wonder? The large number of
thumb impressions that are required both for decision making as well as contracting
provide a convenient shroud for the corrupt as well as the waster, and unless
this realization dawns in, the republic would never get cleansed of this
malaise.
Yet for the first time, we the people of India
have great expectations, that have a fair chance of being realized and therein
lies the ray of hope, the first ray of a rising sun that has started falling on
this land, mercifully.
