The Sleeping Republic

Walking along the outer circle of the Connaught Place on the sixty third anniversary of the republic day, I could not help wonder why it still resembled the remnants of a bombed out place, despite the (in)famous common wealth games being over more than two years ago. While one appreciates that the rampant loot during the games ensured the failure of the attempts to revive the glory of the round market place named after the duke of Connaught, what one is unable to fathom is the inability of the city government to finish the job even after a lapse of over two years, despite repeated promises made by none other than the chief minister of Delhi.

With half hearted restoration efforts having been launched almost two years before the games began the time period that has since elapsed is exactly equal to what it took to build the market place from scratch during the period 1929 to 1933, almost eighty years ago. The Duke of Connaught would indeed be turning in his grave at the plight of the place named after him.

Eighty years of nothingness! And what a downfall and that is what saddens the heart of every nationalist who still walks on the soil of the nation that was once regarded as the richest in the world in terms of wealth, culture and civilization.

A nation brought to its knees by its very own government elected by its own constituents and what does it indicate? Perhaps our inability towards self rule, otherwise why should one witness, day in and day out rank incompetence in almost every sector of governance, irrespective of the party in power. The rampant loot that the politicos and bureaucrats indulged into during the commonwealth games, that otherwise should have been an occasion of national pride is ample evidence of our inability to govern our own nation. Beggars on the street, abject poverty, lack of basic infrastructure, rampant corruption and lack of value systems in the society at large are symptoms of a nation that is yet to arrive on the world scene.

That mere consumer goods and a glamorous parade on the Rajpath does not make a nation is what all of us have yet to learn to appreciate. We also have to realize that mere criticism would not take us forward and the only way ahead lies in all of us setting an example in delivery and value systems irrespective of the rot that one witnesses all around.

Long live the Republic!

The season of scams

It is an extended season of scams with the latest “toothpaste” variety literally taking the cake. The race for distinction started with the games when even footpaths and racetracks literally transformed themselves into mints.  The 2G, NRHM and the ideal scam (adarsh) followed with the ideal setting new peaks with the high and mighty literally usurping the rights of those who laid their lives for the nation.  And there have been many more and tempered by age and the sheer numbers, my memory is not able to keep pace.

The only good thing about the scams is that they have not been petty and the figures have never fallen foul of a couple of tens of thousands of crores. Yes, it appears that the nation has indeed made it to the big league and shall never again be found wanting if ever nations are ranked on the basis of “moolah” made by those who sit on the roof.

And why not? Corruption is now our national fabric and why single out the high and mighty? Petty corruption has almost engulfed the nation and no service or sector has been left untouched.  Any business with the sarkar at any level, cutting across sectors and shades of governance is invariably tainted by the customary greasing of palms.

Even definitions have changed. Corrupt is either the one who rakes in the moolah yet never delivers or who charges rates beyond the established norms. Gone are the days when government service was a noble means to serve the society, now it is simply a lifestyle. Gone are those youngsters who joined service with bubbly enthusiasm and loads of principles. Now what the start-ups look forward to are loads of “moolah” and bubbly lifestyles. What a change in the last two or maybe three decades.

Corruption of the professional kind is not even blinked at. Highly damaging, yet it does not invite even raised eyebrows and that is indeed a cause for concern. The entire fabric has become so corrupted that it is almost an impossibility for any one, within or outside the system to be able to deal with the system in a straight way. And yet the masters, both political and bureaucratic merely skirt the most important issue plaguing the nation in favor of the ordinary and the mundane, and that too merely to give a semblance of earning their salaries.

So why blame the top alone. It is almost like the kettle blaming the pot and this game shall continue unblemished till the time the system does not change the way decisions are taken and contracts are entered into. Unfortunately the realization that the rabid complexity of the tantra has led to low deliverance and demise of value based systems has not yet dawned on the powers that be.

Amen!

Digging into the common wealth

And why not? It is common wealth and so all those who are a part of the CWG, directly or indirectly consider it to be their right to partake of it freely and merrily.

I am not surprised at the fact that there is corruption in the organizing of the CWG. I am however amazed at the sheer extent of it. India has set new records in the sport of corruption, whether it is able to set any new records in the games or not is a different matter. I am now firmly convinced that our prowess to indulge in corruption is much greater than that for genuine sporting events.

I recently had the occasion to attend one of the CWG dinners, ostensibly in the honor of visiting security personnel. Disgusted is a mild word to express what I really felt during the party. It was shameful to witness senior politicians attired in white kurta pajama dancing with scotch glasses in hand. If such is the character of the powers to be, the loot that is happening in the name of CWG is perfectly understandable.

CWG was meant to be an event of national pride. Rather it is emerging as an event of national shame. Till now only natural calamities were regarded as a bonanza for local officials and politicians. Now it appears that sporting events have overtaken natural calamities as they provide a much bigger canvas for extensive loot. How the hell can the nation and its citizens accept and condone the blatant loot of national wealth in the garb of CWG. And why should we? After all it is the taxpayers money, not the personal wealth of a couple of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats.

From newspapers reports it appears that the national govt has put its foot down in the matter of hosting the Asian Games. I hope it does the same for Olympics also, which if organized in India would enable a much grander loot of the national wealth by the corrupt. Their future dreams now lie shattered.

Till very recently I could not understand why a nation that has miserably failed in providing even basic necessities of life like water, electricity, sanitation and housing to its citizens, even in its own capital, should indulge in such transient extravaganzas. The recent reports in the media has perhaps provided all the answers.