Scam fever

As 2010 flew by, we were left reflecting on what has been a year of scams . From the 2G to the CWG, we've been overwhelmed with reports of public money being looted for very private purposes by individuals in power. Here are some inferences that I made from all that I saw, unfolding in front of us.

1. The unveiling of the Radia tapes have shown the power that corporate giants possess in shaping political policy in our country. From influencing gas prices to fixing journalists' salaries, corporates seem to have their hand in every pie.

2. The tapes that contain conversations with eminent journalists are something of a revelation.We can go on endlessly about whether Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi(two very talented journos) crossed an ethical line during their chats with Nira Radia. But the more important debate I feel is the one where we discuss where the line should be drawn. The media, which portrays itself to be the watchdog of the public, has some serious introspection to do.

3. If the Kashmir situation was not bad enough, the army has further tainted it's image after several of the top brass(along with prominent politicians from Maharashtra) were found out siphoning houses in the Adarsh society, a building meant for the widows of the Kargil war. The ease at which all the people who could have exposed the scam were bought off is a view into the mindset of all government officials in our country and how easily they were made to bend over.

4. Though the congress is under fire for running a corrupt government and letting happen so many scams during its reign, I don't think corruption is so much a congress issue or a BJP issue as it is an Indian issue. From the time this nation was formed, people who have been in power and have had the opportunity to loot the taxpayers have almost always done so. Corruption is more a societal problem than a political one. We, as Indians need a serious mentality makeover.

5. Anyone who is ever accused of wrongdoing in our country, simply does not own up to what he did. There is no question of coming clean and admitting "Ok I screwed up and I'm sorry!". The knee-jerk reaction of anyone caught in the act is to damage the credibility of whoever is accusing him. You can steal crores and crores of money and make it look like the guy who found you out is and incredulous and untrustworthy scoundrel.

6. Corruption, unfortunately does not end with just money going into the wrong hands. The major implications of being a corrupt state are a serious drop in national security(case in point: Substandard bullet proof vests worn by Mr.Karkare and his team), a loss in reputation that will take decades to earn back and a drop in foreign investments, something which a large section of our middle class depends on. We are exposing ourselves greatly to our enemies and they will not hesitate to strike us down when they sense that we are weak.

Kashmir...

Well, I find myself having a lot of time on my hands and a lot of thoughts in my head. When this happens I suppose it is the most natural thing in the world to start a blog.. and so I have.

This being the first post, I thought I desperately need to vomit out what I have seen, heard and what I feel on India's most disputed piece of real estate,Kashmir(whether it is really India's or not is a debate for another day).

Having not travelled any further north of India than Delhi, these views of mine are purely based on what I have seen, heard and read on TV , newspapers,websites and some blogs. It is prudent to start off by giving a quick background of the situation in the valley. The Indian armed forces currently are placed throughout the valley in a measure to curb the unrest that has plagued the state since independence . The Kashmiris take up stone pelting as a form of protest against the army and the police for their alleged atrocities of rape and torture against the muslims that reside in Kashmir. Further adding fuel to the already blazing fire is the coming to the fore of militant elements(who may or may not be from across the border) , which are recruiting young men/women into making a societal struggle into a Jihadi one. The trust deficit between the common Kashmiri and the Republic of India grows everyday.

It is obvious to note that there are several intertwined issues constituting this problem ,the sum of which is a deadly Indian cocktail (religion + politics )in the mind of the Kashmiri adding to his/her anger(and confusion) over the atrocities being committed in the region. The latest judicial committee constituted has its work cut out separating the strands and understanding each issue in its entirety , which is the only way of coming up with anything that will remotely resemble a solution. Obviously , this is much easier said than done and any remedy will have to be holistic taking into account corrupt politicians, tons of bureaucratic red tape not to mention chargesheeting senior army officials who have let happen unpardonable acts of shame by men within their ranks.

From what I have read on various blogs/websites, the debate is a fiery one taking place over who hit whom first, who started the fight and who the actual victim is. This is something that will continue for a long time and I suppose that in a democracy,we should be happy that so many people seem to have a strong opinion that they are willing to advocate ,albeit on a forum that maintains their anonymity. My only feeling is this, there have been so many blows dealt that it doesn't matter any more, who was the first provoker. Yes, my views are naive and yes, the issue is more complex than just two players hitting each other but the point I am trying to make is that forgiveness is the only way forward. Once the esteemed panel comes to an understanding as to what the exact issues are that plague the state, the government will need to act quickly creating an atmosphere where even top officials are held accountable for their follies and the common Kashmiri can feel that he can get justice. Only when the common man feels that there is a govt. working for him will he reject these militants' ideas and send them scurrying back into the hole from where they came. Militancy is a natural by-product of the failure of governance.

To sum it all up, the only way to bring normalcy to Kashmir is for the government to show its hand, come clean and issue an unquestionable pardon to every Kashmiri asking him/her to come to the table once the core issues are recognised. In this regard, the government will need to go the whole distance instead of expecting the separatist elements to come half way. Seeing the quality of politicians that exist today(both from the government and the opposition), I don't think we can expect a solution any time soon.