The rise of Kleptocracy in India
Samirkumar Mukhopadhyay
First Published : June, 2019
©
Samirkumar Mukhopadhyay All rights reserved
Publisher
Doshor Publication
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, circulated, and no reproduction in any form, in whole or in part (except for the brief quotations in critical articles or reviews) may be made without written permission of the publishers.
ISBN-978-81-939544-9-2
Rs. 250/-
Dedicated in memory of
Feroze Gandhi, An undaunted Fighter against Corruption
Foreword
On the one hand rampant corruption among the higher leadership of the State of India and mute and submission of the people on the other are the two main contrasting realities prevailing in Indian democracy to-day. But neither the independence movement was participated by millions of people with thousands of freedom fighters becoming martyrs, nor the country’s Constitution was framed to give birth to a top-to-bottom corrupt political system as it has come to stay to-day. What is most unfortunate is that Pt. Nehru, one of the leaders of the freedom movement and taking the leadership as the Prime Minister of the independent India, with his charismatic leadership qualities, as is usually claimed, could have at least proven his real ‘political will’ not to allow the new born State to lose its direction of progress into the quicksand of corruption. But instead virtually he himself supported corruption when he unhesitatingly stood by his close friend
V. K. Krishna Menon in independent India’s Jeep Scandal in 1948. This attitude of Nehru had its recurrence in Haridas Mundra’s LIC scam in 1958 and that brought about a virtual rift between Nehru and his son-in-law Feroze Gandhi. This dawned a new morning in independent India in the sense that a dissenting voice dared to be echoed within the four walls of the Parliament in presence of Nehru with a towering personality. Had the initial message from a leader like Nehru been a firm one against any form of distortion including, of course, corruption, then things might not have been as ridiculous at such a high speed as India has emerged to be by now.
Gradually the apparent ‘democratic’ polity of India has developed itself as paradise for money- makers. Under the politico-legal umbrella offered by the political leadership the big business houses, the government officials, the police, the musclemen all have taken shelter as fortune- makers in terms of wealth accumulation and that too obviously going beyond the legal barricades and social ethos. What is alarming is that the political leaderships of almost all parties, barring left parties, do not think of taking disciplinary steps against such practices of the party members. Point is, however, who is to bell the cat since the top leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, Mayabati, Jayalalithaa, Rajib Gandhi, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, Karunanidhi and many more are themselves alleged to have been involved in different illegal money-making processes.
One thing to be noted is that people for joining politics do not need any academic qualification, Ravri Devi being a case in point, no character certificate of keeping in tune with social ethos, no retirement age, no show cause at party levels against criminal or semi-criminal activities of any member, who so ever be, no compulsion of disclosing the sources of their asset-makings in a very short span or a long run of time. So where are we heading to? Only 2 days’ ‘patriotic’ parades do not really leave any impact on the people at large to ignite sense of love for the country. Showing picture of fluttering of national flag associated with national anthem is a sheer mockery on the part of the decision-makers. By now the Indian population has been made to turn into a lump of flesh, thanks to the political leaderships of almost all parties. It pains those few Indians entertaining real love and feelings for the country and respect for martyrs and fighters of freedom struggle. The author of the book has tried to touch a few major peaks of corruption that have engulfed Indian democracy to turn it into what Aristotle called ‘oligarchy’. One thing must be admitted that though individual incidents have been taken into deliberation but they are in no way exceptions to the system, but integral parts institutional network of the corruption-ridden Indian democracy.
Purpose of writing this book is to rouse awareness among the people as to representatives they elect are not worthy of running a healthy democratic polity. The masters of our political system mostly have offered crude indifference to the basic principles of the constitution which reads as follows.
“WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens :
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;
IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this
twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.”
It would not be an audacity for the author if he dares say that every nook and nook and corner of the constitution has been recklessly ravaged by the larger section of the politicians.
However, the present author is neither the first one nor is going to be the last one in dealing with the pernicious disease of corruption and criminality among the governors in the main leading to the debasement of the ethical and cultural foundation of the Indian political system. I convey my congratulations to ‘Doshor’ the publisher for taking initiative in publishing the book. I also convey my best greetings for press men and all others giving their earnest labour for quality and timely publication of the book. I also thank all my well wishers who encouraged me for writing the book. I will be happy if the erudite readers convey their considered observations on reading the book to the publisher of the book.
Samir Mukherjee
BUY NOW
