POLITICIANS' CREDIBLITY IN QUESTION!

Amazingly for the last several years, specially in the last two years, the entire systems of the union and state governments are paralysed. Instead of initiating welfare measures both the state and union governments are more engaged in salvaging the situation going bad to worse. Entire system is in the grip of corruption right from Kanya Kumar to Himalayas in the country. Politicians of all hues in "name of democratic system" have created worse situation, drawing a big question mark over their "credibility"! There are serious erosion in the morality of political class and politics seems to have taken shape of "business" in India!Corruption added and abated by political class in connivance with pliable bureaucracy has embedded deep in every spheres of life. 'Misdemeanour and manoeuvres among all class of politicians" came to light in indulging in corruption and encouraging corrupt practices. Result: Chain of reactions in the form of agitations by people , specially "white  collared middle class"led by Anna Hazare for strict law of Lok Pal to end the corruption menace. Initially the movement against corruption was highlighted and launched by Yoga Guru Swami Ram Dev for the last two and half years was hijacked by Anna Hazare and because of lack of competence in RamDev, the movement under the leadership of Anna Hazare has taken a definite shape and it appears that something will definitely come out this time keeping in view the strong support of the movement to Anna in the country.

It all started with unearthing of scams like "two G spectrum "and loot of crores of rupees in the allotment of speturm licences by the successive union telecommunication ministers including latest one Raja, who is facing charges in scandal of allotment of "two-G spectrum" and is languishing in jail. Thereafter, corruption stories came to light in Karnataka, being ruled by BJP (for the first time in south India). B S Yeddyurappa, the then chief minister of Karnataka, now he has resigned, was indicted by the former Lokayukta of Karnataka, Justice N. Santosh Hegde for "illegal iron ore mining", to the tune of crores of rupees by Yedduyurappa in connivance with officials of the state government. Hegde recommended launching of criminal cases against Yedyurappa and others for his "misdeeds" in siphoning crores of rupees of state exchequer. Final blow of action against Yeddu came after the final report of Hegde and he reluctantly resigned from the chief minister post and criminal cases have been instituted against him.

Subsequently, the issues of corrupt practices spread like virus fever throughout the country and chief ministers of almost all states are in the grip of charges of corruption. To begin with subsequent event- I want to begin with  corrupt practices coming to fore in Bihar!The NDA government, comprising of BJP and JD(U), led by Nitish Kumrar , in its earlier five years tenure, was usually called"probity in governance", started crumbling under the weight of corrupt practices in later stage. Now there are several instances of misappropriation of funds and favouritism against the Nitish government have come to surface, puncturing the claim of "good governance of Nitish Kumar". Huge misappropriation of fund was unearthed in the reports of Comptroller and Auditor General of ndia (CAG). The report of the CAG has revealed that the state government officials have failed to submit proper accounts for funds withdrawn from state exchequer, totalling over crores of rupees, meant for developmental activities. Cases of favouritism in Bihar Industrial areas development authority (BIADA)'s land allotment have come to the notice recently. Interestingly, BIAD lands have been allotted to close relatives and close men of ministers of Nitish government  and IAS official close to Nitish Kumar including P K Shahi, Praveen Amanullah JD(U) MP, Jagdish Sharma, BJP MLC Awadhesh Narayan Singh and IAS officials, close to Nitish Kumar including S Siddhartha, secretary to CM Nitish Kumar, and another IAS official Anand Kishore, IG-Prison. came to surface recently. These close relatives and close friends of officials have been allotted 10, 000 square feet to ten acres of land  to them in different parts of the state to set up food processing units, cement factories, educational institutions and hospitals etc. Legally, the Biada claims that allotment have been made on "first come -first serve basis" but the procedures in hsate raise question mark over the sincerity of BIADA and Nitish  government. Notwithstanding Nitish Kumar has said that BIADA land allotment is being made mountain out of mole, at the same time" Mr Clean Nitish" has also informed that other other democratic institutions are free to look into the entire matter and no body will be spared if found guilty in the wake of demands of general public as well as opposition to enquire into the matter by the CBI. THE CAG observation with regards to development fund expenditure has revealed that the officials have failed to submit detailed contentment bills for money withdrawn by state officials against abstract contingency bills involves a cumulative amount of over Rs 67,000 crore.Even the single bench of Patna High court had ordered CBI enquiry into the matter of CAG, brought to the notice by PIL by one advocate Dinu Kumar-the order of the court has been stayed by double bench and final verdict is yet to come when the judges of Patna high court are badly divided pro and against Nitish Kumar!

Issue of corruption is not different in Uttar Pradesh led by Mayawati..UP IAS Officers association has made startling disclosure and politicall observer Indu Bhusjhan Singh have disclosed that a CAG report has disclosed as many as 68 departments of state government in connection with rampant corruption and misuse of government funds. In a  single case , the CAG has revealed, National rural health mission fund, totalling over Rs 8,600 crore spent on the NRHM scam in the last five years have been in majority cases have been misappropriated.These are the just a tip in the iceberg about gbobbling up of public funds by Mayawati government officials in collusion with political class. Land have been acquired for development and sold to builders to construct shopping malls and apartments by Mayawati government! Similar   are the cases in Gujarat, Maharashtra,  Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadiu etc in looting public funds  and lands by political class in connivance with government officials. Not only that black money to the tune of hundreds of lakhs of rupees are stashed in foreign banks and foreign countries of rich and elite classes as well as capitalists ts and politicians . No effective measures are being taken to retrieve those money! 1nOrrisa  and Chhatishgarh alone, the flood of foreign capitals have taken alarming proportion and poor and tribal are being deprived of their land and houses in forest areas in the name of setting up big industries and power plants..Change of money in hundreds of crore rupees among political class are not being ruled out!,

In Chhatshigarh, Orrisa, Bihar etc the respective state governments are up in arms against Naxalites. Instead of taking effective measures for initiating development activities, these government  on its own and on provocation of union government are spreading violence against violence in the form of recruiting special police officials and starting and launching tirade against poor and tribal. Naxallites are not against democracy but they are for change in system of police and rich people terror against poor and tribal. Result: Naxal activities are increasing leaps and bound in many states and they are spreading their network in urban areas also, giving a dangerous signals.

Amid all these hullah-bullah, the union government has broughtt weak Lokpal Bill , ignoring the suggestions of Anna Hazare and company. Prashant Patnaik has written an article in the Frontline, a Madras based fofortnightly and has said that the steep rise in corruption is due to the change in property regime brought about by freeing of markets and privatisation drive. The struggle against corruption is important but insufficient since it looks at corruption in isolation from primitive accumulation . A powerful popular resistance alone can provide a bulwark for democracy, the Frontline article says.

Initially, the union government, which now stresses that Parliament alone  is entitled to enact legislation on Lok Pal bill, had failed to identify opposition while holding discussions and deliberations with Anna Hazare  and company over the form of bill despite vehement suggestions by many politicians and legal pundits. The government ignored the opposition  political class and later it also ignored Anna Hazare and company suggestions for an effective Lok Pal bill. And of its own placed a Lok Pal bill, of which Frontline has described in its column, "Crusade and Farce", written by V Kenktesan, and has said, "The government's bill not only has provisions designed to shield the corrupt, but its statement objects does not even explain why allegation against only certain public functionaries will be probed-hence prospect for smooth passage of the Lokpal Bill looks dim, mainly because of divergence of opinion."

Any way , Now the Anna 's agitation for an effective Lokpal Bill and subsequent public protests have put the  union government and prime minister Manmohan Singh in dock. Support of public to Anna against public crusade against corruption is gaining momentum. Entire Manmohan singh government machinery is paralysed and general people, particularly urban middle class , have become outraged to press the union government to toe Anna's line on the bill. In the process, the constitutional right of Anna to hold agitation and hunger strike  and union government's action to put restriction on Anna and put him behind bar have also outraged the people-and they are protesting the action of union government throughout the country although majority of people living in rural areas are silent Let us hope for the best to end the corruption virus in the country.