Starting from the morning tea, the newspapers that constantly get dazzled with corruption scandals, to the dinner at the late dining table, we, especially the educated middle class, seem not to get rid of one question: why isn’t corruption going away? Why is a reasonable, universal and progressing demand for a corrupt-free society so difficult to achieve in India? This question virtually baffles everyone in a way or the other. The desperation increased after the results of the last assembly elections in states like Karnataka and Assam. The Congress went to the polls despite pulling out all the sophisticated scams and allegations, both in Assam and Karnataka. In most parts of the civilized world, such scams at election time would render the party untouchable. And yet, the Congress won, here, in our India. Perplexed, the educated class comes up with high tech theories like “Indians are not secular” or “most voters are dumb and vote for their legacies”. None of this is true. The Indian voter is rational. However, he is rational within his own domain and not yours. It is important to grasp the situation and social context of the people under which they choose to vote.
Is there any doubt that no one likes corruption except from the ones involved? I suppose, no. At one level everybody wants to remove corruption. Every Indian would like a clean society. However, unfortunately, not every Indian feels that it is the number one priority. For a lot of Indians, especially the class whom we believe to be “stupid voters”, corruption doesn`t determine their voting behavior. Removing corruption is important to them. However, it is not as important as, say, one or more of these motives: 1) Assuring themselves some free grains promised by illusionist ideas like the Food Security Bill; 2) Getting some blankets or asbestos to shelter particularly at the eve of elections; 3) Obtaining some instant gratification from politicians at voting time; 4) Obtaining a regular salary from their corrupt government which used to be a fancy part of their dreams some 15 years back; 5) Feeling safe in the society and the list goes on.The real time clever politicians understand this. They work to deliver on these promises and in return, are allowed to be corrupt, unconditionally, by the voters.
By the way this is not a universal generalization, in fact, the situation is changing, however, still not being a determinant factor. There are Muslim voters or lower-caste voters who want corruption removed more than anything else. However, a lot of Muslims also vote to feel safe (hence they may avoid voting BJP) or say, some Muslims still being unsecured with regional parties like AGP in Assam which was formed on the basis of lingo-religious difference playing the safe game; same is the case with Hindus somewhere else. Similarly, many lower-caste voters may feel happy to see their community’s candidate in power, as it makes life seem a little safer after generations of oppression. With such conflicting agendas, the issue of corruption gets hazy. Thus, a corrupt party can enjoy power as long as it keeps the oppressed classes happy. Every party knows this, thus almost every party is corrupt to varying degrees.
One more deciding factor is our tormenting past. When it comes to voting, a majority of people have no choice but to analyze their situation with that of their past. When a person goes out to vote for a party, say in 2014, he sees himself in a situation in 2009 or even before; thereby feeling happy about the hundreds of kilometers that the roads have covered recently, he sees the increment in his salary and of course he becomes optimistic with the government when he thinks about the bridge that has been constructed recently which, some years back he had to cross by swimming the river backs across. Thus the corruptions that were involved in the building of the same roads, the same bridge or the increment in salary eventually get clouded. What the people see is the development with respect to the undeveloped situation that prevailed in their past and not with respect to the developed nations which starting from the same economic base like India have triggered growth even beyond the imaginations of many Indians today; and that too within the last 6 decades. And sadly enough, we are still very poor. But that hardly matters for our voters as long as we are improving being in the domain of poor. We, apart from the people who have studied a little or a few that have been privileged enough to travel, have hardly seen Japan or China or say South Korea, who used to share the same devastated economic status like India and Pakistan during the 1950s, yet being one of the countries with highest per capita income in today’s world. But who cares? We are going up the gradient, aren’t we? Although the slope might be close to zero but that hardly matters. What matters more is the revenge of the oppressed. Despite the consistent struggle of a selected class of people against corruption, the oppressed won’t let it happen so easily. They do want to remove corruption, but what they want more is the injustice and other scores settled that protect their own community and thereby virtually their rights and liberties. For this, they send agents to power, who might loot the nation, but protect them and even share the booty through the occasional handout.
So, how long will it continue? Well, it will continue until we decide on setting aside the differences for a while. The upper-castes, upper-classes have to let go of their bigotry and prejudice and at the same time, the oppressed have to let go of their justified, but expensive urge for revenge and retribution.We don’t urge to be a nation of dumb voters. And so, we can remove corruption. But removing it will require “It” to be made the number one priority for all Indians. It is a secular issue; and removing it will help everyone. If we could be united in throwing out the British, oh sorry, we were not actually; well the after-independence-cross borders-battles then? You still doubt? Then what else should I say? I must then admit our unity in keep alive poverty, in keeping alive our differences due to caste, creed, religion and language. So here you agree. If it is so, why can’t we be united in throwing them apart, in destroying these prejudices thereby getting united at least for a noble cause, although I understand the pain in destroying things that we have created with our own hands, that too with decade’s effort? But the need of the hour is our unity and if we neglect like we have always, we would continue to suffer like we have always. Choice is yours! Remember, the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.
