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Civil society in slumber, governance at its nadir
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Much cacophony is being raised on electoral and economic reforms. But there is deafening silence about delivering basic, honest and democratic governance to the parched millions of this country for which a massive government apparatus is being maintained and paid for by the sweat and toil of the common man.
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SOME TIME ago I wrote in these columns: "The country is slowly moving away from democracy towards a system of `kleptocracy' with politicians, for whom democracy is nothing but a tool to capture power and the licence to loot, at the centre of the orbit. Around them in the orbit are the civil servants, the police and even judges each feathering their own nest." Put in plain words `kleptocracy' was "government of the thieves, by the thieves, for the thieves." Some felt these remarks were rather harsh and things were not that bad after all. I was hoping so and had been looking around for encouraging signals for me to believe that `things were not bad after all.'
Then came the thunderbolt from Punjab in the form of the notorious Public Service Commission recruitment scandal. The Chairman of the PPSC had been blatantly crafting a kleptocratic system in Punjab for five years in full knowledge and connivance of the political, administrative and judicial leadership. He had put the state civil service, police and judicial appointments for open auction, selling key jobs to the highest bidder. Chairman of the Commission as a political appointee was at the centre of this despicable episode and `around him in orbit were top civil servants, policemen and judges.'
Now comes evidence of a `functioning kleptocracy' in the entire country from way back 1983, of stealing public property and distributing it as doles to kith and kin. The All-India LPG-petrol pumps scandal is nothing but naked manifestation of kleptocracy and both the principal political parties are busy confirming this in their daily statements and revelations.
'A low risk-high profit business'
The Punjab episode and the `LPG-petrol pump scam' are only two of the many instances of `kleptocracy' that has now become commonplace. The entire system of governance — political, civil, judicial and even military — is `in the market' for the highest bidder. Tickets for contesting MLA/MP elections are openly sold by the party bosses, Rajya Sabha nominations are grabbed by those `who can pay the price', almost every government job, posting, promotion, procurement or licence is on sale and appointments to higher judiciary are on quid pro quo arrangement. This has been going on for quite some time with hardly anyone raising a finger. Whether in cash or kind, one pays to become a licensee, a vendor, a legislator, a government official, a policeman or a judge. The Chief Vigilance Commissioner, N. Vittal, calls them "investments in a low risk-high profit business!" It is these corrupt and venal elements that govern the nation today providing a `government of the thieves, by the thieves.'
"Political interference" is the crude brush with which all this venality is being painted. But the fact is that it is the higher echelons of civil service, police and judiciary who are creatures of the Constitution charged with the responsibility of providing good, honest and just governance. For this purpose, Constitution gives these services special privileges and protection. Such protection is not available to the politicians. Neither did the founding fathers repose much faith in the political system to give fair governance. Yet today's civil servants and policemen cringe before politicians and do their bidding without demur. Quite a few judges are only too happy to be called upon to render service, obviously for hefty considerations. Over a period of time "political interference" had become a convenient jargon to cover the greed, corruption and insincerity of the civil servants and the police. Several judges have happily joined this jamboree. Constitutional protection to these services has made things worse since people have nowhere to go to seek redress.
Functioning of civil services and judiciary has reached such low depths that democracy in India is being replaced by kleptocracy in full public view with politicians and political parties becoming parasites and functioning as a law unto themselves. Civil servants and police have near totally succumbed to political thuggery, with some even facilitating it. Higher judiciary is busy acquitting corrupt and criminal bigwigs by stretching law to absurd limits. In the event, the corrupt and the venal are striding this land like colossus, dominating its political, administrative, judicial and business spectrum. Over the years while the good and the honest have shrunk, the corrupt and the venal loom larger than life mocking at the institutions and systems of democracy. These worthies have succeeded in reducing democracy to a choice between corruption and communalism with the party system virtually becoming a farce. Even this choice may vanish soon and people would be compelled to vote for corruption and communalism.
Silver lining
Unless the degeneration is halted the nation is bound to head towards unparalleled peril. Institutions that are bulwarks of democracy and decency in public life are either compromised or bulldozed. It is time for civil society to rise and assert itself if this nation is to be saved from its slide towards kleptocracy and its natural successor, fascism, which is not far away as recent events at the Centre and in some States have manifested. In this context the rousing initiative of the Punjab & Haryana High Court Bar Association to call the higher judiciary to order in the matter of the PPSC scandal and alleged involvement of some High Court judges, needs to be appreciated. Their assertion that "We are willing to go behind bars, but the truth must prevail," is worthy of praise. Combined efforts of the media and the Bar Association did result in the Chief Justice intervening in the matter and relieving the `suspect' judges of their duties and also admonish the Punjab Government for its clumsy effort to do some cover-up. This kind of silver linings could reverse the `kleptocratic' trend and put the nation back on the road to honest and good governance. For this to happen at the national level, civil society should come out of its deep slumber.
The political class has loudly proclaimed its intention to treat civil society and its institutions as dirt. There cannot be any other interpretation to the arrogance with which the ruling party at the Centre is pushing a sham of `Electoral Amendment Bill' totally ignoring several judgments given by the Supreme Court, recommendations made by the Election Commission and pleadings from numerous segments of the press and the people. Unwillingness to list out their crimes and assets while seeking electoral office or even to countenance EC scrutiny of ground realities to assess whether people could cast their votes in Gujarat are clear pointers that politicians are contesting elections only to grab `kleptocratic power' and not to be part of the democratic process.
While `kleptocracy' is rising, governance in the country has virtually reached its nadir. How else can one explain the monumental failure of the Gujarat Government during the earthquake and later its acquiescence in the `ethnic cleansing.' Or the horrendous phenomenon of half of India reeling under severe drought when the country had 12 successive normal monsoons! `Gruel centres', reminiscent of the Great Bengal Famine, in a State claiming to be a `leader' is clear evidence of miserable failure of governance. Or for that matter, it was total collapse of governance that recently brought India on the brink of war with potential disastrous consequences!
Much cacophony is being raised on electoral and economic reforms. But there is deafening silence about delivering basic, honest and democratic governance to the parched millions of this country for which a massive government apparatus is being maintained and paid for by the sweat and toil of the common man. Such governance will not happen unless civil society all over the country rise and mobilise and exert consistent and insistent pressure on the powers that be. Within the services — civil, police and judicial — there are good and sincere souls who would certainly rise with the civil society in combating the forces of kleptocracy. So let the movement begin and let leaders of civil society become catalysts to bring together the disparate groups working in an isolated manner and shape them into a force to be reckoned with. Only then the impending peril engulfing the nation could be kept at bay and then defeated. The Citizens Action Network (CAN) and Transparency International (TN Chapter) are striving to give such leadership and deserve all support from those who think of the nation more than themselves.
M.G. DEVASAHAYAM
Former Army and IAS officer
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