Corruption: On The Cusp Of Change……Ajay Shankar
There is finally a possibility that the country’s politics and governance will be cleaned up
There is finally a possibility that the country’s politics and governance will be cleaned up
Premchand’s classic description about a hundred years back of a petty government official having a salary which,like the full moon,progressively shrinks to finally disappear as the days pass,supplemented by the real ‘other’income which is like a flowing stream and takes care of needs as they arise,comes to mind as corruption has dominated public attention in recent months.A slightly longer historical perspective is useful at times!
The legacy of the Raj has been so strong that for ordinary citizens,the sense that government is ours and will do what we want is still to become sufficiently widespread,though progress has been remarkable.The decades of faith in the efficacy of bureaucratic micromanagement of the economy and increasing state intervention led to a rapid increase in ‘rent seeking behaviour’,a euphemism for corruption.The prevailing environment of extreme scarcity heightened these tendencies.As individuals sought material advancement in an economic environment which offered few real opportunities,a strange contradiction emerged between the formal discourse of the ‘public good’ and the informal one centred on ‘private profit’.
As political participation became more inclusive across parties and as merit-based recruitment for government positions with reservations to further social justice grew there occurred the process of what can be best described as the democratisation of corruption.New political cadre and new government employees from hitherto unrepresented social strata could all benefit from corruption.Corruption began to acquire a constituency.As using political power for the larger public good was difficult,why not also use it for private profit which was easier.In any case,there was the compulsion of raising resources for political activity in a poor developing economy.Aggressive identity politics could provide electoral stability even with unabashed private rent seeking behaviour.If all are corrupt,why single out any one.
Every now and then,there would be a popular backlash against corruption both at the central level and in the states.Opposition parties would use the issue to the maximum.There would be changes in government following elections where corruption would be the major issue.High-profile cases would be registered and some dramatic arrests would be made.Then,the dust would settle and it would be back to business as usual.
Is it going to be the same this time or has something really changed which should warrant optimism In democracies,changes are slow and incremental but at some stage an inflexion point is reached and a qualitative transformation begins which over time has a revolutionary impact.One such inflexion point was reached with the licence permit raj approach to the economy.
Since then,liberalisation has increased and become irreversible.As state monopolies have ended and scarcity has given way to competition,ordinary people have not only benefited but have also seen the withering away of corruption in these areas.Increasing entrepreneurial freedom has transformed India and given hope that with sustained 8% to 10% growth,the battle against poverty could finally be won.
Sustained economic growth of over 8% for almost 10 years,political inclusiveness,the information revolution,the confidence of the young in their right and ability to make a better future have all brought India to another inflexion point.The ordinary people have seen the limits of identity politics and are getting increasingly angry at the price they are paying for pervasive corruption.
A free,competitive and vibrant media,the impact of the RTI,and dedicated NGOs have acquired a critical mass.These forces will only gain in strength.Political cadre and government servants will find it increasingly difficult to escape scrutiny.Even the higher judiciary is finding itself being called to account for the first time.The pressure is to liberate India from corruption.Political leaders would find it to their advantage to be on the right side of this historical transformation as can be seen from the public response to even the perception of not acting quickly enough against corruption.
Progress in the struggle against corruption will need simultaneous policy effort at both the macro and micro levels.The core strategy for both has already been evolved and seen to have worked.At the macro level,liberalisation has greatly narrowed the scope of corruption.While further liberalisation would help,the government may still be required to take decisions with large implications for economic players.A consensus on the right and fair way forward through transparent stakeholder consultation in such situations would be invaluable.
At the micro level,IT has already worked wonders for,say,railway reservations.The rollout of e-governance with independent oversight and audit mechanisms would make a huge dent in petty corruption.Political parties also need to seriously address the issue of political funding.Political activity is a public good and needs transparent funding mechanisms which are fair and equitable.Practices elsewhere need to be studied and discussed.
The experiences of other democracies have shown the arrival of similar inflexion points of qualitative transformation with regard to corruption.India is on the verge of one.The challenge is to move forward speedily with bipartisan consensus and to generate confidence and optimism.The process would then be irreversible.
The writer is a former secretary of industries.
* Empty speeches are no longer enough;the people want answers