Politics of Corruption—The Democratic Angle!

Article first published as Politics of Corruption: The Democratic Angle on Technorati.

In a democracy power is always decentralized—from the highest level of the Prime Minister to the grass-root level of a village chieftain. So in a similar way corruption has to get decentralized too specifically at every level.

The village chief enjoys lot of powers to take decisions, settle disputes and negotiate for development projects. If, in the process, s/he takes bribes or bribes someone the higher authority at the district level cannot necessarily be implicated criminally in that corruption. A local boss at a town office similarly enjoys absolute discretionary powers in regard to his/her office. Now, if s/he indulges in corrupt deals the town chief or the district collector cannot necessarily be held criminally responsible. Accordingly, the chief minister of a state cannot necessarily be implicated criminally if the collector creates scams and scandals.

So, if local authorities wield so much power one can well imagine what a minister of a state or of a country can do. This becomes basically a power to be corrupt and it may or may not be a racket reaching the top. An endless stream of corrupt power-groups thrive democratically and any fight against corruption could get diluted in the process of making charges and allegations creating an equally never-ending stream of court cases, pleas, litigation and unrest. The problem here is that nobody can be conclusive about it. Politics has to naturally take over from hereon...

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India Win First in Australia—Cricket Loses Big Money at Home!

We have been used to beholding ‘Sahara India’ on the bluish uniforms of Indian cricketers in one-day and T20 games for over a decade now. It has almost acquired a patriotic fervor when Team India plays against international teams. Now, you shall not behold any more! Sahara has decided today to dissociate from cricket sponsorship after a series of disagreements with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It is poised to aggravate Indian cricket which is already on a low after the Indian team’s disastrous overseas tours. Most significantly, it means a huge loss of money for the cash rich BCCI. 

Yesterday, India did end its seven-month long win-less overseas records by defeating Australia by 8 wickets in the second T20 match played in Melbourne. For a change, Indian players were charged up in the field after losing the toss and put in to field first. They effected as many as four run-outs and one stumping that reduced Australia to 131 all out. Ravindra Jadeja excelled both in fielding and bowling bagging the man of the match award. Vinay Kumar too bowled well capturing two wickets. With Gambhir’s unbeaten half century and skipper Dhoni coming at number four India won emphatically, though hiccuping their way at the end to score the final run to win. 

In today’s Indian Premiere League—Version 5 (IPL-V) auction or rather player-shopping super market Jadeja got sold for a huge $2 million. Incidentally, Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings bought after a tie. Vinay Kumar too got sold for a big price. Was yesterday’s match a dress rehearsal for today’s IPL player-shopping? You see, politics and big money in cricket make us a bit cynical! We start doubting anything that happens in cricket. We cannot help it! 

Just before the auction Sahara announced its decision withdrawing from sponsorship including IPL stakes and ownership of its team the Pune Warriors. The last bone of contention between BCCI and Sahara was medically unfit Yuvraj Singh. Sahara said they cared for Yuvraj giving him the full year’s fee to get well and requested BCCI to allow them to reinvest Yuvraj’s price in its shopping kitty. Like in many earlier occasions this time too the BCCI quoted the rule book and refused. There have been several instances of breaking rules by the same BCCI in previous IPL versions, Sahara alleged. Finally, calling it an emotional decision they said that the arrogant Board did not ever recognize their commitment to Indian cricket. Refusing to react the stoic BCCI said they were waiting for written communication from Sahara before deciding its next course of action.

The good news is that Sahara is planning to invest its huge cricket money in promoting other sports and sport academies.

For an out and out commercial cricket tournament do we need rules! To rake in the big bucks the rules are always made to be broken! The richest cricket Board of the world must be having some tricks coming up their sleeves! 

And…Four First-Class Fools!

They can make real fools of you! They smile knowingly at you, give powerful nods of understanding to you and even chuckle-grin-shrug at your occasional takes of humor. You get just no inkling of the immensity of their foolishness. If you happen to associate with them in work or business you are living dangerously. You will be taken out on a right-royal ride of hopelessness finally rendering you unable to differentiate day from night!

It has been a matter of grave concern that the numbers of ‘intelligent’ fools are rising continuously in India in recent times creating a most dangerous species of human beings. They may attack you anytime anywhere and put you in jeopardy. 

   

They can be justifiably called ‘First Class Fools’. In an effort to properly define them I have been surfing the net and finally landed on a spiritual-philosophical site. I found there a very infesting tale which I thought of reproducing here.

‘Once Emperor Akbar asked Birbal to bring him four of the world's worst possible fools. So the following morning Birbal began looking for the fools.

The first fool he saw was a Brahmin. This Brahmin was running very fast carrying a plate of betel-nut, rice and a few other things. When the Minister asked the Brahmin why he was running, the Brahmin answered, "My wife has just given birth to a son, and I am bringing her the ceremonial foods. Unfortunately, the boy is not my child, but his father will also be there. So I am going to bless the new father and mother, and the baby. That is why I am running."

"Ah!" thought the Minister, "I have got my first fool," and he told the Brahmin to come to the court with him.

"No, no, no! I cannot come to the court," protested the Brahmin. "I have to see my wife."

Birbal declared, "I am the Emperor's Minister. It is the Emperor's command that I take you," and he showed the Brahmin his identification. So the foolish Brahmin had to go to Akbar's palace.

On the way, they saw a man sitting on a horse. On his shoulders was a very heavy load. Birbal asked him, "Why are you carrying that load on your shoulders?"

The man replied, "My horse is a mare, and she is pregnant. I do not want to hurt this poor animal by making her carry such a heavy burden, so I have put the load on my own shoulders."

Birbal said, "If you are sitting on the horse, the weight will be the same whether it is on your shoulders or on the back of the horse." But the man insisted that he was taking half the burden on his own shoulders.

"Here is another fool," Birbal said to himself, and he commanded this fellow to come along to the Emperor.

"Your Majesty," proclaimed the Minister when they came before Akbar, "here are your fools."

"I asked you to bring me four fools, did I not?" said Akbar. "Where are the other two?"

"I have two here," replied Birbal, and he narrated their foolish actions to the Emperor. Then he said, "The third fool is you, your Majesty. Who but a fool is interested in seeing fools? You get pleasure in knowing that there are horrible fools in your Empire, whereas a wise Emperor would like to know whether there are wise men in his Empire. Since fools give you pleasure, you also belong to their group, for birds of a feather flock together.

"And I am the fourth fool. I listen to your foolish commands and waste my precious life carrying them out. Only a fool would obey the commands of a fool, so that makes me the fourth fool."’

 

 

 Beware!