Corruption Vs Corruption!

Corruption has deep roots in India. To get done almost all of your mundane tasks you need to pay 'speed money' and since it's 'time is money' for you, you don't mind paying. Then, for all your requirements of life like a job, licenses, favors and windfalls you need to make bribes or payoffs which is an increasing function of priority and to be a part of a lobby or a racket. It has become almost a way of life whether you like it or not. For employment you are forced to 'buy' a job which is the prevalent practice in most of the Indian states. When someone buys a job the immediate priority for him or her is to recover the 'spent' money as quickly as possible and one cannot achieve it in the normal course of employment. So, in a way it's like being 'initiated into corruption'.

Corruption is a basic function of 'greed'. Once you have enough greed you can embark on a course of making 'money' by hook or by crook. After becoming dirty rich you need to acquire 'power'. To make power ever increasing you need to be a part of a 'lobby' or a 'racket'. The most powerful ones are thus logically the most corrupt. So we can say the most powerful lobby consists of the most corrupt.

Committees are formed to probe or investigate scams and such committees have members from different fields from politics to bureaucracy. These members could be parts of different lobbies and thus the final report of such committees will be a result of which lobby works the strongest. The strongest lobby can very well afford to buy out the members in their favor so that the final report suits them.

There is hardly a way out. Fight against corruption translates into a fight of the less corrupt or the weaker lobby against the most corrupt or the strongest lobby. Basically all the lobbies, weak or strong, indulge in a democratic farce of a fight to keep corruption firmly in place. We, the people, want corruption to end now and forever, but how can we form a lobby? Public opinion can apply pressure only temporarily, because it lacks organization and strategy to operate like a lobby. Okay, you choose the most honest ones and form a committee, but the in the very first meeting you are likely to hear voices of dissent as to who have got the positions of power and who not and why. Then, even if you have been honest all your life the most powerful ones can dig up something out of the blue and taint you permanently.

The euphoria of Anna Hazare's revolution against corruption is almost over. Now it becomes a routine of committee meetings. Three of the five civil society members are already tainted and maligned by you know who. Anna is on a Mission Impossible and for his success the masses will need to come out in the streets openly and fearlessly like in Egypt or Libya or Syria.

Meantime who will decide who is free of the lobby or the racket syndromes to constitute the 'people's committee'? Brainstorm yourself and give your thoughts.

Demise of a Spiritual Guru and Birthday of a Legend!

It may be a quirk of nature that it had to be the same day, the 24th of April, 2011.

Tearful condolences to Shri Sathya Sai Baba, a spiritual institution working from Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh, India having followers all over the world, who passed away this morning after being in hospital for over a month. Millions of devotees are paying homage tearfully--devotees from all walks of life irrespective of religious beliefs. Millions are expected to come to offer prayers to his mortal remains at his Ashram Prashanti Nilayam. His mortal remains will be kept for this purpose till Tuesday, the 26th. In this sad moment there are many questions as to who will succeed his spiritual empire covering 114 countries or who will now be the spiritual guide for millions having qualifications to match his Avatar status or what will happen to the charity institutions and his billions of rupees of properties. Hope all will be well.

And, for cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar his 38th birthday today began on a sad note. The legend had been a devoted follower of Sathya Sai and only yesterday he wanted his blessings and prayed for his speedy recovery.

Sachin has decided not to celebrate his birthday. Naturally so. Plus he also has an IPL match to play today.

But the millions of the legend's followers all over the world are not going sit quiet. Many of them will definitely be mutually inclusive. They will have a soulful celebration with prayers and best of wishes. We can only say that Saithya Sai being a part of God will be anyway with everybody including Sachin and His blessings can still be sought. Wishing Happy Birthday to a legend is only human. Happy Birthday Sachin, keep it flying high.

Nature has her ways. Always.

IPL-4: The Power of Money?

Loyalties seem to be submerged in money thanks to the fourth version of Indian Premier League T20 being played all over India at the moment. It had been a nagging issue in previous versions too with players of particular countries called back to play for those countries. 

This time the issue has come out in ugly dimensions.  Sri Lanka had to prepare for the forthcoming England tour and so the SL Cricket authorities called back their players. Nothing happened, so SLC gave a deadline. Parleys and negotiations and threats followed from the most money-powerful Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Inevitably the deadline got extended to May 18 as of now. 

Meantime SL main strike bowler Lasith Malinga, known for his slinging right-arm unique action, maintained throughout  about his knee injury. But because he continued playing IPL the SLC asked the question and called him back home for fitness test. 

And today, Malinga resigned from test cricket. He maintained that if he is exposed to prolonged bowling as required in tests his injury could degenerate. He is only 27 and has all the time in the world to get the problem checked out and treated. Though in T20 format he has to bowl only 4 overs maximum, in one-day format one spell can get extended to 7 overs subject to a maximum of 10. Besides, it's always the skipper to decide how many overs a bowler bowls at a particular spell. Since Malinga is still available for one-day cricket the whole issue smells money. Well, money and pressure both. Like in the underworld once you join the big money league there is no return! 


Personally I feel, why should players like Dhoni who achieved the ultimate glory just a few days back and legends like Tendulkar subject themselves to playing simple club cricket instead of celebrating and relaxing with family. Well, everyone knows why. The cricket crazy Indians are still thronging the stadiums all over even after relishing the greatest moment for their country. You see, basically IPL is cricket too! You can do a lot--dancing to the cameras, see your favorite players in action, watch good bowling and fielding and of course enjoy batting fours and sixes, and developing a weird kind of club loyalty. 

It's the big crowds that generate the big money and players play for their fans and earn the big bucks. The big buck just rolls on in an inevitable paradox. Better enjoy it rather than having such ugly thoughts! Even then why should a few local clubs go on playing each other for nearly two months! As I maintained earlier the ICC Cricket World Cup should in fact be played for a longer time. 

The big buck is always victorious in India. Anna Hazare is facing now the hazards for trying to fight against the juggernaut called corruption which in turn is nourished and preserved by the big buck. 

The big buck never stops anywhere!