[HumJanenge] "We The Shameless" -- by Chetan Bhagat

We The Shameless

It's time to stop blaming just our politicians for corruption and look within

Chetan Bhagat

 

 

Last week, the BJP not only spared, but also backed Nitin Gadkari as its party president. Gadkari, who ran a sugar business, used a hydra-like ownership structure for his corporation, with a web of dozens of shell companies, bogus addresses and dubious directorships. He also allegedly took loans from the same infrastructure companies he awarded contracts to as PWD minister.
    The first standard excuse was "nothing malafide is proven yet", implying Gadkari could have made these fake companies just for fun, perhaps because he enjoys solving brainteasers. The second classic excuse was "look at what the Congress did". Therefore, a murderer can be spared, as long as he can find another murderer.
    Saving Gadkari shocked some, especially those who thought the BJP was different. Even politically, it may be a decision they could regret over time.
    The BJP stalls entire Parliament sessions over corruption. Its leaders share the dais with anti-corruption crusaders like Baba Ramdev (Gadkari did too). And yet, the protect-Gadkari huddle showed the BJP cares about propriety, but only if the accused is from the Congress.
    Gadkari also found support in the RSS, BJP's backbone and selfstyled protector of Hindu dharma. The RSS's website claims its vision is "working towards Bharat's national glory, based on the noblest values." One wonders which Hindu dharma text allows tax evasion structures and loans to politicians from businessmen with clear conflict of interest. One wonders if Gadkari's actions represent the noblest values. In Hindu mythology, dharma protectors sacrifice family members for virtue. Here, the RSS didn't take action against Gadkari because, well, he is their alumnus and one of their own.
    But more important than venting about the two-faced nature of some organisations or blaming Gadkari and a few other politicians is understanding why all political parties back their corrupt members despite massive allegations and enough circumstantial evidence.
The answer lies in the way Indians think. While it is easy to blame politicians, the fact remains that our politicians are not ethical because we aren't ethical.
    The simple, bitter truth is that the electorate just doesn't care much about financial impropriety. Sure, we bicker, moan and fuss about politicians looting us. However, it is not that high up in the hierarchy of wrongs a politician could commit. A moderate amount of corruption is almost expected and accepted. It is only when graft is done in an obvious, large-scale and arrogant manner that Indians get somewhat upset – and that too for a short period of time. "Do it, but don't be so blatant and rub it in our faces," is what we seem to be telling them.
    Tax evasion, dubious accounting and shady friendships are almost seen as natural behaviour for an Indian businessman. We don't even see it as a crime. We treat it at par with, say, eating four plates of dessert – a bit greedy, but understandable.
    Until we, as a society, really feel graft, unethical behaviour and nepotism are huge problems and start to truly care about all of it, politicians will not change.
    Take for instance a hypothetical situation. Say, a prominent politician went into a temple with his shoes on, with a bottle of alcohol and kicked the idols.
    What would happen? Of course, there would be huge societal outrage. In our value system, we hold our religious shrines extremely dear. Such a person would never be allowed to remain party president. In all probability, the person's political career would end overnight.
    But such a value system does not apply when we see shady business, state coffers being looted or politicians placing self-interest over the country. Even power abuse is something we only talk about in public. Deep down, we are complicit. We want political leaders to not abuse power, but do so ourselves. Just take one example, the status of domestic help in India. How do Indians treat their domestic help? Why don't we ever talk about a minimum wage for them? Or perhaps a compulsory day off every week? When we ourselves have no qualms abusing our power, it is difficult to attack others doing so.
    We, the Indian society, need to reflect on who we have become. Organisations like the RSS, who claim they care for India's glory, should be fixing this by propagating good values in society. And organisations like the IAC should also send out the message that it is a lack of values within us, and not just a few bad guys at the top, that has turned India corrupt.
    More than anything, we ourselves must change, and see the sense in doing so. A society without values cannot even survive or function, let alone progress. When this realisation comes to a far larger number of Indians than today, the politicians will change. The BJP would fire Gadkari and Congressmen would create an uproar to take action against Robert Vadra.
    Right now, they don't because they feel you the voter won't care. That you will see Gadkari's punishment as a slight to the RSS, or to the community or caste he belongs to. Similarly, no Congressman will stand up for what is right in Vadra's case, as the Congress voter cares for the Gandhi family more than right or wrong.
    We live in shameless times. When the long overdue self-reflection and shame strike us, India will be ready for change. We have seen many exposes on corrupt leaders lately; it is time we did an expose on ourselves.
The writer is a best-selling novelist.