Essay on Political Corruption in

India
by Pragati Ghosh
Here is your essay on Political Corruption in India:
It is well-known that a large number of politicians, not only in India,
but almost in all countries are corrupt. People are never shocked
when politicians corruption is divulged. Honest politicians are a
rare breed today. Ministers like Lal Bahadur Shastri, Sardar Vallab
Bhai Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru, etc. are rare who had very little bank
balance at the time of death.

Money and politics have thus an adulterous relationship. In a
democracy all political parties need money. While all political
parties are guilty of seeking the support of trade and commerce
and big business. All done only with the aim of rule on people or to
be in Power and for the fulfilment of this aim, they violate morals
and ethical norms and evade law to gain political power.
Political corruption has become a dominant mode of corruption in
modern time. Politicians try to rise and remain in power by any
means right or wrong. Most of the corruption in politics is done at
the time of election. Though, the limit has been drawn and election
commission has been constituted to see that the limit is being
observed, yet candidates spend money much beyond such limit
officially specified by election commission.
Many politicians are reported to file their nominations simply for
obtaining quotas for diesel, petrol and paper, etc. which they sell to
others at a higher price.
A huge sum of money is collected by the political parties and
leaders, especially those of the ruling ones, in the name of
contribution from big Industrialists, Businessman, for election and
in return, the contributors multiply their income by making profit out
of the licences and tenders, obtained with the help of their political
allies, during or after the election.
The politicians offer their influence to corrupt Bureaucrats and help
them to escape from hands to prosecution after committing any
deviance and in return Bureaucrats can do anything for politicians.
Politicians always interfere in the work of police and other criminal
administrations and so because of interference of politicians. Once
the political influence, interference enters into police department, it
paralyses the police arm and because of such acts of politicians,
Police Officers become dishonest, inefficient and corrupt.
Politicians also benefit by creating artificial shortage and raising
prices of consumer goods and the leaders find themselves
helpless to take action against them.
Money is poured into election and votes are purchased, booth
capturing, compulsory voting are also practiced by corrupt
politicians to remain in power.
Politicians not only resort to corrupt means and keep their option
open for deflection to get others defected. In their favour they
justify their such unscrupulous acts that these are being done only
till they strengthen their political position and become able to purify
the public life. People do not know how long they will take to
become strong enough to purify the public service as well as the
politics.
A Government which has no ideology and specific principles and
relies partially or fully on corruption to gain or retain power can
never be able to extradicate corruption from society and purify the
public as well as the political life.
The close relationship between white collar criminals and Political
Leadership can be demonstrated by number of above similar
instances. Such peoples representatives sell their political
identities, commitments and peoples confidence for petty
advantage.
Defection in the name of voice of inner conscience has become a
most fascinating tool in the hands of politicians, for making their
future from many years. They defect within no time for the lust of
money, power and position. Elected members for assemblies and
parliament have been seen to defect for more than ten times over
a days, and night. Only for their personal advantage, earning
political position and power and thereby making money.
According to Santhanam Committees Recommendations,
Politicians are one of the important sources of corruption in our
day to day life. A code of conduct of ministers is prescribed for
including the provisions suggested for public servants, relating to
acquisition of property.
Commission of Inquiry Act is implemented by our Government to
cope up with the problem of growing corruption in politics but the
menace of corruption has even entered into such commission.
Also such commissions of Inquiry sometimes have been made on
account of political rivary between the parties and used as a
weapons by politicians.
Many efforts of Government fail to eliminate corruption from
political life. In 1993, Vohra committee was set up by our
Government to study corruption in India (By taking stock of the
links between Government functionaries and political personalities
and crime syndicates and mafia) and the committee in its report
exposed the nexus between the criminal world with the politicians,
which now pose a serious threat even to our national security and
also reported that some parliamentarians and state assembly
members have come into political power through the leadership of
gangs and armed groups (senas).
The politicians have good relations and friendship with underworld
dons.
Previously, the white collar criminals were having close nexus with
politicians and underworld. But now they are themselves turning
into politicians for white collar bribery in connection with
purchases, supplies, contracts the enforcement of regulations and
enactments.
There are numerous instances where mostly Chief Ministers,
Ministers, Leaders holding important political positions,
Bureaucrats and big businessman, who are reported to be
involved in various scams.
Some of important such scams which shows us clear picture of
political corruptions are Kairon Case 1964, Cement Scandal in
1982 involving Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Plot Scandal in 1988-89 again involved Chief Minister of
Maharashtra Hawala Scandal of 1991, which not only rocked the
political circle but in fact the whole society. The payoff scandal in
1995 and the recent Adarsh society scandal or telecom scandal.
The numbers of such scandals are more but it is not possible to
mention each and every but from aforesaid few scandals we can
say that there is an unprecedented expansion of political
corruption in India which bursts upon the Nations conscience and
hits newspaper headlines every day.
So finally it is concluded that, today in reality the crisis that our
society is facing is the crisis of values, morals and ethics.
And we are in danger of getting used by such dishonest, corrupt
politicians.
Though it is true and everyone knows that politicians involved in
scams, scandals, but nothing tangible has been done in
uncovering, tracing, apprehending, prosecuting and punishing
them and they become free from the hands of prosecution on the
plea of inadequate evidence because again political influence
and interference was seen at all stages from investigation to the
stage of adjudication of that corrupt politician.
So it is recommended that setting up of an agency to collect
information from all agencies and take immediate, effective and
deterrent action against the crime syndicates, smuggling gangs,
and economic lobbies in the country which have over the years,
developed an extensive network of contacts with the Government.
Functionaries and Bureaucrats at the local level and politicians and
media persons at the state and central levels.
At the present scenario political corruption is one of the common
phenomenon and has increased in size and so it is true that:
When democracy becomes corrupt, the best gravitates to the
bottom, the worst floats to the top and the vice is replaced by more
vice.