Believe It or Not: Malignancy is in The Third Stage;

Posted on Monday, July 4, 2005 at - Post Comment

The long awaited NOIDA’s draw for 625 residential plots is finally held. Of 1.77 lac applicants the successful are DM NOIDA’s wife, SSP NOIDA,Addl.CEO,14 MLAs,MPs and the local MP and MLA and horde of other officers and politicians, not to count the property dealers and investors.

One view may be that it was an open lottery which took about two hours and was in front of full public gaze. How can it be fixed? Great is the argument but those who have even a little knowledge of and experience in dealing with the “random number indicated technique” based computerized draw will definitely find this draw as the draw of their life(never happened before and never to happen in the future) where the combination generated the result which declared all the administrative officers and politicians, who matter, as successful. Is it not surprising why the officers/politicians(or their family) from Delhi or Lucknow or any other city, for that matter, were not so uniformly successful in the draw( I am not discussing the common man’s concern which is discussed only in speeches these days)? Why the goddess computer bestowed her faith primarily on the who’s who of NOIDA?

 The majority of the Indian who know the basic character of the present Indian system are not surprised. But are anguished and feel cheated and helpless by such expressions which was a decade back only the hallmark of manually held small lotteries/chit fund shows in small towns.

The dangerous trend which NOIDA draw indicates to, is the pattern of corruption which these days is emerging very fast, all around, assertively and shamelessly. The attempt to allot land plot to 100 Builders in the name of Group Housing Societies by DDA in Delhi, Teacher’s Recruitment and Police Constable’s Recruitment fraud in Haryana, the recruitment scandal by Public Service Commission in Punjab, the fraud committed by the civil supplies dept. in UP, the cheating of the exchequer in the name of flood relief in Patna are only tip of the ice berg.

The observation is that such patterns, if there were one, was earlier confined primarily to the informal sector, private sector, financial and banking sector. Now they are a dominant trend in Government sector.

In the last decade or so there is a general observation that castes/sub castes are becoming interest groups and the population votes accordingly to ensure that once their representative reaches the position of power then the benefit will accrue to all in the group/groups. The result on the ground is disproving this premise. Actually those who come to power and become part of the ruling elite, then it is only a quid pro quo between the elites, say for example between the political and the administrative elites in this case.  If Santosh Yadav (DM) traces his caste identity to the most powerful politician of his state and may have made his masters happy, then this is the minimum cost which he will charge from the society. After all no one is fool. And therefore it is not worth mentioning that none of the caste supporters who fall in the group of commoners may have been the beneficiary in the distribution of the booty. 

Untold is the story of those in NOIDA who, when distributed this much to the administrators and the politicians (even of the opposite party(BJP)) just to keep their mouth shut, then what may have charged in the whole affair. The cost will definitely be no less than phenomenal. But who cares when all gaps have been plugged?

An individual violation here and there may not have been as dangerous, as without deviations no society can exist. But such deviations should be within the controllable limit. However, the trend now is really suicidal. Not only widespread pattern of corrupt activities is emerging and is emerging frequently but the players are youngsters who have to spend the rest of their long carrier still in service. Both Gautam Goswamis and Santosh Yadavs may not have been burdened with their daughter’s marriage as of now when they have completed not more than 13 & 8 years of their service. Then why are these young people becoming active players in the rape of the system? Society can’t ignore this question for long and if does then the cost is heavy.

The wise in the game may ignore the need to amend but in a way when the general culture is becoming conducive to mass corruption then “if today me then tomorrow you”. Every body is to suffer.  May be each of us is suffering- however big or small one is. Even the uncertainty arisen due to withdrawal of faith in the system is a big threat to a healthy social existence.

Society doesn’t lack the legal framework to deal with such malaise. What the leadership lacks is the will to act. And that is because most of us in the system(who matter) become  beneficiaries in one way or the other and at one point of time or the other. And so why to loose the chance of winning the lottery?

I personally prescribe that in this case the draw must be immediately cancelled. An enquiry may be set up comprising of the technical experts from one of the leading software firms who should give their report within 15 days. All the administrative beneficiaries from NOIDA may immediately be transferred to insignificant posts till the enquiry is complete. If found guilty FIR may be lodged against all of them and they may be put to jail in line with Gautam Goswami, the ex DM of Patna. The political parties may publically declare that the MLAs and MPs will not be given ticket next time if it is proved that the draw is manipulated. BJP must come out clean given the crisis of identity it is suffering from and the way RSS talks of no compromise with the morality. BJP should sack both the public representatives (NOIDA MP and MLA) and so should other political parties. Cleanliness in public life is one of the most important moral principles required these days for survival of the society.  And lastly place the officers of integrity who could also deliver fast and restore the public faith. But don’t forget to ponder on the issue in a larger context and the required solutions.

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