Author:
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: December 24, 2011
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/sunday-edition/agenda/cover-story/30227-battle-won-war-on.html

2011 will be best remembered as the year of mass uprising against corruption in India. The year started with nationwide raids by the CBI on the 2G Spectrum Scam culprits and the arrest of tainted former Telecom Minister A Raja and DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi, when caught with crystal clear evidence. Unprecedented things like the subsequent arrests and chargesheeting of corporate honchos — though some escaped — boosted the morale of common man to rally against corruption.

India’s summer was really hot for the Government and the rulers, when Anna Hazare kickstarted his strikes from April. Raja, Kanimozhi, CWG’s scamster Suresh Kalmadi and the behind bars corporates must have thought of futility of money at least once in their life, when masses assembled at Tihar jail, demanding the release of Anna Hazare in August. For politicians, this impromptu upsurge was a surprise, especially with no one really paying for a convergence of such numbers.

The year also saw the collapse of mining barons Bellary brothers, after Lok Ayukta Santosh Hegde cracked the whip on them. Of course, there are many more waiting in the wings to be thrown into jails for their corrupt practices, but 2011 was crucial because it opened the jail gates so wide for the first time.

The credit of this goes to the Judiciary which roused itself up from more than five-year-long hibernation as also to the people who tirelessly fought against corruption in the streets and in courts.

However, we should not forget the existence of some mighty forces which protect the corrupt and kill the probe and cases against corruption. Remember the CBI’s U-turn in the Special Court by not opposing the bail of Kanimozhi, just 48 hours after her father met Congress President Sonia Gandhi?

Shockingly, the CBI was forced to change its stand, even after it pledged in Supreme Court that it will oppose the bail plea of all the accused in the Spectrum Scam.

In the CWG investigations, CBI’s action was similar to the surgical strike of armed forces by fixing only Suresh Kalmadi who had alone dealt with around five per cent of the expenditure on the administration and execution of the games. The ones who are still safe can breathe till someone like Subramanian Swamy or Prashant Bhushan carries a crusade against them.

The year 2011 also witnessed the Government’s dirty tricks department at its best nixing crusaders, especially Team Anna. CDs were created to defame people, and hitsquads were bought in. Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari went to the extend of calling Anna’s names, only to apologise under intense public outrage.

Look at the way Delhi Police turned into a demon to deal with Baba Ramdev when he decided to sit on fast. The person who brutally attacked Prashant Bhushan was given an escape route by being charged under weak provisions. Within a day he got bail. On the other hand, the man who slapped Agricultural Minister Sharad Pawar is still languishing in jail. Of course, slapping a Minister is a bigger crime. But what about Ministers kicking protestors in UP?

In India, the law enforcement is still at a nascent stage, when compared to civilised countries. Here the law differs from person to person and case to case. No mediaperson involved with Nira Radia was questioned by any agency or forum.

There was a hue and cry from certain quarters when the Public Accounts Committee made an attempt to call mediapersons involved in Radia-gate. I envy the courage of British Parliament which summoned mighty media mogul Rupert Murdoch and brought him to the book. When will our Parliament and Parliamentarians show such strength? Certain politicians only make false claims that “Parliament is supreme” and force us to believe so too, though fact is that ‘We the people’ make the Constitution supreme. As of now, and with the people on the streets, one can say, the battle has been won, but the war against corruption is far from over. Let us expect more victories in 2012.

 Tihar Jail VIPs = 21

 A Raja: 2011’s most high-profile Tihar inmate former Telecom Minister A Raja, who is in jail in the 2G Spectrum Scam, pulled in many other big names with him — Kanimozhi, Sharad Kumar (Kalaignar TV MD and CEO), Vinod Goenka (billionaire MD and co-founder of DB Realty), Sanjay Chandra (Unitech MD), Gautam Doshi, Hari Nair and Surendra Pipara (top executives of Reliance – Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group), Swan Telecom's Shahid Usman Balwa, Cineyug Film’s Karim Morani, Asif Balwa, Rajeev B Agarwal, Siddhartha Behura (former Telecom secretary), Raja's former aide RK Chandolia, VK Verma, ASV Prasad, Surjeet Lal (former Government official).

Suresh Kalmadi: Arrested in CWG scam along with Lalit Bhanot, his right hand man and CWG Organising Committee Secretary-General.