Why are corrupt Indian law breakers never punished?

The recent scams in India have opened up a new debate over the loopholes in our constitution. Over the past year the Common Wealth Games, Nira Radia case, Central Vigilance Commissioner, P.J. Thomas’s involvement in Palmolein oil import and the Adarsh Housing scam - are all cases of how corruption has seeped the innards of our society.

Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh introduced the idea of New Economic Policy in 1991 to safeguard the economy and develop the financial system in India by liberalization, privatization and globalization.

Unfortunately, this has led the present law makers to become law breakers. Now privatization has become via media for the corporate world to benefit. As a result, politicians and businessmen have become puppets of each other.

From being a mixed economy, India is now moving towards being a capitalist country. Every government has a back-up of the corporate world. It reached its peak with the outburst of the Radia tapes.

Corruption is the child of privatization. Radia case was one of its kind where people from almost every walk of life including politicians, journalists, government officers and corporate were involved. A. Raja has already been arrested and CBI investigations are going on. Government has denied the establishment of a Joint parliament committee (JPC).

Whereas, opposition parties had demanded the setting up of JPC and still UPA has not take any measures for its implementation.

Even independent authorities like the Central Vigilance Commission are not really taking corruption head on. CVC Commissioner, P. J. Thomas was asked by the Supreme Court to resign from his post after his involvement in the import of palmolien oil. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh also demanded for his removal.

In a very surprising consequential event, P. J Thomas demanded the resignation of 153 members of parliament who have corruption charges against them. He was ready to resign only if the palmolein oil import case charged against him would be withdrawn.

It has always been like a ritual in this country where extreme conditions are only faced by poor people. 2,500 tribals and farmers have been arrested in the Vedanta case but it is very strange that no official of Vedanta has been caught. Injustice finds itself again with these people who are poor and cannot afford a hire a good lawyer.

Journalism is the fourth pillar in democracy but the corporate world has started influenced media coverage and media decision. These days it’s like every political party has a journalist representative and indirectly those journalists become a part of the political system, like the corporate world.

So the question arises who is running the country and whether it is being competently run at all.

Sadly, no one can he held responsible because our constitution tends to protect the executive and the legislature.

On one hand a single page of charge sheet changed the face of the Rajiv Gandhi government. Today, a charge sheet of more than 5,000 pages still awaits action against the people involved in the Radia case. The UPA government has not been taking effective action and enforcing stringent measures against any of the corruption cases brought to light in its rule.