The investigations into the corruption charges against former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda have not just revealed a massive web of connections and fraud but also a complete contempt, in some sense, for India’s most deprived. The amount spent on development by the Jharkhand government until October — Rs1500 crore — is about as much as the Rs1450 crore allegedly transferred through hawala channels to Dubai by friends of the chief minister.
Investigations by this paper show that diaries by a Koda aide have been found which throw much light on the Rs4000 crore scam. The names include those of several politicians from across the country. Of course it is hardly surprising to find politicians involved but what is shocking is that the scam originated in one of India’s poorest states and involves those very people who could have done the most for it.
There is something about this fraud being committed in Jharkhand which is similar to the problems faced by many small nations in the African continent. The people are consistently cheated by their own, by those who swore to change the exploitation but when they come to power, find the fruits of office too irresistible to forego. However, this is not an excuse, just a possible explanation. All corruption is unacceptable but when it is committed to the detriment of a new state, battling with years of neglect, with a large population of tribals who have not been given the wherewithal to progress although they are searching for betterment, a state suffering with Maoist incursions, it is nothing short of criminal.
The onus now lies on the investigating agencies and those they report to ensure that this case does not go the way of all other such “corruption in high places” cases of the past. In today’s world there is an additional weapon in the hands of the helpless – public pressure. In a small way, the fact that Manu Sharma’s parole was revoked because of public outrage shows that governments today are no longer as arrogant as they once were. They are susceptible to the voice of the people and this must be maximised to whatever extend possible.
But much as we all know that corruption exists and we rail against it, we also too often give up against it because the effort is too demanding. The Koda case can be used as a turning point in the fight against corruption.
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