Corruption: First The Tears Of A Clown, Now The Puppet’s Tears...

They say public memory is short. It probably is. Ordinary citizens cannot spend time tracking the deeds of those in power. They trust the mainstream media to do that job. But the Indian msm has turned itself into a propaganda machine for the rulers and the corporate world. Those who use words like ‘truth’, ‘fair’, ‘fearless’ are some of the biggest crooks and liars amongst us. I must add, don’t expect the corrupt to expose the corrupt. Every newspaper and TV channel has screaming headlines that proclaim they were the ones to first break this or that scam. So when they are constantly caught up in this race of who was first, truth will always be the first victim. Haven’t we seen, say an Aamir Khan ‘Exclusive’ interview at the same time on three different channels? Or haven’t we seen gutter mouth Manishankar Aiyar ‘live’ on two different channels? They have even destroyed the very concept of ‘Breaking news’. How else can you explain ‘DMK chief meets Sonia Gandhi’ as breaking news? How else can one explain every news channel claiming credit for the exposures made by the CAG on various scams? Our mainstream media is utterly corrupt and that is the greatest danger to a democracy than any corrupt politician, individual or entity. And it is because the public has a short memory that journals and news channels are supposed to keep them reminded. They won’t!

After the Tears of the Clown Prince, it was the turn of the Puppet’s Tears on corruption. Rahul Gandhi’s sermons on corruption ended a few days ago and now we have the PM sermonising us about it. He should be the last man talking about corruption in this country. And our media faithfully reproduces the stupid utterances of these people without telling them the truth. Not a single editorial or opinion piece tells Rahul Gandhi or the PM to stop their ‘onion tears’ (crocodile tears are too easy!) Rahul and Manmohan sermonising on corruption is quite akin to a bunch of criminals in prison lecturing their jailors on ethics. Let’s first see some recent utterances of the PM.

 

“Corruption dents India’s image...It demeans us before our own people. Corruption strikes at the root of good governance... Along with legislation, the necessary revamp of administrative practises and procedures needs to be fast-tracked. A systemic response that reduces opportunities for corruption needs to be put in place”. These statements can be attributed to Moses, Jesus Christ, Krishna or any spiritual leader anytime you want. Even the honourable roadside cobbler will tell you all this. Only one thing’s wrong. It doesn’t ‘demean’ YOU or the officers you addressed Mr.PM, it demeans and insults the people of this nation. Innocent, honest people.

Like Rahul Gandhi, the PM sermonises as if he was some independent observer or a panelist at some TV discussion or a UN watchdog. All of it rings hollow. Under the cloak of ‘honest’ and ‘clean’ this PM has been a silent watcher of some major corrupt practices in this nation. The recent scams are not stray incidents; it is a pattern with Manmohan Singh.

To start with MMS should have called the lies in the media that he was the one to implement economic reforms in India. That is what propaganda does. Not once has the PM acknowledged he acted as instructed by Narasimha Rao and there were other compulsions for the reforms, including those by the IMF. We need to recall that he was the Finance Minister when Rao was involved in the JMM bribery scam to help his government survive. So what’s new with Manmohan Singh? If he were honest and had a clean conscience he should have quit that government following the JMM bribery case. He watched in silence!

In his own tenure as PM and for survival of his government in UPA-1 he watched money playing a role in the confidence vote following the nuclear deal fall out with the CPM.  He watched in silence! He survived! So why is it surprising to anyone that this man has consciously watched in silence the actions of the Rajas and the Kalmadis? In some parts probably was even a party to it. Suddenly, the black money issue is all over the media as if this was some great secret for ages. Yet, MMS seems to be unable to do anything about it.

The likes of MMS and Rahul Gandhi will talk to officials, students, media and everyone about corruption and related issues. Why aren’t they making statements in the parliament? Why is the Congress not agreeable to a JPC on scams? In an earliest post I had written that ‘Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi should be held criminally liable...” for all the scams. One sheds tears and the other comes up with silly five-point something programmes to tackle corruption. And our foolish media does the propaganda. No questions asked, no holding their feet to fire.

MMS takes self-righteous offence at being called a ‘weak’ prime minister or a ‘puppet’. Not once has he proved himself to be anything else. Therefore, this is his chance to shut up and stop sermonising and ‘act’. To use his own words, ‘fast-tracked’ action will do a lot more than repeated sermons. The recent cabinet reshuffle hardly showed any sign that he is acting on it. I am tempted to call MMS the ‘Raj Kapoor’ of politics. Mera Naam Joker,  the one that will fit anywhere in a (political) card game. Commenting on the continuance of one tainted minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh, in the cabinet the Supreme Court has frustratingly called it 'shameless'. So much for your tears on corruption, Mr. PM!

There is a bright side to everything. This will probably be the last term of MMS as prime minister. He will go down in history as having overseen the most corrupt government in the history of India. He can still act and alter that course, but that is seriously doubtful. The down side is the Puppet will go and they might send in the Clown. One way or the other, for the media, the circus will go on. MMS should remember ‘puppets’ don’t shed tears.