The Hindu Business Line : Frightening leap in politicians’ assets

“It will do no good to India to conceal from herself the fact that corruption in one form or another is rampant throughout the country, in every grade of society and every branch of public activity — from the railway station booking office right up to government contracts. Indians’ success in the administration of public affairs can be measured only in terms of the extent to which they eliminate corruption… democracy has constantly to be vigilant against the slow and imperceptible, but certain, inroads of corruption into public morality.”

Here is a multiple choice question on the source of the above passage: Is it (a) Mr Lalu Prasad (b) Transparency International (c) Mr T. R. Baalu (d) Every annual report of the Central Vigilance Commissioner since the post was created in 1966 (e) Abdul Kalam.

You are wrong on every count. It is from the press report dated August 25, 1936, of a speech by the great freedom hero, S. Satymaurti, published under the headlines, “Mr Satyamurti on rampant corruption: ‘Lack of political character among Indians; It will take years to clean up our Augean stables’”

The only amendment Satyamurti’s prescient warning needs is about his use of the words, ‘slow and imperceptible’. Poor man, he can be pardoned for not grasping the full measure of the grab-as-grab-can ruling style of India’s political class perfected by it after Independence.

He could not, therefore, foresee that corruption would spread at literally break-neck speed into the interstices of public life and be flaunted unashamedly with a victory sign and a broad and happy grin by those wallowing in it.

I do not know how Satyamurti, Rajaji or Mahatma Gandhi would have reacted to the following frightening facts culled by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) from the affidavits filed by the candidates for the recent Karnataka elections.

The total assets of the former Chief Minister, Mr H. D. Kumaraswamy, along with those of his wife and son, were Rs 49.72 crore (besides extensive bank deposits of Rs 13.77 crore in his name alone) — a 1,331-per cent increase from what they were in 2004.

Black Paper

The son of former Chief Minister, Mr R. Gundu Rao, Mr Dinesh Rao’s 2008 affidavit showing assets of Rs 20.33 crore, against a declared asset value of Rs 6.43 lakh in 2004, represents a whopping increase of 31,526 per cent. The assets of Mr R. Ashok, a BJP candidate, have similarly registered a steep ascent of 2,605 per cent, to Rs 10.06 crore.

Congress candidates Messrs R. L. R. Jarkiholi, Santosh Lad and A. Sarnayak who, in 2004, had declared assets of Rs 3.57 crore, Rs 3.97 crore and Rs 93 lakh are now worth Rs. Rs 39.87 crore, Rs 56.08 crore and Rs 21.25 crore respectively.

Mr Anil Lad of the Congress was the richest among the candidates with declared assets of Rs 172 crore, jumping 2,343 per cent since 2004.

These are mere appetisers. On an average, the leap in assets of candidates, across political parties, in Phase 1 of the Karnataka election stood at a staggering 677 per cent, and in Phase 2, at 465.6 per cent (Phase 3 figures are not yet in hand).

Those who have the stomach for the complete details of the rapid-fire leap in politicians’ net worth are encouraged to visit the ADR’s Web site.

The ADR will be doing a public service if it brings out a Black Paper in all languages giving a comprehensive picture of the astronomical growth in the assets of India’s politicians emerging from the affidavits filed at the time of elections held since the passing of the legislation to that effect following the Supreme Court’s March 2003 trenchant judgment.

My next column will give you a glimpse of the World Bank’s take on corruption in India. Don’t go away!

B. S. RAGHAVAN

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