Demonetisation, Corruption and the Aftermath

Demonetisation, Corruption and the Aftermath

Major General Mrinal Suman

Black money has been an integral part of the Indian narrative. Pervading environment of corruption is invariably faulted for all the ills afflicting India. Surprise demonetisation of high value currency notes has been hailed as a radical step against black money and corruption in India. Will demonetisation succeed in curbing corruption? Optimists are confident while the doomsayers are sceptical.

In the simplest terms, corruption is unethical conduct by a person in authority. Anyone who misuses the authority entrusted to him for personal gains is guilty of resorting to corrupt practices.

Authority vested in a person may be governmental or non-governmental. Undoubtedly, governmental corruption has much wider and graver implications; both in range and quantum – from an office peon expecting tip for moving a file to the top official demanding percentage cut for dispensing favours. Bribes are passed on in a number of clever ways. For example, it is a common sight to see bribe givers intentionally losing huge sums to the bribe takers in pre-Diwali flash sessions.  

Personal gains are not limited to financial exchanges. They could be in terms of getting expensive gifts at children’s weddings, a flat from a builder at subsidised prices, fully paid overseas jaunts, foreign scholarship for the progeny and even donations to the family-run trusts. While dealing with foreign nations, green cards for the offspring are an irresistible attraction.

Corruption can take many other forms as well. Many consider Dr Manmohan Singh to be the most corrupt Prime Minister of India. Coalition parties realised his unabashed lust for power. They bribed him with the prime ministerial chair; in return, they got a licence to loot the nation. Civil aviation, food, coal, communications and other ministries were subjected to open plunder. It was a pure quid pro quo arrangement – corruption at its worst.

Likely Impact of Demonetisation

Corruption is of two types – collusive and coercive. Collusive corruption is generally not talked about much as both parties are comfortable with it. Paying a small amount to a conductor for a berth in a train suits everyone. A contractor does not mind paying a mutually agreed sum to officials for getting unauthorised deviations. A judge may agree to acquit an accused for a fee. A tax evader may willingly give a few lakhs to the appellate tax authority rather than pay huge amounts of penalties to the exchequer.

Ingeniously, collusive corruption is referred to as speed money, convenience fee, facilitation expenses or departmental overheads. The bribe giver willingly offers gratuity to the official for out-of-turn favour. Many businesses thrive on such dealings. No one complains.

Demonetisation may not be able to rule out collusive corruption as it is a win-win situation for both the bribe giver and the bribe taker.

It is the coercive corruption that is resented by all. Herein the bribe giver feels coerced to offer bribe to get his entitled dues. And, he begrudges it. When a builder is forced to shell out money under the table to the authorities for getting his fully-compliant building plans passed, he feels wronged. When the provident fund officials demand cut to release an employee’s hard earned savings, he curses the system. Therefore, coercive corruption has become the real fall guy in India. 

In some cases, collusive corruption acquires coercive overtones subsequently, resulting in open spats. For example, all bidders for major contracts are told the percentage they should factor in for the department’s cut. Bidders comply willingly. The problem starts when they are asked to pay more than what had been catered for. Excess demand could either be due to the arrival of new officials or a change in the ruling party. Contractors cannot oblige. Consequently, either they abandon the contract midway or compromise on quality. That is why we see stalled projects and collapsed bridges.

Demonetisation is likely to curb coercive corruption considerably. Lack of hoarded currency will act as a great impediment. 

The Political Corruption

Political corruption is India’s bane. It is collusive in nature. All political parties resort to bribing voters through different means. Government coffers are emptied out to distribute freebies (cycles, laptops, sarees and so on). Loans are waived. Farmers are given free electricity. Unauthorised colonies are regularised. Agricultural income, even of rich landlords, is kept tax-free. Liquor is distributed openly. Currency notes are delivered to the voters through innovative way.

Sadly, most voters fall for such free goodies and tall promises. Kejriwal promised everything free to the Delhi voters and they voted for him.

An incident that this writer witnessed in 1999 is symptomatic of the extent to which political corruption has afflicted India. A local MLA of an eastern state was being pestered by a noisy crowd for not constructing the promised road to their village. “We gave you votes. Fulfil your promise”, they chanted. When his pleas failed to mollify the crowd, the MLA lost patience and shouted back, “You did no favour. I gave every voter a bottle of hooch, one thousand rupees and a blanket. I owe you nothing. Get Lost.” Knowing the statement to be true, the crowd started dispersing, albeit grumblingly.

Most interestingly, even after the above episode, the said MLA has been getting re-elected from the same constituency on the same set of promises. Undoubtedly, the value of free goodies would have gone up with every election. The much promised road is nowhere in sight. This is the normal narrative of political corruption in India.

Will demonetisation help curb corruption? If the violent reaction of the opposition parties is any indication, it will certainly help. Parties have amassed thousands of crores in cash to buy votes. They are feeling aggrieved as their treasures have become worthless.  Will politicians find another way of buying votes? With their proverbial penchant for resorting to corrupt activities, no one can be sure.  

When Heavens are Roped-in

Human ingenuity has no limits – even heavens are not spared. Attempts are made to corrupt gods as well. By sharing a part of the corrupt earnings with gods, divine shield is sought against the heaven’s wraths and the long arm of the law. Duly placated gods are expected to protect corrupt devotees.

Significantly, propitiatory corruption is purgatorial in nature and not penitential. There is no remorse.  Such an offering becomes a conscience cleansing act and flushes out all feelings of guilt. All places of worship flourish on tainted money. Propitiatory donations include expensive diamonds, precious stones, gold, silver and wads of currency notes.

As offerings of honest devotees can barely meet their routine maintenance expenses, demonetisation will certainly deprive the religious places of large donations by the corrupt. 

In a lighter vein, perhaps the most interesting and common form of collusive corruption relates to Mannat (vow to a deity). Deity’s intervention is sought for favourable outcome of an important issue. In return, the deity is promised a visit (pilgrimage), donation, consecration or any other votive. It is made very clear to the deity that the offer is purely on ‘no success: no votive’ basis, thereby hoping that the deity would be forced to intercede to retain credibility.

Needless to say, demonetisation will have little impact on Mannats as the government has no role to play in a matter that concerns humans and their gods.

Finally 

       

In a survey carried out by a leading newspaper, 81 percent respondents termed demonetisation to be a ‘good idea well executed’; 15 percent called it a ‘good idea badly executed’; and only 4 percent opposed the step.

Two posts on WhatsApp put the entire issue in an honest and objective perspective.  When queried, a veteran in a queue at a bank said – “If I can stand for hours at Balaji for one minute darshan without any assurance of divine support, I can surely stand here knowing well that demonetisation will help my country”.

Similarly, a young man at an ATM declared – “I spend hours outside the booking window to get tickets for the first show of popular movies. Wait of a few hours here to curb black money is no big issue”.  

     

If Kejriwal, Mamta, Yechuri, Mayawati and leaders of the ilk oppose any change, the change must be considered good for the nation. This litmus test applies to demonetisation as well. All opposition leaders are crying wolf and shedding crocodile tears – faulting the government on the grounds of inconvenience to the public and the trade. That is all hogwash. It is the loss of hoarded cash chests that is hurting them immensely and they are writhing in electoral dilemma – how to bribe voters to win elections.***** 

Implosion is the only Cure for Cancer-Afflicted Pakistan

Implosion is the only Cure for Cancer-Afflicted Pakistan

Major General Mrinal Suman

It is India’s great misfortune that it has been cursed with a neighbour like Pakistan. A nation born out of hatred needs hatred for its continued sustenance. Over a period of time, like a cancerous tumour, hatred for India has made deep inroads into Pakistan’s national psyche. It has been devouring its vitals, hurling it into the abyss of a failed state. In its obsession to harm India, Pakistan has chosen the path of self-destruction.

All nations have certain core values like ensuring safety, wellbeing and health of their citizens. Unfortunately, Pakistan’s core values are negative in nature. They are based on the sole principle of ‘hate and hurt India’. Due to decades of indoctrination and brainwashing, most Pakistanis suffer from an extremely brutal, sadistic and vicious anti-Indian streak.

One may not fully agree with former Australian Test umpire Darrell Hair’s description of the Pakistani cricketers as ‘cheats, frauds and liars’. But the fact is that the whole world considers Pakistan to be an untrustworthy and deceitful nation. Pakistan has made duplicity to be its national policy. Treachery is in Pak DNA. Quite rightly, the whole world considers Pakistan to be a rogue state.

Independent Pakistan started its track record with treachery. Despite having signed a ‘stand-still agreement’ with the state of Jammu and Kashmir, it unleashed raiders on the hapless Kashmir valley. In April 1965, it launched a surprise attack on Kutch. Later that year, it infiltrated its forces into Kashmir, expecting a local uprising against India. It also provided sanctuaries to underground elements of North-Eastern India. After its defeat in 1971, Pakistan has been exporting terror to India in every possible manner.

LOC has always been a hotbed of Pakistan’s nefarious activities. Recent attack on Uri and India’s strong response through surgical strikes has reignited the conflict. Both sides have been resorting to intense fire. Border villages are suffering acute damage. This fire-fight has the potential to get more confrontational.  

‘Be patient with a bad neighbour: he may move’ is a famous Egyptian proverb. Unfortunately, such hopes cannot be entertained with respect to a bad neighbouring country. India has to live and deal with Pakistan; but how? What are India’s options?

Option 1: Seek Peace through Mollycoddling Pakistan

A small but vociferous segment is of the view that India, being a bigger nation, should act in a more generous manner to assure Pakistan of Indian sincerity in resolving contentious issues. It suggests demilitarization of Siachen. As Pakistan has no presence on the glacier, demilitarization implies ‘unilateral vacation of Siachen by India’. It is opined that such a gesture will bring about a reduction in Pakistan’s hostility towards India. Some go to the extent of suggesting that India should resolve the Kashmir tangle to Pak satisfaction. Similar arguments are put forward by the enthusiasts of Track-II diplomacy and initiatives like ‘Aman Ki Asha’.

Advocates of this soft option are those influential Indians who have been cultivated by Pakistan through what is commonly referred to as ‘biryani diplomacy’. They are frequently taken on fully-paid trips to exotic locales the world over, ostensibly for seminars and group discussions. Lavish hospitality generates bonhomie. Soon, they start echoing Pak stance to mislead the Indian public.

Many advocate stronger cultural ties with Pakistan. Shah Rukh Khan feels that ‘politics between the two countries should be handled by the politicians.....creative people have nothing to do with it’. Gavaskar is of the view that recommencement of Indo-Pak matches will help better relations. He does not want sports to be mixed with politics. Sponsors of Ghulam Ali’s concerts claim that music has no boundaries. Sadly, in their greed for monetary gains, they forget that Pakistan is waging a war against India and killing Indians. It is not playing any politics.

Over the last seven decades India has taken various initiatives to make Pakistan see the benefits of a rancor-free relationship. Every Indian Prime Minister has made liberal conciliatory gestures. Ceasefire in 1948, return of Haji Pir Pass, repatriation of 96,000 PoWs under the Simla Agreement and grant of MFN status are some of them. All failed.

While the Indian leadership was trying to break ice through the ‘bus diplomacy’ in 1998-99, Pakistani military was busy planning the notorious Kargil incursion. Modi’s out-of-the-box gesture of birthday stop-over at Lahore was followed by a fierce terrorist strike at the Pathankot airfield. Disappointingly, Pakistan remains incorrigible as a devious and cunning neighbour.

Expecting a change of heart is nothing but self-delusion. Issues like Kashmir and Siachen are merely a manifestation of Pakistan’s infinite hostility towards India. Were India to hand over Kashmir to it on a platter and withdraw from Siachen, Pakistan will invent newer issues to keep the pot boiling.

Option 2: Persist with the Current Policy

An influential section of the India intelligentsia wants the current policy to continue. It finds no need for a change. Editorial in a leading Indian daily read, “Since 1990 India has had a consistent policy towards Pakistan: ‘Let them hit us with whatever they can, we will harden our defences but not retaliate in kind’.” According to the editor, the said policy has been ‘remarkably successful’.

Since 1990, Kashmir has seen a loss of nearly 50,000 lives, including civilians and security/police personnel. The insensitive editor had the impudence to declare that the policy of no retaliation has been successful.

Indian security forces have captured a huge cache of Pak-supplied weapons from the terrorists in the last 15 years. It includes more than 34,000 AK 47 rifles, 5000 grenade launchers, 90 machine guns, 12,000 revolvers, 350 missile launchers, 100,000 grenades and 63,000 kg explosive. Even anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns have also been seized.

Continuance of the current policy of enduring Pak aggression without riposte is proving highly expensive in human lives and expenditure. India’s over-indulgence and conciliatory gestures have emboldened Pakistan into considering India to be a soft state. It has increased its intransigence and hardened its anti-India attitude.

Option 3: Isolate and Disintegrate Pakistan

Devious countries like Pakistan do not believe in international conventions and shamelessly flout them. The only language they understand is of strength and retribution.

In the short term, India must make it amply clear to Pak government that every anti-India mischief would invite immediate reprisal and that no transgression will go unpunished. In addition, diplomatic relations should be downgraded. All concessions like MFN should be withdrawn. Rail and road contacts should be suspended. There can be no cultural ties with a country that is waging a war against India.

However, India’s long term objective should be to isolate Pakistan internationally and trigger its disintegration. Isolation of Pakistan will not pose a major challenge. Pakistan has already acquired notoriety as the prime breeding ground of terrorism in the world. Pakistanis are looked at with suspicion the world over. Consequently, most hide their true identity and pretend to be from India. A proactive policy should be followed to make friends with the countries who feel threatened by the growth of terrorism in Pakistan. 

Leveraging its enormous economic clout, India must make it clear to the world that any nation that supports Pakistan’s anti-Indian policies cannot claim to be India’s friend. Using its formidable influence, India should have Pakistan expelled from the cricketing world. If South Africa could be debarred for apartheid, why should Pakistan not be banned for promoting terrorism? As cricket is a national obsession, it will hit Pakistani psyche hard.

Raising the Balochistan issue was a master stroke and a game changer. If Pakistan can cultivate a Kashmiri separatist constituency within India, India can cultivate a separatist Baloch constituency in Pakistan. If Pakistan can dedicate its Independence Day to Kashmir, India can dedicate its Independence Day to Balochistan, Gilgit, Baltistan, and PoK.

Expectedly, the world at large has displayed great understanding of India’s stand. Not a single country has faulted India for its statement on Balochistan. India should also support independence of other provinces like Sind. Pakistan must be splintered into as many countries as possible. The aim should be to reduce Pakistan to its current Punjab Province only.

Therefore

Peace is a two-way process. Both parties have to desire it. India cannot be friends unilaterally while Pakistan pursues a path of vicious hostility. Pakistan was created on the ideology that the ‘pure’ cannot coexist with the infidel; it is naïve to expect Pakistan to have a change of heart. If Pakistan adopts a conciliatory stance, it would amount to negating the two-nation theory, the raison d'être for its very creation.

It is time India stops living in a fool’s paradise. Pakistan will always be a devious and cunning neighbour. It should never be forgotten that deceit, betrayal, duplicity and perfidy are synonym with Pakistan. Therefore, it will be in India’s interests to get reconciled to an antagonistic Pakistan and tailor its approach accordingly.

In world affairs, timidity is considered a sign of impotence and not sagacity. Rogue states like Pakistan understand the language of retribution only. Having failed to make Pakistan see benefits of a rancour-free relationship, India has no reason to be apologetic.

India should stop claiming that a united Pakistan is in India’s interests. There cannot be a more blinkered view. Its break-up is a necessity for the peace and progress of the region. Surgery is generally considered to be ultimate course of treatment for fatal tumours. Malignancy afflicted Pakistan is no exception. India must help trigger the required implosion. *****  

OROP, Suicide and the Aftermath

OROP, Suicide and the Aftermath

Major General Mrinal Suman

Time for some frank speaking.

The news of the suicide by retired Subedar Ram Kishan Grewal on November 1 was highly upsetting. Precious life of a veteran had been lost. Expectedly, true to their selfish agenda, the political parties and the media played up the tragic incident to score brownie points. Kejriwal announced an award of rupees one crore to the deceased’s family. Award for committing suicide – even the insurance companies do not cover suicides.

However, the most disconcerting was the reaction of some of the veterans. Many went to the extent of eulogising Grewal as a martyr in the cause of OROP. When the head of IESM claims that his sacrifice would not go in vain, one hangs one’s head in shame. Since when, have we (the soldiers) started equating suicide with martyrdom and calling it a sacrifice? Suicide is no act of bravery. It is an act of cowardice. It shows pessimist, defeatist, despairing and escapist tendencies. It is a sign of a loser.

Soldiers are fighters and never capitulate. His suicide goes against the very grain of soldierly traits. As per the military convention soldiers who commit suicide are not accorded military funeral and colleagues attend the last rites in civil dress (and not uniform).

Reasons for Suicide

VK Singh has been unfairly criticised for his comments. Court of Inquiry in respect of every suicide case is mandated to seek detailed information about the mental state of the individual. Taking one’s own life is not a typical human response of a sound mind, whatever is the distress. A man has to be in a disturbed psychic condition to take such an extreme step.

Let us see the reasons for the suicide. Although a detailed enquiry will only reveal the truth, press reports have indicated that Subedar Grewal was upset as he was getting a pension of Rs 23,000 instead of Rs 28,000 due to some miscalculation at the bank end. Hence, it was a case of delayed payment and not denial of entitlement. In due course, the anomaly would have been sorted out and he would have got his full entitlement with arrears. His pension would have gone up further after the award of the Seventh Pay Commission.

As Sarpanch of his village, he was living a life of respect and dignity. He was not living in penury. As per IESM, Subedar Grewal had never participated in OROP agitation. His colleagues and friends saw him leaving the village on the fatal day in a pleasant mood. He got a request typed for a meeting with the Defence Minister on 31 Oct. Instead of submitting it, he wrote the suicide note and swallowed poison the very next day.

Evidently, shortfall of Rs 5,000 in pension could not have been the trigger for suicide. Has the current wave of negativity in the social media created an environment of disenchantment and resignation amongst the veterans? Did the prevailing pessimism overwhelm Subedar Grewal? If that be so, all agitating veterans are guilty of abetment.

  

OROP and Agitation

It is a misconception that the government was forced to grant OROP because of the agitation at Jantar Mantar. We agitated for so long during the UPA regime. We returned thousands of medals: a junior official from the President’s office condescended to receive them. We wrote letters in blood: government refused to accept them. Instead of understanding our demands, it was repeatedly asserted by UPA that OROP was not acceptable as a principle.

Let us accept the fact that no government gets coerced by such agitations. Did the current government succumb to the long-drawn strike by the students of the Film and Television Institute of India against the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as the chairman? No.

If the weak and corrupt coalition government of UPA could brush our demand aside nonchalantly, what could have forced a strong and stable NDA government to grant us OROP? It is the same antagonistic bureaucracy. The difference: solid support by Modi-Parrikar duo. Had they not overruled all impeding elements, OROP would have remained a pipe dream. One recalls the unabashed boast of a conceited defence secretary that OROP would be granted over his dead body.

Undoubtedly, the NDA government could have handled the issue with more grace and sensitivity. Due to poor perception management, it has failed to earn credit for granting OROP (whatever be the form). Unfortunately, the environment got vitiated first by some senseless remarks by the ruling leaders and thereafter by our most outrageous action of burning medals. We forgot that medals are our nation’s recognition of our service. They are not given by any political party. Many contain Ashoka emblem and the ribbons carry tricolours. Burning them showed us in a very poor light.

We want annual equalisation of pension and not five-yearly. The government finds the task of issuing fresh PPOs to over 20 lakh veterans every year to be a gargantuan challenge. We may not be fully satisfied with the response, but then all negotiations between the government and its employees must be carried out in a spirit of accommodation. Ultimatums do not serve any purpose.

Spreading Disaffection and Despondency

The current atmosphere of increasing discontentment and despondency is worrisome. To further their own political ambitions, some veterans are trying to drive a wedge between the government and the soldiering community. Through a well-orchestrated misinformation campaign, they are injecting cynicism and distrust in the environment.

Modi promised OROP and has never retracted from his promise. He sought time to sort out the details. But the veterans who had waited for 40 years were not ready to give him even one year. Instead of reposing faith in Modi’s assurance, they intentionally overplayed some imprudent statements of lesser leaders to generate disconcerting doubts. It was a deliberate ploy to find an excuse to restart the agitation to remain in the limelight.

Some time back, considerable misinformation was being spread about the application of the seventh pay commission. Many self-proclaimed experts were convinced that the government would play iniquitous. However, recent government orders have proved the doomsayers wrong. Multiplication factor has been made applicable to post-OROP pay.

No Prime Minister has ever spent Diwali with the troops. Instead of lauding Modi for that, we accuse him of theatrics. When he pays tribute to the soldiers by saying that the countrymen can sleep because the soldiers are awake, we call it hollow talk. When he says that he has come to celebrate Diwali with his family (soldiers), we call it ‘drama baji’.

When the government says that in addition to paying arrears worth Rs 11,000 crore, it is accepting an annual OROP outflow of Rs 7,500 crore, we start equating it with the loan write-offs of farmers or bad loans of the banks. We forget that UPA had budgeted a princely sum of Rs 500 crores for OROP. 

With malicious intentions and ulterior motives, even other issues are being played up to incite the soldiering community. Status of the service officers is one such issue. Citing continuous downgradation since the Independence, the environment is being vitiated with all sorts of allegations against the current government. Yes, Modi and Parrikar are being faulted for the recommendations of the third pay commission as well.

A recent circular by MoD regarding equivalence of ranks is being used as ammunition to cast aspersions on Parrikar’s credentials. It is conveniently overlooked that he has ordered a review of the matter. No previous defence minister ever questioned the bureaucracy. In any case, such issues are better fought by the serving brass.  

Finally

We have a group of Modi-baters whose sole objective is to show him down. Every single issue under the sun is been listed out to justify soldiers’ unhappiness. Such veterans are doing immense damage to the nation. Healthy criticism is welcome but spreading disaffection amongst the soldiering community against the government is not.

Our continuous agitation for better pay has been disappointing many admirers of the soldiers. They wonder if we will ever be satisfied. It will be sad if we the veterans acquire an image of habitual cribbers.

A word of caution will be in order here. Every issue that concerns the soldiering community has three cogs – political leadership, bureaucracy and military. Since Independence, Indian military has been suffering (both in status and emoluments) due to the hostility of the bureaucracy and the apathy of political leadership. With bureaucracy and political leaders joining hands, military was always been the loser.

It is the first time that India has a political leadership that is pro-military. Both Modi and Parrikar have proved their sincerity beyond doubt by demolishing the 40 year old resistance of the bureaucracy to the very concept of OROP. They have delivered what the previous governments declared unviable.

Modi and Parrikar have been fighting our battle against an antagonistic finance ministry and the entrenched bureaucracy. Instead of appreciating it, many veterans continue fanning anti-government sentiments. Such a trend has the potential of putting the political leadership off. And, the bureaucracy is just waiting for that to happen. Let us not lose the support of the current political dispensation.

Finally, are things as dismal as being made out? Is such a state of dissatisfaction justified? Has not our financial state improved considerably? These posers are of immense importance. Veterans need to do some serious introspection rather than get carried away with the prevailing wave of gloom. Self-pity and persecution complex are not the traits soldiers are known for.*****