What can you read from media, about Corruption in India?

Anti-corruption drive and the hue and cry over the Jan Lokpal Bill across India might be snowballing into a mass movement like no other. The sheer uniqueness of it is attracting attention of the general masses. If this is going to be an agent of fundamental change to the way India attempts to Govern itself, is to be seen.

Meanwhile, I have been observing the news media on this topic with some interest, both within India and outside of it. And living far away from India as I do, I am also as aware as the next person, of the way various Governments, and organizations do things. And hence I, like many others in my position, might have developed a view point different from the mainstream either in India or outside.

I thought I shall jot some of my observations here:
Many electronic news articles both written and video, cover this story mainly analyzing humans involved in the anti-corruption protests, such as Anna Hazare, or Baba Ramdev, or about political parties and their jostling. Some also cover the senior leaders of the Government.

What is woefully lacking, is an analysis in depth, of the subject itself - corruption.

Let us see what one can find on the topic, today, the 17th of June 2011, on the internet.

1. IBN Live : It says BJP has ceded ground to Anna Hazare on the anti-graft fight.
2. Rediff - Retired Col Anil Athale made a good article, advising Anna and Baba to start a mass movement first and not a fast. The article was short, but I liked it. It shows how fast was successfully used towards smaller goals by Gandhi. But he did not fast for independence. He created a huge mass movement of awareness regarding colonialism. Likewise, the Baba and Mr. Hazare might consider working towards creating awareness across the nation in a real mass movement. As Mr. Athale says - there is no shortcut to revolution, even a peaceful non-violent one. I like this short article. It at least acknowledges a few things, albeit indirectly. These are : a) There is corruption that is so entrenched and deep-rooted that it need for something like a revolution, albeit a peaceful one, b) While it criticized the Baba and Hazare, the focus was about the method of protest rather than the credentials of the protesters. While I like the article, I would slightly disagree with Mr. Athale. Yes, fasting in itself will not remove corruption, and yes, there is a need for mass movement and raising of mass awareness. But, I feel, unlike Gandhi’s time when he had to travel the length and breadth of India and slowly build a mass movement, today, internet and the media has the ability of spreading the word equally effectively and widely. I further believe that this is happening right now. One could argue if Hazare and the rest might concentrate more on the mass movement and less on the fast etc - but in general, it is my perception that there is a mass movement initiating, albeit sans Gandhi and without the need, at this point of time, to have any identifiable leader. Corruption itself is proving to be an unifying issue to bring in disparate groups together. Anyhow, Col Athale offers a fresh point of view. Good show.
3. The Guardian, a British paper has an article by Jayati Ghosh called “Why are the Indians suddenly angry about corruption?”.  I liked it. She analyzes the issue of corruption itself, and also analyzes the strange behavior of the Government in dealing with it. The behavior, she says may be indication that: a0 Many of the senior members of the ruling leaders are deeply involved in corruption and are stashing black money abroad, or b) India’s recent growth itself is based on corrupt practices, designed to enhance the elite class and further disenfranchise the poor.
4. The Hindu has an article analyzing Anna Hazare instead of corruption and the link between money, elected officials, bureaucracy, judiciary and the state law enforcement apparatus.
5. The Deccan Herald has an article named “Confronting Corruption”. The article says that the blight of corruption has started prejudicing the common people against democracy itself and that is a dangerous trend. Overall, I consider this article to be balanced and of high value. There are several good points raised here. The basics are as follows: a) India’s story of democracy is generally good rather than bad, if compared with how it worked with majority of nations that got independence after WWII. b) Considering the diversity of the people, the alternative to democracy might be fragmentation. c) Civil society is within its rights to ask for stringent anti-corruption laws. A few high politicians swiftly tried and if guilty given a fitting punishment would likely deter future politicians or bureaucrats. But, China often does that - execute corrupt officials. And yet, on world ranking, China and India rank close to each other, both way way behind the least corrupt nations. This means, deterrence alone is not enough - a multitude of factors must help each other in reducing corruption. The article believes that that is happening, and slowly but surely, corruption will be on the wane. But meanwhile, civil society is in its rights to ask for stricter rules.
6. BBC has a headline - Indian activist will resume fast. BBC has fallen a lot in recent years, and now verges on the border of being reporter of trivia.
7. Times of India’s article headline asks - Will Rajani(kant) join Anna Hazare? Not worth reading.
8. Money Life’s article : Arrogance of power is killing democracy. Amen
9. Kolkata Telegraph has an article criticizing Anna Hazare’s team in asking for powers beyond constitution. The article seems to totally ignore the issue of corruption, and focuses primarily on Anna teams power grabbing. Like most mainstream, the Kolkata Telegraph is by and large a trivia bottom feeder.
10.  The Economic Times has an article covering Kiran Bedi speaking at the Chicago council of Global Affairs, on the issue of Corruption. She identifies the loss of revenue to India through corruption to be about US$ 16 per year. I like her focus on the issue.
11.  Times of India covers Mayavati slamming Congress for corruption. Another trivia feeder. The Indian Express joins Times of India, quoting Mayavati who called Congress the mother of graft. The Hindu too picked up on it.
12.  NDTV shows an elderly Murali Manohar Joshi of BJP (I think) accusing the Govt of India of corruption. What else is new?
13.  Wall Street Journal in the US has a different and expected angle - that India lacks a conservative base. The article headline calls it Conservative Vacuum. Wall Street Journal, in its wisdom, believes being right wing republican pro corporate anti people is the solution to everything in life, from rising sea level to saving the tiger.

Well, I could go on with a hundred more - but you get the picture. The mainstream news media promotes trivia, even relating to the anti-corruption drive. The mainstream seems to thrive on trivializing anything and everything. But there are good analysis outside of main stream. And foreign articles are as varied as the Indian ones.

The root issue, corruption, has caught attention. The solution is by no means going to be easy, or quick, or simple. Mass movement would be needed, and some feel that is happening now. Middle class is unlikely to sustain it by themselves - but the poor are coming forward to join. The elite in India are unqualified to fix this problem, and they will not fix it. The politicians are largely corrupt, along with many in the bureaucracy. So, changes for the better is not going to be initiated by them either. Therefore, a civil society that can pull in the poorest of the poor may be needed.
The fourth pillar - independent press - leaves a lot to be desired, especially the main stream. But then that is the case all over the world.