I am amazed by how I continue to be shocked by instances of corruption in India: starting from 1987, there hasn't been a year where a scam hasn't rocked the nation. The numbers have gotten bigger, and now have reached a point that my brain no longer comprehend them: how much is 1.76 lakh crores worth ?
And yet, as a scam-battered citizen of the modern India founded by the likes of A Raja, Madhu Koda and Suresh Kalmadi, I find the latest revelations in the Karnataka land scam deeply disgusting. Consider, for instance, the list of people to whom Chief Ministers of Karnataka alloted 1300 acres of land at throwaway prices. The CMs are, under a provision that bestows a discretionary quota, entitled to give away land for 'public persons'. As one would expect, most of these people are politicians or sons/daughters of politicians.
There's something profoundly disturbing here: what are the achievements of some of these people? The only one I see is that they were hatched from an egg that was fertilized by a politician's sperm. This biological lottery makes these fully-grown zygotes entitled to everything: prime land worth crores of rupees, seats in the legislature, live targets to practice their shooting skills, etc. If there's nothing, then there's at least chairmanship of Khadi Gramodyog or Fisheries commission. Then fully-grown zygotes in turn will fertilize even more eggs - the evolutionary cycle continues.
No wonder the scam numbers continue to astound - the next generation is much smarter, fitter and better in adapting to the environment modern India provides.
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