Fat cats become predators, babus bloat on basic instinct

Our favourite obsession is that corruption is endemic to India. But is it so?

Mohun Guruswamy Delhi

Corruption is a complex word with many meanings, depending upon the context of its use. For instance, if a language or text were to be altered it would also be described as a form of corruption. So would the CNN-IBN’s LK Advani interview promos, which by some mendacious editing, had him saying things he did not intend or say, as was clearly evident in the full interview.

In the present times, when we say a file in a computer has been corrupted, we actually mean it has been spoilt and the original cannot be retrived. But the corruption we have in mind for now refers to its most common usage, which is also India’s main discussion topic. This is the lack of integrity in government.

Wherever one may be, in a party or on a train or with friends ostensibly for just shooting the breeze, the topic of conversation invariably veers around to corruption. From the sheer incidence of discussion it is clear corruption is India’s numero uno concern. And it would be so if periodic opinion polls were considered to accurately reflect the people’s mind. It should then be that corruption is quite endemic. But is it so?

According to Transparency International, the total economic volume of corruption in India last year was about Rs 30,000 crore. When you relate this to the GNP of over Rs 25,00,000 crore, this is small change. Or even when you relate this to the Rs 1,90,000 crore the nation expends in terms of salaries and pensions on the 19 million strong nation of public servants who lord over it, this is small change indeed. So where, then, is the disconnect? The truth probably lies somewhere in between, as it usually does.

The present reality of Delhi is instructive. The city is now the richest in the country in per capita terms. Almost a third of the total number of new motor cars sold in the country is purchased in the National Capital Region (NCR). Its direct tax collection is almost as large as that of Mumbai. It consumes more booze of the Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) variety, and foreign-made foreign liquor, which is mostly Scotch whisky. Even discounting that some of the Scotch is local brew packed to look like imported stuff, it’s still quite a lot of it.

In recent days we have been reading about some ‘Johnny come lately’ industrialists plonking down over Rs 150 crore for a house in New Delhi’s posh localities. Admittedly, they are not that many, but most of South Delhi is made up of crorepatis if just the commercial value of their houses are considered. India is reported by Forbes magazine to have about 87,000 dollars worth of millionaires now. About half of them live in the NCR. What, then, is the main business of Delhi?

Is it industry? Is it IT? Or is it ICE — information, communication, entertainment?

The total industry in the NCR region is impressive, but its share in the regional economy is not more than the national trend of about 22 per cent of the GDP. Mumbai and Chennai have more industrial output. Bangalore has more IT. Hyderabad has more ICE. As a wag once said, Delhi’s main business is hot air — meaning politics and paper, meaning government. So how is it that a metropolis that is all about gas and red tape be so wealthy?