When will governments erase mafia writ on governance?

The question is not who silenced upright civil servant Durga Shakti Nagpal. The questions are: should a civil servant take on the sand mafia illegally quarrying away rivers right under the police's nose? Should she have ordered razing of a mosque wall illegally built on village land in an era of divisive politics when there is a competitive political clamour to protect even alleged illegal acts of minority communities in the name of secularism? It is very difficult to pinpoint when mafia began to influence governance. Initially, they operated clandestinely without bothering commoners as they got their pie easily after satisfying greedy politicians, bureaucrats and police. 

But years of comfortable existence in protected environs multiplied their breed as they diversified operations. Now, they have spilled on to the road. In full public view, they loot the public of their legitimate due, the exchequer of taxpayers' money and the earth of its vitals. The sign of their operations was first read by Rajiv Gandhi. On a visit to Odisha's Kalahandi, one of the most impoverished districts in India, the then PM in 1985 actually expressed helplessness when he said for every one rupee sent to the common man, only 17 paise reached him. 

A quarter century later in October 2009, Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia told a seminar that a plan panel study on Public Distribution System (through which highly subsidized food grain is distributed to the poor) found that only 16 paise out of a rupee reached the targeted population. Who took away the colossal amount of money that was spent on paper between 1985 and 2009? In this year's budget, the earmarked amounts are: NREGA Rs 33,000 crore, PM Gramin Sadak Yojana Rs 21,700 crore, mid-day meal scheme Rs 13,215 crore, Integrated Child Development Scheme 17,700 crore, Backward Region Grants Fund Rs 11,500 crore. 

So, if one considers the calculations by Rajiv and Ahluwalia, would it mean 85% of these funds too will end up in the pockets of politicians, bureaucrats, police, contractors and the mafia? Does the question sound preposterous? And one would also wonder what could be its link with the shunting out of Durga Nagpal? 

On July 9, 1993, the P V Narasimha Rao government had set up a committee under then home secretary N N Vohra to "take stock of all information about the activities and links of mafia organizations/elements, for further action". With inputs from Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, and the heads of the CBI, Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Vohra produced an explosive 100-page report on October 5, 1993. It was immediately kept under wraps. Huge public pressure reflected through people's representatives forced the government to table it in Parliament on August 1, 1995. 

How could someone running the country remain silent after reading the Vohra report? Some excerpts: "There has been a rapid spread and growth of criminal gangs, armed senas, drug mafias, smuggling gangs, drug peddlers and economic lobbies in the country which have, over the years, developed an extensive network of contacts with bureaucrats/ government functionaries at the local levels, politicians, media persons and strategically located individuals in the non-state sector. Some of these syndicates also have international linkages, including foreign intelligence agencies."  

(Download here: http://www.indiapolicy.org/clearinghouse/anti-corruption.html )

"In certain states like Bihar, Haryana and UP, these gangs enjoy the patronage of local level politicians, cutting across party lines and the protection of governmental functionaries. Some political leaders become the leaders of these gangs, armed senas and over the years get themselves elected to local bodies, state assemblies and the national Parliament. Resultantly, such elements have acquired considerable political clout seriously jeopardizing the smooth functioning of the administration and the safety of life and property of the common man causing a sense of despair and alienation among the people." 

"The big smuggling syndicates having international linkages have spread into and infected the various economic and financial activities, including hawala transactions, circulation of black money and operations of a vicious parallel economy causing serious damage to the economic fibre of the country. These syndicates have acquired substantial financial and muscle power and social respectability and have successfully corrupted the government machinery at all levels and yield enough influence to make the task of investigating and prosecuting agencies extremely difficult; even the members of the judicial system have not escaped the embrace of the mafia." 

"Certain elements of the mafia have shifted to narcotics, drugs and weapon smuggling and established narco-terrorism networks especially in the states of J&K, Punjab, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The cost of contesting elections has thrown the politician into the lap of these elements and led to a grave compromise by officials of the preventive/detective systems. The virus has spread to almost all the centres in the country, the coastal and the border states have been particularly affected." 

With no tangible action taken on the ground to decimate the mafia in every sector and corroding governance like termites, there is little hope of the rupee reaching the poor and honest civil servants getting a pat on their back. Well, one would ask - If the mafia is getting all pervasive, will there be a time when the country will need no politician, bureaucrat or police? http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow1/21608175.cms