Money follows power

So, politics and money-making are inseparable these days. Gone are the days when politics was a selfless vocation entirely dedicated to the cause of the land and its people. There was a time when scions of zamindar families, in total rejection of wealth and affluence, came to politics in order to liberate the country from colonial rule and establish a just society based on the principle of equity. Today, people from humble background, not enough material possession to boast, enter politics only to wallow in wealth once they have completed their stint with state power. This explains why candidates and parties put money on politics. Money breeds money here. There is hardly any chance of incurring loss unless one ends up in the losing side in a national or any other election for electing people's representatives.

Quoting the assets, as declared in the nomination papers submitted by candidates for the 10th parliamentary election, two leading national dailies have reported fabulous multiplication of the possession of a number of people who either directly wielded power or were fortunate enough to be in the corridor of power during the past five years. No matter if one was a power wielder or a power broker, the essential truth is that some among the fortunate seem to have at their command Aladin's Lamp, with the help of which their assets grew by 100 times to more than 300 times. Even the laggards had enough opportunity to get their possessions doubled or increased four-fold.

Detractors say that the declared assets are not all. There are hidden possessions and even a few had accumulated wealth in others' names. Whatever may be the case, about one thing there is no doubt that the opportunistic tradition of making the most of positions and privileges was set a long time ago. The fact that people's representatives have defied all attempts and even instructions for submitting their wealth statements is indication enough of the ulterior motive. Earlier, power wilders and brokers went about accumulating wealth with no holds barred as they did not have to account for the practices they resorted to for sudden fabulous material possession. It is because of this, there was ample chance for someone to rise from a pauper to a prince.

Even when it is near impossible to escape prying eyes of the media, politicians have not abandoned the rags-to-riches legacy. That the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) was rendered toothless and clawless was not for nothing. Money speaks no matter how it is acquired. To lay hold on big chunks of money, there is need for abusing power. Only in rare exceptions, people can resist the temptation of making easy money. Where the culture of corruption gets the go-ahead, it hardly needs an explanation. Transparency at the top echelon alone can stem the rot. Even if the highest seat of power remains free from the abominable practice, there is no guarantee that the regime can root out monetary malpractices - particularly when it turns a blind eye to financial dalliance down the rank. The concessionary measure of allowing whitening of black money speaks for the administration's attitude towards making unearned money.

Perhaps no honest business can match the rate of accumulation of material possession by politicians. No wonder why political ranks, particularly of the two contending parties, continue to swell unabated and there are opportunists who jump over the fence in an effort to receive favour unaware that they vitiate the political atmosphere.