Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Stop criminalized politics' that was published in Newsband

Stop criminalized politics

Corruption is easy to diagnose but difficult to cure. Top politicians often pay their way through legal battles. The conviction of AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala in the disproportionate assets case is a surprising news. Sasikala had to face the full wrath of the Supreme Court, leaving her to spend four years in prison.

Politically, this could not have come at a worse time for Sasikala, who was making a determined bid for power, staking claim to form the government after displacing one-time loyalist O. Panneerselvam. Her demonstrating the support of a majority of the members of the legislature had no effect on the Governor.

Though the verdict sentencing the politicians and their cohorts is once in a blue moon, it sends a right signal. Corruption in the high places needs to be rooted out of the system for India to survive. It is time to look into the loopholes in the anti corruption laws of the country by the Supreme Court and suggest measures to strengthen them. The convicted corrupt elements should not be allowed to escape using the legal loopholes. In India, the politicians are just like kings who think themselves above the laws and the wealthy among them seldom pay any taxes. The special treatment to the political parties in the IT Act should be withdrawn.

The delay of eight months in delivering this judgment could be because of the hospitalization and subsequent death of Jaylalita. The petition was filed against Jaylalita and three other parties during 1998. It took 18 years to convict all of them guilty in the dis-appropriate assets case. However, the SC came to a rational conclusion which is good for Indian judiciary system.

People also should shoulder the blame for all these evil happenings. They appear to idolise and sanctify heroes and heroines based on the image building that is engineered so successfully. The media should also share the blame for twisting and misreporting and being the handmaid of the powerful and people who matter. It is high time that a sea change takes place where only the true leaders who care for the people not the vultures take over the reins. Dominance of criminalised politics and innovative skills of driving the SUVs through the loopholes in the legal system should be stemmed and brought to an end. Politician invest money in vote catching and reap the investments manifold with or without the active support of the henchmen in the wheels of statehood. Lot of changes are awaited but will there be a dawn or a dusk?