If you were to go through the 100 frequently asked questions on the model code of conduct put up at the official elections website (www.pib.nic.in/elections2009/), you would rub your eyes in disbelief. After seeing TV grabs of distribution of hard currency to voters, hearing sound bytes of incendiary speeches and going through the dubious track record of some of the contestants, the code seems completely incongruous with the reality on the ground. Yet, the aspirational benchmark it sets for a nation which is perceived to be one of the most corrupt in the world is impressive.
Here is a sampler of the code — finalised through a consensus of all political parties way back in 1968 though first effectively put to use only in 1991 — explained through questions and answers. Note how many times the “b” word comes up:
Frequently asked question No. 72: Is wearing of special accessories like cap, mask, scarf etc of a candidate permitted during campaigning?
Answer: Yes, provided they are accounted for in the election expenses of the candidate concerned. However, supply and distribution of main apparels like saree/shirt, etc by party/candidate is not permitted as it may amount to bribery of voters.
Frequently asked question No. 75: Whether a candidate can print and distribute the diary/calendar/sticker depicting his image or image of Gods/deities etc?
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Answer: No. This will amount to bribery under section 171E of the Indian Penal Code.
Frequently asked question No. 76: Whether distribution of printed “Stepney covers” or other similar material containing symbol of party/candidate or without depicting it is a violation?
Answer: Yes. In case it is established that such material has been distributed, a complaint may be filed before the area magistrate by the district administration against distribution of the said material under Section 171 B of the Indian Penal Code.
Frequently asked question No. 54: What are the main guidelines for political parties/candidates while making election campaign?
Answer: During the election campaign, no party or candidate shall indulge in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic…Parties and candidates shall refrain from criticism of all aspects of private life, not connected with public activities of the leaders or workers of other parties…
It is quite a stickler of a code for a country which ranks amongst the top four in the 2008 Bribe Payers’ Index of Transparency International released just three months ago. Even the giving of a diary or calendar can amount to bribery under the code. Of course, there are other gems in the code too that bar appointments and postings during the enforcement period, disallow usage of religious places for election propaganda and prescribe limits on usage of official vehicles for official work only. There is even a green plea in the code in the form of an entreaty to political parties and candidates to try to avoid the use of plastic for posters and banners in the interest of environment protection.
There are aspects of this code that one would like to see in place even when we are in non-election mode. If sainthood is forced on the candidates during election time, it is only fitting that they broadly abide by the code even after they are elected. If the giving of a calendar by a party or candidate can be construed as bribery, then the taking of gifts much higher in value by the same party or candidate cannot be acceptable — surely not gifts and cash donations worth crores of rupees (think Mayawati).
That there is a cost of bribery, corruption and nepotism is well-known and that this cost is borne most by the poorest — since corruption is said to be like a regressive tax — is also known. Yet, there has been no serious attack on corruption from any political party, all of which claim to be poor-friendly. Poverty alleviation programmes worth tens of thousands of crores have come to naught because of the “leakages” along the way. Yet those same programmes have been increased in number and magnitude without addressing the leakage problem.
Corruption is the single largest problem facing the nation, and it is a growing problem. In the 2008 Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, India slipped sharply to the 85th position against 72nd the previous year among 180 countries. Overseas investors cite increasing levels of corruption as one of their top three concerns in the country.
Corruption blunts every attack on the other problems the nation faces. One often hears talk of zero tolerance for corruption in the corridors of power, but sees very little action. The new government, whatever its contours, would do the biggest service to the nation if all it did was attack this menace.
One way to do that — and perhaps the only way — is to ensure exemplary punishment for the corrupt, whether they are in politics, government (read bureaucracy) or business. This would ensure that the risk of corruption far outweighs the reward. There is a growth dividend that will follow any dent in corruption — since corruption shaves off a few percentage points from economic growth — and who can argue against growth in these times!