The Dark Knight and Corruption Nightmares..

It was a Corporate Banking assignment which had been due about a week back and I had submitted it late, as usual. The professor, Mr. Sridharan, an ex banker, wanted us, management grads, to contemplate the depreciation of Indian Rupee, the reasons and solutions and submit it as a two page essay.

My essay was scrutinized for the content and the learned professor pointed out a glaring mistake in my report. I had included corruption as a reason for the depreciation. Well, he was right, I had included it after much deliberation to fill in the empty space (well I had forgotten about the solution part and listed just the reasons and hence the empty space!).

Today after reading two news articles, one about the upcoming fast by Team Anna and another about Russian ambassador, Mr. Alexander Kadakin, ‘warning’ about the investments by India’s ONGC in oil exploration in Russia might run into a Russian Winter if the Supreme Court judgment on license cancellation has adverse effect on Russian Sistema Telecom’s Indian venture, I can’t help but believe corruption does play a role, albeit, a trivial role. Well it isn’t the corruption, literally, since Russia is more corrupt than India. All the vigilantes that have raised against corruption, drawing more airtime and in the process a lot of negative publicity to Indian corporate, government and putting the pressure on a reform-starved Judiciary to deliver overzealous verdicts to appease a corrupt population making them believe they are being forced to be corrupt.

I may be prejudiced here given my disgust for Team Anna and their campaigns which I feel distort facts. I would like to see an honest, non-corrupt bureaucracy with a transparent government at its helm but then I have a feeling that it is like an ideal engine (a carnot engine), possible only theoretically. Even the country lauded for its non-corrupt system has them all.

Well it is Batman season and let me take a quote from the movie.

..as a symbol I can be incorruptible..

Harvey Dent: When their enemies were at the gates, the Romans would suspend democracy and appoint one man to protect the city. It wasn't considered an honor, it was considered a public service. 
Rachel Dawes: Harvey, the last man who they appointed the Republic was named Caesar and he never gave up his power. 
Harvey Dent: Okay, fine. you either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. 

Now do I have to tell you who I think are the enemy and Caesar in case of India? Fine, Corruption is the enemy and Lokpal or the Corruption Crusaders may well be the Caesar.


God save my country!!!