[Assam] Criminals and politics in Assam

[Pradip Kumar Datta]

Criminals and politics
 
The arrest of State Education Minister Ripun Bora on the charge of offering Rs 10 lakh as bribe to the CBI that has been probing a political murder case where the Minister is one of the suspects is shocking and shameful. It has lowered the prestige of not just the ruling Congress, but the entire State. The unprecedented incident has once again brought to the fore the growing criminalisation of politics. If any proof were needed to show how powerful politicians are habituated to wielding money power to subvert the process of law and shield their criminal activities, this is one. Bora’s act of offering bribe to the premier investigating agency would only go to substantiate his complicity in the Daniel Topno murder case. Just a month back, the Supreme Court had indicted Mani Kumar Subba, a three-time Congress MP from Assam, on a forgery case. Proven instances like these two, together with numerous serious allegations of crime and corruption against many
 politicians, go on to show that the political class has degenerated beyond redemption. While the law may have caught up with Bora and Subba, the fact remains that a majority of their ilk manage to come out unscathed – something that explains the unprecedented criminalisation of politics. 

Crime and corruption have affected politics in such a way that it is getting increasingly difficult to differentiate between one and the other. Bora’s case itself illustrates this phenomenon – the bribe he tried to pay the CBI to cover a crime widely believed to be committed by him obviously did not come from his hard-earned money. The developments have also landed the Tarun Gogoi-led Congress Government in an uncomfortable position. Coming at a time when it was unnecessarily gloating over the perceived success of two years in office, Bora’s arrest has certainly dented its ego and put its credentials in poor light. Indeed, the Chief Minister, who has made it a habit to arrogantly brush aside serious allegations of corruption and criminal activities levelled against many of his colleagues, should be pleased that on this occasion proof is not lacking. Ignoring grave charges against members of his party would only expose how criminal elements have
 come to dominate the Congress. However, this deep-rooted malaise is restricted not just to the Congress, but has affected all the parties irrespective of their ‘ideologies.’ The developments concerning men like Subba and Bora have ominous implications for the political system, which is fast turning out to be a haven for criminals. While political parties are doing no good to their cause by accommodating corrupt elements within their fold, it is high time the electorate recognised such people and rejected them outright. Source: Assam Tribune