BJP received Rs 1 lakh from Dow chemicals

For much of the past 61 years of independence, India’s populace have spent many hours of their lives reading and looking for the available information - and sometimes the elusive quo, as in quid pro quo, meaning the payoffs - in many a corporate, political bribery and campaign contributions scandals. That there have been tens of thousands in these 61 years, there is no doubt. What did all those industries and individuals get or expect to get in return for their hefty campaign contributions to incumbents to all these political parties? Why, both at home and abroad, did they respond with such alacrity and largesse to these corrupt solicitations? As usual, the search for evidence of specific rewards for the money has been availing and non-availing, as has been true in many political bribery criminal cases for years. There have been a few demonstrable examples of particular official favours granted directly for money. But, to the frustration of prosecutors and investigators and media sleuths, many have just been shoved under the carpet despite widespread suspicions and charges. This has been taken as vindication, as evidence of innocence by whichever party is being suspected, investigated or charged. “You can’t prove,” they say, “that Old Moneybags got anything from the Congress, BJP, UPA or NDA or Communists in return for their gargantuan contributions to both.”

That all the parties to these kickbacks are always lieing to the public has been proved many a times. They continue to lie because they know that the public, most of the time so often have a skewed idea of the “system” they deplore and do not know or do not have the time and the means to look deeper. The investigators, accusers and media sleuths will try to see if there is even a single, identifiable payoff such as one-shot legislative relief of a problem or a personal tax break or something like that, which was given in undeniable return for the money. If the pervasiveness of the enormous campaign donations by single industries and individuals to incumbents of these parties should tell us anything, however, it is that we are not dealing with a system of old-fashioned bribes here. We are dealing with something else: what has been familiar since ancient times as a tributary system. Those who pay tribute are (or believe they are) buying the right to function as they wish, to be left alone, not to be set upon by those with official power to harm them, a right to be treated with special consideration, to be allowed to cross the king’s terrain in peace. They are under the king’s protection and marauders and bandits thwart them at their own peril.

In antiquity and also in medieval times of Chanakya and at the time of British in India this idea was well understood. The patronage and high regard of the potentate were invaluable coin, as useful to commerce as they could be essential to personal security. It struck me as oddly provincial last year, when people were expressing their horror that Raj Thackeray could so unashamedly get himself photographed with the chief of police at his daughter’s wedding and all those foreigners would pay so much for nothing more than a photograph with the President, that one response was that we didn’t understand the importance closeness to the leader had in their cultures. Surely from our own mob protection rackets to the influence-peddling claimers of close association with the powerful to the profit-seeking publicity hound who also benefits from seeming to be in special favour with the leader, Indians have not been slow to understand the return they get for the tribute they pay. At the local level in old-style, big-city party patronage politics nothing was more dearly understood. Likewise in gang turf struggles and other unsavoury enterprises with which we are familiar. It is security at a price.

Yes, it is true that in the campaign-funding world, the benefits aresometimes identifiable and concrete and that many more of them than we know have always been tucked into obscure legislation and bureaucraticrulings, to become apparent only when, by accident or snitching, one of them drops out. And even if you cannot prove the causal connection between the money given and the business break received or political position changed — and many such pairings have been uncovered — that does not mean there was no causal connection. But even without them our newly enlarged and all-encompassing bipartisan tributary system would continue to exist and flourish. People would persist in trying to buy goodwill or at least an environment that is not hostile from those with the power to grant them.

King's Protection? But, you say, we don’t have a king. And you are right. Between the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Lok and Rajya Sabha and the Chief Ministers, members of the legislative councils and legislative assemblies and all the agencies under their control as incumbents, we have many kings who can grant or deny you safepassage. Campaign contributions in our tributary system are meant to propitiate them all and to discourage attack by those who are beholdento or afraid of them. They do not, of course, have monarchical power. But the reason this particular campaign-contribution form of tribute has burgeoned in recent years is that their powers have grown enormously.Over the past two decades, starting roughly with a few anti-corruption legislation, the Central and State governments have acquired an ever more expansive role in the affairs of business, industry, professions and institutions than it began to have before. Its power in these realms is neither monolithic nor unchecked. But it is surely large and potentiallyvery consequential to most of those who make the huge donations. As in most such systems, the receivers of the tribute are hardly passive or unaware participants in the transactions. They may pretend not to understand how the system works but they do. And they also, as we know, do their best to see that everyone ponies up the price of safe passage.

I know there are other reasons that the size of campaign contributions has increased so much. And I know there are vast numbers of people who give (much more modestly usually) on the basis of wanting to see the party representing their political views prevail. But there is something else at the core of the outpouring of huge sums of money into the parties’ coffers from all around the world these days. The Congress, UPA who are beneficiaries of the money have, oddly, left it out of their familiar complaint about the way-too-big size of the Central and State governments. So have the BJP, NDA one of whose leader has been quoted as saying that “the era of big government is over.” Not even close. You willknow that the era of big government may be over in Delhi or the State capitals when the campaign-financing tributary system has closed down and people are no longer proffering their cheques with the message, less traditionally defiant than newly defensive, “Don’t tread on me — please.”

I fully agree with you.Many earthquake affected poor families of kutch still living in the self made tents,RSS and BJP distributed all the donations to well to do families only.Modi is slogan monger "Sharif Badmash".

who are poor people..the terrorists who are killing innocent peoples ??so

You cannot justify the chori of one chor by mentioning the chori of another chor. Both are equally condemnable and both Chors should be in jail. Take out your party political coloured glasses and see through the transparent glass you fool. These bloody politicians are all the same. They are looting you and me and the whole nation while you are standing here and shamelessly justifying their acts.

Yes, it may be true that BJP is taking donations from corporations and other agencies! It is a well known fact that Congress is fed crores of rupees by big corporations and Congress run states are generating crores of rupees through corruption! In such an environment, no political party can survive on ideas and honesty only. After indepencence, Congress ruled the entire country fo almost 4 decades with unquestioned authority and perfected corruption. Indira Gandhi destroyed every institution and we do not have credible adminstration, either at States or Centre! It is only when Congress is buried 20,000 leagues under sea that the country will have a clean society!

Even when you bury Congress 20,000 leagues under the sea, what you have are petrol pump chors, hawala racketeers, Fascists and murderers like Narendra Modi. You still won't be free. You would still be slaves of these arrogant Fascists. True Indira Gandhi and the Congress destroyed all institutions but at least Dr Manmohan Singh and P. Chidambaran are clean and have a lot of economic brains. What all these Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena, RSS, VHP thugs know is hate-mongering and rabble-rousing and shouting Hinduism Hinduism just as Muslims are shouting Islam Islam everywhere and everytime. They have no economics brains. You say political parties cannot survive on ideas and honesty only. You need to take cues from British political parties and their superb system where politicians are unseated on the most minutest of misdeeds in comparision to India where politicians are such a sticklers to their Guddis. So stop dreaming. India will not have a clean society even if Congress is buried.

Near elections Sonia Gandhi will go to Amethi and buy people. The price is one dhoti and five rupees, these bought over "voters" will go and vote for Congress. And you expect them to change the system ?

Probably you forgot that such people can be purchased by small money during election time. Both political parties and their wealthy patrons know it very well. And that’s the only time these people really matter for the country and all political parties. They are ready to suffer 5 long years, yet afford to forget everything while casting their votes; simply for a couple of drinks and some money to buy food for a few days. That’s how our “democracy” works, till now and there is no reason to believe that it will change in near future.

I partly agree with you. But have you noticed the rise of extremism (terrorism, Naxals in many parts of India), extent of discontent, increasing tendency to take laws into their own hands by common people? Do you think any political party can ignore that for long? After all, the survival of the present political system is at stake and no sane political leader can afford to ignore that. Their own survival is at stake now.

'No sane political leader can afford to ignore that'! But where are sane political leaders? Is it Arjun Singh, who says that Congress should fight the next elections, projecting Raul Gandhi as Prime Ministerial candidate or is it Pranab Mukherjea, who seconded that stupid idea! These two fellows are in Manmohan's cabinet and know that he is going to be PM for the next year or so! Why was there no outrage in the country when such stupid suggestions were made by worthless politicians/sychophants? Why were these two fellows not dismissed by Manmohan Singh? The Home Minister, a fellow who was defeated at the hustings and who should not be Home Minister in the first place, says that the person who bombed Parliament House, may be considered for a pardon! How can the country control naxals and terrorists? With the present crop of politicians, the country is doomed and God has to decend again to protect it!

A handful of sane politicians, we have, are really worried about the situation. Check the following news item. "Speaker for 'right to recall' errant MPs": http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080052970 "(Somnath) Chatterjee said the degeneration in the essentials of the electoral system caused by negation of socio-political values poses a serious threat to democracy”.

Somnath Chatterjee is a Chinese appointed agent, his party with 56 MP has made an elected government defunct. Commies always get elected under democratic rule but make sure it was the last election, just watch Nepal.

Raju ji, I am sure you are not from Bhopal and non around you suffered. I request you to understand and feel our pain. Had you been here, we would show you what the Bhopal tragedy is all about. Please dont hurt our sentiments.

I have no intentions to hurt you but what has been said by is the fact and if it is bitter, so be it. The money is still rotting in bank must have doubled by now. The Center has to release those funds or may be those funds got eaten up!

Raju is only mentioning that it was Rajiv Gandhi who under sold Bhopal victims by interfering wrongly and accepted only 400 millions. But where is the money ? Have you got any ? It seems Congress has gobbled it.

'Three leading Bhopal Gas Peedit (sufferers) organisations have assailed the ruling BJP party for accepting Rs one lakh donation from Dow Chemicals'In the first instance, why are there three organizations when there should be one and only one strong organization should espouse the cause of victims and fight for justice! This is the bane of Indian politics! Congress is adept at [divide and rule' and it does not hesitate to stoop to any level and create rift amongst victims and vitiate their energies, much to their own detriment! The fact remains, it was Congress which was at the helm at the time of tragedy and it is solely responsible for the aftermath

The news about Rs. 1 lakh donation by Dow to BJP is true. Documentary evidence for the same is available in the form of a response by the Central Election Commission to an RTI request. All parties have to report contributions received in excess of Rs. 20,000. The payment was made by Dow Chemical International Pvt Ltd through a Citibank cheque. The three organisations are: Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmachari Sangh, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangarsh Morcha, Bhopal Group for Information and Action. The press release based on which this story is made is at: http://bhopal.net/blog_pr/Thanks, International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal