Leaders grow rich, poor become poorer

Has politics become the fiefdom of the rich, the corrupt and criminals? That is the hypothesis one tends to draw from the findings of a study conducted by Association for Democratic Reforms, which found that 95 per cent of the sitting MLAs in Karnataka have assets over a crore and more than a third had criminal cases filed against them.

The suspicion also arises if politics is the best mode in the current age to serve as a ‘money multiplier’ for some legislators who have assets running into hundreds of crores. In fact, if a part of this money had been pumped into bringing about change in the grim profile of their constituencies, Bengaluru would have long ago, as former CM SM Krishna once wished, become a Singapore! Not that making money is a crime – the times are gone when people tended to scorn the rich with that feeling now replaced with a sense of awe and admiration.

But the question one will have to ask oneself is whether rich politicos with no qualms about falling foul of the law, are the best role models for our aspiring youngsters? Or are they knowingly or unknowingly sending out a message that few have succeeded in politics and polls without breaking the law?

The overbearing influence of crime and cash in the life of a politician inevitably diminishes the intensity of his or her efforts to do good to their constituency and the people at large. Considering the great leaders who toiled and sacrificed during the struggle for freedom to free us from the yoke of colonial rule, we would all like our leaders to have that element of greatness and self-sacrifice.

But going by the manner in which politics has evolved in the past few decades, the urge to serve others and bring a smile on the faces of the deprived, seems to be the last thing many politicians have on their minds. It is an accepted fact that only those who have faced the pangs of hunger and gone through the tortuous journey of poverty and joblessness can really understand what it means to live on an empty stomach and sans a roof over one’s head.

And Karnataka is not far better than many other states when it comes to tackling poverty – reports claim that one fifth of the more than six crore population of the state are poor and there are lakhs and lakhs who do not have a roof over their heads. It obviously proves that elimination of poverty and providing housing to those who deserve them the most, do not rank high on the priority list of most politicians.

It’s high time to break from the shackles of the past and ensure that only those who have the cause of the vulnerable close to their hearts are chosen as public representatives. This is easier said than done considering the free flow of cash and freebies in every election that politicians of all hues use to lure voters. Money and muscle power that come into play when elections draw near, ensure that those who genuinely care about the good of the people never get a chance to represent them.

Less of attention-seeking gimmicks and more of genuine public service – that’s what people would be expecting from the politicians they support and send to the Assembly every five years. And people are hardly concerned about whether their leaders are wealthy or not – as long as much-valued funds intended to implement projects and schemes meant for their welfare, are not siphoned off by self-seeking leaders.

Going by the mind-boggling figures on the increasing wealth of our leaders, only a vigilant people and forums dedicated to public welfare can make sure that public funds are utilised for the intended purpose and do not disappear into private vaults