The last month has witnessed some big-ticket entertainment,
coming not only from a cricket league but also from the spectacle of a Union
Minister and a powerful cricket czar exchanging public blows in relation to the
affairs of the league, resulting in the revelation of various alleged
malpractices being indulged in the organisation of the tournament. Various other
public personalities and organizations have also been dragged into the fight,
with their actions also coming under the public scanner. The last month also
witnessed the arrest of a senior income tax official at Thane, while in the
process of collecting bribes; the official seeking to implicate her senior. What
is the connection between the two events?
Both these happenings are evidence of the fact that the urge
to make money at any cost has permeated all spheres of our society and resulted
in the debasement of the functioning of various organisations and institutions.
The IPL has generated tons of money for the organisation (and others?), and, in
the bargain, seems to have attracted all sorts of malpractices to generate
further funds. The allegations indicate that the IPL seems to have been run as a
closed club to generate unimaginable sums of money for those who were fortunate
enough to be close to the organisers. The fight seems to have been caused by the
desire on the part of the organisers to keep gatecrashers out of the party.
Over the years, unfortunately, one has seen politics becoming
a highly profitable business, just as organised crime has always been highly
profitable. The unimaginable amounts that a politician—the son of a labourer—had
earned during his short stint as Chief Minister of a mineral-rich state, would
put most businessmen to shame, and would probably suffice to meet the needs of
quite a few generations. The mind-boggling amounts which some bureaucrats and
tax officials are rumoured to demand and earn in a year far exceed an entire
lifetime’s earnings of most people. Entertainment and sports are now big money
spinners, and the combination of the two, which the IPL represents, is a highly
potent mixture. No wonder IPL has attracted the attention of businessmen,
politicians and, as rumoured, perhaps even the underworld.
As the old song goes, “Money makes the World go Round”. It is
true that money greases the wheels of business and commerce. Nobody disputes
that everybody requires a certain amount of money to lead a decent life. Making
money is fine, so long as it is not at the cost of throwing values to the winds.
The problem really arises when the greed for money overtakes all other human
emotions and values and the pursuit of money is seen as an end in itself, and
not as a means to achieve the end of leading a quality life.
Unfortunately, in India, the general values of life seem to
be taking a backseat more and more to the business of making money at any cost.
Corruption is just one offshoot of this trend. Power is seen to be associated
with money. A person with money power believes that the law can be manipulated
to his advantage to serve his own ends. While the common man is invariably
harassed for minor transgressions of the law, even major violations are swept
under the carpet if the right influence is exercised. Are we therefore
unfortunately metamorphing into an unequal society, with different rules for the
haves and the have-nots? This has the potential to create unrest and
dissatisfaction, which could create difficulties for the entire country.
For truly sustainable progress and development, it is
essential that every person has equal opportunity, and is treated equally under
the law. For proper functioning of civilised society, enforcement of laws has to
be evenhanded and firm—having laws which are selectively enforced is a sureshot
recipe for chaos. Only a society which rewards merit and innovation can progress
in the long run.
A related question is whether we, as a generation, are guilty
of not doing enough to impart true education to our succeeding generations,
thereby increasing the potential for chaos? With children more and more exposed
to the outside world, the influence of parents (or grandparents) over children
is not as much as it used to be in the past. Extra efforts are required to
counteract stronger negative external influences. Our education system, being
based on secular ideals, does not make any attempt to inculcate human values in
our children. These values are to be found in all religions—respect for others’
lives, property, etc. In running down religion in the name of secularism, are we
doing ourselves a disservice? The products of our education system may be
wizards at making money—but have they been brought up with values conducive to
being members of a civilised and peaceful society, where everybody can live in
harmony?
Each one of us needs to take some time out to think—are we
merely enjoying the fruits of our forefathers’ efforts, or are we making efforts
to contribute to a value-based society, so that our successors too will be able
to live in a better world? In what way can each of us contribute to restoring a
sense of values in society collectively?
