WikiLeaks: the aftershocks now in India

Here in the US, where yesterday's news becomes staler than the stalest in a context of the 24x7 news cycle, and when Japan and the Middle East have overwhelmed us, and rightly so, it is not any surprise that WikiLeaks barely registers a blip anymore on our radars.  Thus, there is pretty much no ripples from the news of the unusual and cruel treatment of the alleged leaker, Bradley Manning, and the recent resignation of the State Department spokesman, P.J. Crowley, over this matter.

But, the effect of WikiLeaks is now being felt big time all the way across in India.

The Hindu has a special on the Indian connections to WikiLeaks, and India Today lists "eight bombs" of which the #1 is:

Wikibomb 1: Congress bought MPs for 2008 trust vote.
US cable suggests MPs from Ajit Singh's RLD were paid Rs. 10 crore each by the Congress during the 2008 trust vote.

To the common man (aam aadmi) in India, politicians being bribed isn't exactly news.  It is a given that it is a rare exception when a politician is considered "clean."  What is new then?  Phenomenal evidence, from information leaked by outsiders who have no personal investment in the outcomes.  The Hindu reports:

In a cable, dated July 17, 2008, sent to the State Department (162458: secret), accessed by The Hindu through WikiLeaks, U.S. Charge d'Affaires Steven White wrote about a visit the Embassy's Political Counselor paid to Satish Sharma, who is described as “a Congress Party MP in the Rajya Sabha ... and a close associate of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi considered to be a very close family friend of Sonia Gandhi.”

Mr. Sharma told the U.S. diplomat that he and others in the party were working hard to ensure the government won the confidence vote on July 22. After describing the approaches the Congress leader said had been made to the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Akali Dal, Mr. White drops a bombshell of a revelation:

“Sharma's political aide Nachiketa Kapur mentioned to an Embassy staff member in an aside on July 16 that Ajit Singh's RLD had been paid Rupees 10 crore (about $2.5 million) for each of their four MPs to support the government. Kapur mentioned that money was not an issue at all, but the crucial thing was to ensure that those who took the money would vote for the government.”

Lest this should be construed by the visiting diplomats as an empty boast, Mr. Sharma's aide put his money where his mouth was: “Kapur showed the Embassy employee two chests containing cash and said that around Rupees 50-60 crore (about $25 million) was lying around the house for use as pay-offs.”

Well, the ruling government won the crucial confidence vote, and the coalition (UPA) continues in power even now.  As one can imagine, the opposition parties are trying their best to seize the opportunity, in the grand traditions of carpe diem.  Again, The Hindu:

The Opposition sought to mount pressure on the government outside Parliament too. At separate press conferences, both the National Democratic Alliance and the Left parties said that Indian democracy had been “maligned” and demanded the immediate resignation of the government.

Not that the politicians from the opposing camp are saints!  But, all these make for interesting political theatre, while the common man is screwed by the corrupt politicians, rising food prices, ....

So, even otherwise, how does India compare with other countries when it comes to corruption?  According to Transparency International, India ranks at # 87 out of the 178 countries analyzed.  Guess who else shares that same ranking?  Albania, Jamaica, Liberia.  Excellent company, eh!