Dear Friends,

Jai Hind.

An email and enclosures received from Col Karan Kharb, a social activist, are appended below.

We all must give whole hearted support to the All India Anti-corruption Movement and actively
participate in the movement.

Kindly help in wide circulation of the contents of this email. THANK YOU.

Vande Matram
In service of Indian Military Veterans
Chander Kamboj.
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Corruption –The New Lethal War

(Karan Kharb)
‘Breaking enemy’s will to fight’ has been an effective military doctrine practised by warring nations
for centuries. The mechanics of achieving such strategic long term goals are always covert,
indirect and innocuously camouflaged to be inserted into the mainstream of the targeted nation.
In Indo-Pak relations, it is particularly significant because having suffered successive defeats and
even its dismemberment at India’s hands in the past; Pakistan’s options for waging a
conventional military war against India remain seriously hampered unless India’s fighting potential
and will is weakened. Fortunately for Pakistan, this is now happening!
Discontent in India’s Armed Forces, world’s third largest, has been growing over the last few
years. Reassuring explanations of the top brass notwithstanding, the malaise has amply
manifested itself in the increasing cases of suicide, fratricide and indiscipline at junior levels, and
officers queuing up for pre-mature retirement. There is still a deficiency of about 15000 officers in
the Armed Forces. Even the 2.3 million strong military pensioners feel cheated by the corruption
ridden dispensation. The resentment is so intense that they are returning their medals en-mass
and joining Anna Hazare and other Satyagrahis in their crusade against corruption.
A long held military suspicion now turning into belief is that the top political leadership and
bureaucracy are too busy in self-serving pursuits. The ongoing spate of scams, each bigger than
the other, inundating the media everyday is reinforcing this belief. While a few generals seem to
have taken a cue from them and embarked on ‘Adarsh’-like misadventures to make a quick buck,
the larger military leadership squirms in anguish over the worsening scenario. The tsunami of
India’s corruption in higher echelons defies imagination and dwarfs past scandals like Bofors,
Harshad Mehta etc to mere ripples in a bucket. What can be more shameful than the affirmation
of the recently sacked CVC PJ Thomas in his affidavit at the Supreme Court that all nine IAS
officers empanelled in 2008 and cleared by the CVC for Secretary’s post including himself, were
tainted by charges of corruption, misappropriation, embezzlement, land grab and possession of
disproportionate assets.
Even as high-tech Indian brains are in the forefront everywhere in the world and Indian industry
tycoons are acquiring world’s multi-billion dollar companies, our own Armed Forces remain
humbly dependent on imports for their major war-like requirements. Who is perpetuating this
dependence on others? Obviously those who have tasted blood in the kickbacks and those who
wish to break India’s will to fight. It is not for nothing that Pakistan is pumping tons of fake
currency notes into India!
Even countries like Israel have developed their defence industry to such an extent that besides
enhancing their self-reliance, it is also raking in sizeable revenue and expanding their area of
influence through crucial exports. If we look at the United States, it surprises no one that despite
a devastating economy meltdown, it still remains No. 1 Power in the world. Reason: her military
might.
In India’s case, this crucial aspect has remained neglected due to rampant corruption. The fast
spreading epidemic has already acquired an element of respectability and systemic acquiescence
as can be seen from unhindered promotion of officers indicted and accused in numerous cases to
higher positions thwarting all legal processes through mutual support. In a microchipped cross-
culture environment when younger generation watches corrupt officers and politicians prospering
through crime with impunity, the evil of corruption turns motivator and invites more to join in.
Efficiency goes for a toss yielding way to callous performance as is manifesting today in our
police and civil administration all over the country. Honest and efficient officers are exceptionally
rare – and, hunted and harassed for their integrity, they are the endangered category on the
verge of extinction. This is an era of paid editorials, paid justice, paid ‘darshan’ in temples, paid
‘ghost’ employees and so on. This is how corruption destroys moral fibre of a nation!
With dhan-kubers like Hasan Ali at home why will our terrorists depend only on Pakistan now for
funding and support? Mentors and fund providers are readily available indigenously aplenty.
Daud’s investments in Bollywood and other businesses like airlines, telecom, cricket and
benami/pseudonym deals is no secret. In our Parliament, we have seen MPs raising ‘paid
queries’ and hurling sacks of currency notes paid to them to ‘buy support.’ If you thought it
couldn’t be worse, hold your breath. Even judges have found corruption a lucrative pursuit.
Today we have a horde of tainted judges including retired CJsI who shamelessly cast aside their
honour and dignity for an easy buck. With character of our leaders, bureaucrats and judges
having degenerated to these levels, on what grounds can we believe they will not be seduced to
surrender like prostitutes throwing all ethics, morals and faiths to the wind?
Let us not be fooled by the much hyped economy boom. Wealth, like beauty, in the absence of
credible power to defend and retaliate, can be a serious liability tempting the greedy and leering
goons. Nearly 40% of the country’s frustrated population is already under Maoists’ influence.
Caste based reservation initially conceived as a social leveller has led to infusing more bitterness
in the society driving even the higher castes to agitate and demand their pound of flesh in the
loot. A new phase of ‘future wars’ is lurking around. To start with, these future wars in our context
will be unleashed clandestinely through benign looking social organisations and schemes
patronised by the powerful – you know who! The current Indian scenario is just perfect for the
enemy to deliver the final blow. The latest WikiLeaks exposes now show how foreign powers are
already ruling India through remote control.
In the anatomy of our governance, let us assume political leadership representing nation’s head
(brain), bureaucracy its heart and military its muscle. They are all vital organs of the body and
none can survive unless there is absolute harmony among the three. Muscle atrophy, we know,
can reduce the otherwise conscious and growing body to a vegetative and helpless existence
compelling the patient to beg for euthanasia. Even heart’s very own existence is unthinkable
without a vibrant muscle casing. While each requires constant care and nourishment, muscles
give meaning to physical existence through vigour and action. In the current Indian context, it is
not difficult to diagnose the disease. The RTI ‘CT scans’ and the ‘sting op’ angiography reports
supported by second opinion expert committees like CBI, ED and media confirm the disease is
two fold: partial paralysis and enlarged heart with clogged arteries. Excessive intake of fats,
alcohol, nicotine and overeating are known causes of cardiac and cerebral failures. They have
devoured public money and bloated uncontrollably adding flab even as the muscle power starved
for energy and nutrition. India’s super specialist physician – the Supreme Court – is doing its bit in
saving the life of the nation but addiction to corruption has rendered the medication ineffective
and the decay continues. There is an immediate need for a comprehensive surgical operation to
save the country and restore its health.
Now, the critical question is who takes charge of the National Security to salvage the situation?
________________________
The writer is a bestselling author, a military veteran and a social activist.
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Col Karan Kharb (Retd)
A/27035/GSB 14 January 2011

Dr. Manmohan Singh

Honourable Prime Minister of India,
7, Race Course Road,
New Delhi-110 011
Fax No.011-23019334

Implementation of ARC’s Recommendations already accepted by your Government

Respected Sir,
1. As a Working Committee member of the Gandhian Satyagraha Brigade, I am writing
this to invite your kind attention to our detailed letter dated 15th October 2010 and reminders
dated 18th November and 13 December 2010.
2. When you became India’s Prime Minister, you infused plenty of hope in the people
because you were seen as a class different from the rest of our politicians. Today, however, I
regret to say that all our hopes have been belied. Perhaps realising the perilous spread of
CORRUPTION, you have often expressed your concern; Mrs Mrs Sonia Gandhi has been
eloquent too; the Supreme Court has expressed its anguish over the raging menace; but nothing
concrete is seen being done. Scams have become routine stories and every new scam is bigger
and bolder than the previous one. Scams like Bofors and Tehalka now appear tiny affairs. As if
scams were not enough, we now have the Chief Election Commissioner disclosing that there are
a 1000 registered political parties launched only to ‘launder money’!
3. India is being projected as 21st Century’s fast growing Economy poised for a
dominant global role. And yet we do not seem to know how to keep food prices within aam
admi’s reach or how to save poor farmers committing suicides. Tribals and rural folk in many
parts of the country are so disillusioned with the callous Administration that they find diktats of
Naxalites/Maoists fairer, more judicious and speedier. Even in cities like Delhi and Mumbai, deep
ravines of poverty and lofty cliffs of affluence co-exist in two distinct civilisations that are
geographically together yet centuries apart. All these are but symptoms, Sir; the cause is
CORRUPTION!
4. Evidently, we lost the breed of principled leaders and officers who, in the face of
slightest allegation, would voluntarily resign and submit themselves instantly to scrutiny. Today,
besides our highly controversial and unrelenting CVC, there are judges maligned in PF
misappropriation, bribery and other scams administering ‘justice’ in courts – lowest to the highest;
ministers and bureaucrats facing serious allegations and enquiries, and still sticking to their chairs
with shameless audacity rendering the government ridiculously impotent.
5. In the on-going parliamentary stand-off between the Government and Opposition
over JPC, the battle that should have been a joint onslaught against CORRUPTION, has
degenerated to mutual mudslinging and one upmanship. The crying need of the hour is that all
political parties must join hands to fight the common enemy – CORRUPTION – unitedly.
6. Sir, you surely did not dream of an India in such a mess. It can, however, still be
rescued and put on your cherished highway provided you consider immediate implementation of
some very vital recommendations of the Administrative Reforms Commission appointed by your
Government in its previous tenure under the chairmanship of your current Law Minister, Mr
Veerappa Moily, namely:
(a) Appointment of an effective Lokpal. (Please note that the present draft bill circulated
by the Govt suffers from serious inadequacies and will render the institution of Lokpal powerless
and defunct from the very start. It, therefore, needs to be substantially improved before
adoption);
(b) Confiscation of illegally acquired property and
(c) Disqualification of candidates seeking election to Parliament and State Legislatures
against whom criminal cases have been registered/charge sheets filed.
7. Interestingly, your Government is also understood to have already accepted these
recommendations and no political party or organisation has ever expressed any opposition in this
regard. This initiative being an all-encompassing composite mechanism against CORRUPTION
may also serve you to reconcile the parliamentary stand-off on JPC more amicably and
honourably.
8. Here I must also inform you that the Gandhian Satyagraha Brigade has launched
Satyagraha with effect from 1st January 2011 demanding positive government action on the
aforesaid demands. Shri Shambhu Dutta, a nonagenarian freedom fighter and Mahatma
Gandhi’s contemporary, and six other highly respected personalities from different parts of India
have already resolved to go on FAST unto DEATH with effect from 30th January 2011, Martyrs’
Day (Mahatma Gandhi’s Death Anniversary) unless the Government decides to implement these
recommendations against corruption.
9. I sincerely hope and believe that for implementation of the aforementioned
recommendations the Government will not need supreme sacrifice of these veterans who have
given their best in the service of the nation and society, and are still determined even in their
twilight phase of life today to do more to brighten our tomorrow.
Yours Sincerely,
Sd/-x x x
(Karan Kharb)