Greed Couldn't Be Better!!!!

This may be the Year of the Tiger of Chinese, but for India, this is the Year of Scams, an annus horribilis of sorts!

First, we started off with Modigate, then Kalmadigate, then Rajagate, and then Adarshgate, and then Radiagate and now LICgate. Wait a second, am I losing count now?

I cannot imagine how we are getting through all this crap.

Rajagate for instance, we are told, cost our country Rs. 1,76,000,00,00,000/- - that's ten zeroes, a good Rs. 1.76 lakh crore.

Simple arithmetic will show up startling results. If indeed this amount of money was swindled in the scam, then the Raja has deprived each poor Praja family of approximately Rs. 20,000/-. And that's a hell lot of money for many.

This calculation assumes that the scam money were to be distributed among 30% of 1.2 billion people who are near about or below the poverty line. The broad numbers assume that each family would have about four members.

The Rs. 20,000/- per family could have had multiplier effects - each family could have opened some small form of enterprise - say a tea stall, a tyre repair shop, newspaper vending etc. bringing each family a steady stream of income. In all probability, this would have led to a better life for the marginalised sections.

I hold the Prime Minister and the First Family personally responsible for allowing all this under their noses. How was it that all this happened and despite their knowing it, they chose to ignore it? Were there more beneficiaries than we know of publicly?

Just as we were witnessing the curtain raiser of Rajagate, LICgate and Radiagate broke out.

It is common knowledge that corporates employ services of middlemen to pursue their business with public sector banks.

We all know that lobbyists, like Ms. Niira Radia, have always had a field day in Delhi. We all know that the media had always made themselves available to certain business and political interests, little wonder Radiagate revealed some names.

Was it that the unveiling of LICgate and Radiagate were diversionary tactics to suavely silence the rabble and the media? There is too much of a coincidence to all this.

Once the attention of the rabble has been diverted, the media silenced, the loot will be evenly divided. And tickets to Zurich will be in demand.

In March this year, I thought Greed was Good, but today, Greed Couldn't Be Better, couldn't be sexier!!!!