“AAP LOG HO TO ANDHERA NAHI RAHEGA” – A SCRATCH NOTE ON TRUST, COLLUSION

In the course of continuous travel through villages in Sualkuchi, Hajoe, Nalbadi, and few other places within Assam in one day, this above title line became the recollected quote of the day. This quote came from a villager in Nalbadi. It was directed to franchisee operations of a local NGO that has brought trust and hope in the life of villagers. The trust is that as long as the NGO and franchisee operations are there, life in the village will not be without light.

According to villagers, franchisee operations have ensured better electricity provision of services for them. Inspite of that, franchisee operations are also facing the problem of hooking, pilferage in the lines that provide electricity for these people. According to comments made by local people, this pilferage is often happening owing to collusion between local lineman, feeder maintenance engineer, certain officers and the police force. In some cases, meter damages are also happening in local circles. It is however not clear whether any other agent is also engaged in meter damages that is hampering the proper revenue collection and metering of electricity at the local circles of operation. There is a need for monitoring at the local circle to enhance the success of operations within these local circles.

Collusion between these people facilitates pilferage and villagers are often being deprived of timely, quality power supply. Now, the question is - Can we stop this collusive activity to sustain the trust of people on franchisees and in the power delivery systems which has developed over the years?

Incentives in the form of giving power to the agent engaged in the collusion to stop this activity can be thought of as one of the ways. Will information disclosure norms to stop bribe taking and collusive behavior be a way to reduce this activity ensuring better power supply for villagers? There is no definite answer to this because it is not clear why these agents will disclose the act of theft when it appears that implicit support from the existing agents of institutions exists. However, one should remember that there are honest, dishonest people on both sides and people who want faster provision of electricity to villagers are also fighting against this implicit support.

However, there is still a need for institutional reforms which can be the first step. Such reforms have to bring in effective monitoring and coordination at the local circles between all agencies engaged in the delivery of power to remote villages. All institutions have to join hands and work together giving each other space and showing faith on each other in the journey of providing electricity to villages through franchisee operations.
The contention is that policies should be enforced which in no ways should allow the trust of the people to go down from the system of power delivery through franchisee which has developed over a time of 5 years. Rent seeking, lapses in an institutional system would always try to hinder the infusion of efficiency in delivery of services. It will happen more when new mechanisms, operations will reduce rent seeking volumes of the agents (who were earlier reaping rents) from the system. However, policies should prioritise the welfare of villages/villagers who become the beneficiaries of these service provisions. This should be done by checking rent seeking activities. It might not be reduced immediately as bribes, collusive corruptions cannot be stopped overnight. It will continue to exist as long as human race exist because corruption is a form of living of human beings. However, policy pragmatism has to be there to check and reorient it in a way so that beneficiaries in the villages are not harassed in owing to the existences of these loopholes.

Sometimes that pragmatism for checking and reorientation can come in the form of legalization of information disclosure of collusive corrupt practices through provision of incentives. However, they have to always be supported by strong institutional and governance reforms at each level that deal with the implementation of any policies. These will be required for larger development of people in the villages through means of basics like power supply. Such provision will enhance the trust of people and then more people will quote in the way with which this scratch note started. At this juncture, when our country is marked by rifts between the have and have nots in the extreme rural areas, the decision and policy makers have no room for complacency to loose this trust that has developed and been developing amongst the villagers through some of the government schemes across India.

“Harassment Bribe” and “Inflation”: An Integration

Inflation can be caused by both demand and supply side factors. Monetarists often give a view that cutting demand driven expenditure through reduction of supply of money into an economy can curb inflation. However, inflation is not only being driven by demand side factors. Bottlenecks in the supply of goods can reduce the good availability and can lead to a price increase. Supply of goods can also go down with a rise in the cost of production of the goods. Some of the factors that hinder supply of goods are production shortfalls, enhancement in the cost of inputs used for producing goods. This can further translate a rippling effect on prices of goods. Goods supply into markets can also be hindered if the distribution networks between sources of supply to markets via mandis, wholesaler, and retailer are not working properly. It might not work properly, if hoarding happens and prices are hiked up artificially by hoarding. This hike in price of goods arising from artificial hoarding and inefficient distribution networks can contribute to inflation.

People and agents can be engaged in this artificial hoarding to earn bribes and premiums from wholesalers, retailers who finally channel the goods into the market from where common people buy. Agents can harass buyers at certain points of the value chain like in mandis, wholesaling outlets to give money and get the goods at a higher price premiums by artificially raising prices at every intermediary stage of the total value chain.

This kind of rent seeking through artificial hoarding can be seen as a corrupt practice. It can be viewed as a corrupt practice by a group of people who does not supply adequate agricultural goods at the right, real prices for mass consumption. They are doing this for satisfying their own money and profit making greed through artificial hoarding even though there is enough supply of goods at the ground by the farmer. Further, if they ask for bribes and money from buyers at certain points of the distribution network to streamline the goods supply to market, it can be seen as a form of harassment bribe demanded by these agents.

Agents who demand these bribes in the economy can further collude to increase rent seeking over a period of time. However, fall outs of this rent seeking can be felt in the inflation and in the burning pockets of common individual who goes to the market and buys essential agricultural food grains for daily consumption. Having said all these, let us now look onto the mainstreaming of the above said points into the context of the Indian economy.

If we see the high rate of inflation in the Indian economy, one fact which immediately comes out is the contribution of high price of agricultural goods (arising from supply side factors) in the overall inflation. Data suggests that such contribution is high and owing to such a supply side contribution demand side factors and monetary measures are not the right means to tackle inflation. Once we pause back and ask why the price of these goods are rising in the Indian economy, we get some inconvenient directions.

In the recent past, we did not have a large amount of production shortfalls in pulses, food grains, agricultural goods (like sugar) but still their prices have been soaring high facilitating a double digit inflation. Then, why these prices are rising. Here we come to face the fact that how in Indian economy, hoarding of agricultural goods have artificially raised the prices. These hoarding practices suffer many times from the type of harassment bribes we have mentioned above. We also see large amount of food grains which are rottening in warehouses while the prices of those food items are soaring high. Seeing all this we can realize that distribution networks, agent behaviours in such distribution networks fraught by collusive, corrupt practices of rent seeking can be some of the major contributory factors.

It is over here, we have to think whether legalization of such harassment bribe will also lead to a reduction of corrupt rent seeking practices finally leading to lessening of inflation in the economy.

Lets say, we bring a law in our country to disclose information of the amount of rent premium earned by agents within the value chain of agricultural goods through artificial hoarding, collusion and any harassment bribes. People who will disclose the information will be given an incentive to keep a certain amount of the value of agricultural good which was hoarded or related to which which the harassment bribe was exchanged.

Will this ensure that these agents will disclose the value of hoarded goods with respect to which harassment bribes were exchanged? Once they disclose such information, can it be ensured that some amount of harassment bribe reduction will happen in the economy which will thereby free the artificially hoarded goods leading to better distribution of goods. Such supply side inefficiency decline can then contribute to a reduction in inflation. In reality, the mechanism might not be so simple as it sounds over here in this write up.

For realization of translation of reduction of this inflation from disclosure of information, institutions, warehouses, transportation infrastructure and distribution agents have to function effectively to ensure that the goods reach the wholesalers, retailers at the right point of time to reduce any artificial supply shortfalls and price hikes. An independent supervisory body has to regulate this functioning.

However, the regulatory body might not be able to control the political economy of the bribe creation, rent seeking business in the agricultural value chain of the Indian economy. It might happen that existence of rent seeking, harassment bribes within value chain of an agricultural good can be beneficial for the financial kitty of a political party. Elections, political parties and the business of running a political organisation can be funded through the money that comes out of the rent seeking activities within the agricultural value chain. So political parties might want to maintain the bribes, rent seeking activities even though it hurts the common people through rising prices.

If now we ask that – “Has this been happening in any agricultural goods”? Well there are no such empirical evidences, but situation of some sectors sometimes raise a feeling inside us that many such things are happening under the carpet in select agricultural goods. If they are happening, will not a capture of the regulatory body by the political party take place? If such a capture happens, then in such case even if there are information disclosure norms of harassment bribes, defined roles of regulatory bodies, reduction of inflation won’t happen. Or we will require another “Fasting” by social reformers to reduce inflation in food grains by checking corrupt practices in the value chain of the agricultural sector. I think, India’s strong democracy supported by probable and needed new set of reforms in our institutions determining domestic governance will find an answer before any such second round of fasting happens. And this time those reforms will be brought by players of our governance systems viz. politicians, bureaucrats, leaders at each and every level.

When does a gardener teach us about development?

It was 19th September, 2011. The place was a tram station in Geneva. We (which included Nitya, George and myself ) were waiting for a tram to reach WTO (World Trade Organisation). All of us had reached Geneva on that day and had to reach WTO immediately for a session at WTO Public Forum. But, I didnot know on the way to WTO, I would understand the concept of development, the exact definition of which has always been unclear to me.

While we were waiting for a tram to come, suddenly like from nowhere a well built person with short head phones walked across and introduced himself to us. He was wearing a black leather jacket and looked smart in the outfit.

His sudden appearance in the station and his self initiated introduction to us was not very usual. I had a feeling that his appearance was something like the famous apple falling down incident which made Newton discover the concept of gravity. Well, here none of us discovered any concept related to physics. Neither was he an apple. But through the short introduction I came to know something. And that something was nothing short of Newton discovering gravity with the falling apple.

Here was a man who like an apple arrived suddenly and made me realise the concept of development. This person who was well above 60 was a gardener and is living a life with his grandchildren and following his aspirations to travel around the world. He suggested that he is very fond of India and thats why he introduced himself to us after realising that we might be from India. He has been enthralled with the travel to South and South East Asia, land of Buddha at an age of mid 60s (which emerged from the appearance though I didnot ask the age) and is happy to live the life this way.

Question which arose in my mind, is why he has been able to do so. How many gardeners in India will be able to do that! I guess, the answer to this question might not be too optimistic. So this man put us in front of a mirror where we could see what does development mean and how can we call a country developed!

Essentially, it is a state of a country, where every individual even the ones who are belonging to any job or working occupation (it can be blue, white, gardener or anybody) gets the freedom to follow his aspiration and live through his/her aspirations without facing challenges in a social system. The mirror to which I got exposed also taught me that there is a long history through which this state of affairs of development can be reached in a country. And in that journey, several factors like culture, institutions, policies, people, governance mechanisms and so many other unmentioned ones will play a major role.

Will every gardener at far off corners of our country be able to follow their aspirations in the same way as him? I was asking this question to myself. And the more I was asking, it was becoming clear - what development means to a human being and to a nation. I guess, this was till date, the best development economics training session that I have attended. And it was a session that was offered by a gardener in Geneva, Switzerland.

How does one define social innovation?

After the last piece that I had written on this blog platform on the issue of corruption, I got very insightful comments from friends and well wishers. One of my friends questioned the lense of social innovation that I was applying to see the range of activities that have been initiated around us in the recent past regarding the anti corruption movement in India. These questions brought me to the cross roads of thoughts dealing with how does one define a social innovation. In the last blog articles, I did not deal with the definitional aspects of social innovation.
Some continuous thinking on these definitional aspects brought out the following dimensions which I thought to share with readers. The first set of question that emerged is – a) What is an innovation?. Some possible answers to these questions will be - it is a set of techniques, activities, thought processes that generate something new and also has certain element of uncertainty associated with it. Essentially, what these set of techniques, activities will help is getting aware of the abilities and capabilities that are ingrained or which have stayed latent and have the scope to generate a new stream of possibilities. These possibilities happen or not is not sure and hence lies the uncertainty with the outcome. These outcomes will very much depend on the process of innovation. It will also link to the way the existing, latent capabilities are harnessed and converted to fruitful outcomes.
In a society, existence of corruption at various levels can create a hindrance towards this fruitful conversion and can create barriers in harnessing of capabilities and abilities. Abilities are the potential that one is capable of and has been proved through past. Whereas capabilities are the future potential which can regenerate towards fruitful outcomes only through better processes. Rampant corruption in the institutional systems, governance structures can hinder these abilities, capabilities of individuals and can create laggards in functioning of the society. It is over here an anti corruption campaign can trigger off debates, create systems, processes, movements which can thereby help in larger fruitful transformation of abilities and capabilities of individuals in a social system. Because of this reason an anti corruption campaign might be seen as a type of innovation process and since it deals with better effective translation of abilities, capabilities of individuals in a society, it can be thought to be an instrument of social innovation. Though the question still exists that how far these movements can be seen as a social innovation process.
In this aspect of the interconnections between social innovation, capability and corruption, I will like to share an incident which will lead to further objectivities in the science of linking social innovation, capability and corruption. The incident happened while crossing a traffic signal of South Delhi in an auto. The auto in which I was travelling was stuck in a signal. Suddenly then, a person with a snake arrived and asked me to give money. Being irritated, bored with the indifference that I showed to him, he moved away after a while.
But what struck me with this incident was why these people have to do these jobs of getting money easily from people by playing around with the fears of people. Is this way of getting money easily by using snakes in traffic signals is also a kind of corruption? I was not sure with the questions neither with the answers. But if there is an alternative to engage these people in some other activities where their capabilities can be harnessed to generate livelihoods for them, should not that be tried: Or else if institutions, policies and systems are brought in place which harness the skills of these people and nurture their capabilities and shift them away from this money earning procedure should not that be tried. One can also ask if those mechanisms of chanelling the capabilities of these people are implemented then isn’t it a social innovation! This is because it will help them to move away from this way of money earning which to many can be a form of corrupt practice of gathering and collecting money. If that happens then can we call it a social innovation after cross referring to the concept of social innovation that we highlighted at the beginning of the write up.
One thing is clear, that it is not only essential to create the systems, mechanisms of harnessing the capabilities of these people for tackling the corrupt behavior of earning money. But, what needs to be done first is to motivate and incentivize this people so that they stop this practice. This will depend a lot on each of the individual and their psychologies with which they get engaged in this type of money gathering process. If I assume, that the guy who came with the snake and tried to collect money from me is a lover of wild life species like snake, then can he be engaged in snake preservation activities. If we can create a system that can ensure that conversion to take place then we will harness capabilities, freedom, skill and will bring in social innovation as a result of which corruption might also reduce. But let me pose another instance; say this guy who came with the snake has no passion about snake or wildlife and is just engaged in this because it is an easy earning option for him in the absence of alternative employment and livelihoods. Then a social innovation which will counter the corruption will happen only when this guy is directed to an alternative stream of income earning where he feels happy and thinks that he is nurturing his abilities and capabilities through that alternative stream. Here the role of policies, institutions, incentives will be a key. All these have to be bonded together to find out what is the option for this guy in a prioritized gradual mode. Immediately after that, actions have to be designed and taken so that transfer of this guy carrying the snake happens towards a new set of activity from the existing one. In the process he has to be constantly motivated to do this shift. Here the role of public policy will become very crucial. Without active public policy making and its effective implementation this social innovation harnessing the capabilities of the individuals with an objective of stopping corruption will not happen. And the day when it happens, may be we will see the same guy who was holding the snake in some other corner of the city to be engaged in a shop or in an activity where his real interest and capabilities lies upon.

When does social reform follow the process of creative destruction?

Introduction to "Creative Destruction" term happened to me through some writings of Schumpeter during 2009. In terms of a student of "Social Science", once I got introduced to the logical reasoning process of "Creative Destruction", a realisation of noviceness creeped in. It was enhanced when I studied some other readings dealing with application of Schumpeterian thoughts in analysing innovation systems. Few readings are worth mentioning with this respect. Papers by Chris Freeman (studying the relationship between inequality, technology and economic growth), Bengt - Ake Lundvall (exploring the linkages between innovation systems and economic development) and Richard R. Nelson (assessing economic development using evolutionary economic theory) needs to be mentioned.

Now, the point is why I am mentioning about these papers. All these writers in their papers bring out a connection between innovation systems and economic development process. We all know that an economic development process is in many ways guided by social reforms and progress. Rather, these papers motivate us to think how the process of innovation systems, evolutionary economic theory (which counters neoclassical school) raises and pin points to several elements of innovation process that can be analysed to understand social reforms which underlines the development of a society around us. I will just take one activity as an indicator of social reform in this piece of write up.

Let us take the example of the entire set of activities that has been happening encircling around the anti corruption campaign of Anna Hazare. Now when I was reading about the innovation literature mainly following the writings of authors mentioned above, I thought even movements by Anna Hazare in today's context are a form of innovation in bringing changes in the processes by which social systems are operating.

These innovations are trying to constantly bring a change in the modes of operational structures of the institutions, rules that are guiding our day to day activities. Hence, I thought that why cant the integral components of innovation systems approach be applied in trying to understand these activities (Anti - Corruption Campaigns).

A major element of innovation is the presence of uncertainty associated with any activities which are integral components of innovation. Schumpeterian concept of uncertainty tells us that the actor who innovates cannot estimate the probability with which any new innovative action of his/her will bring the result for which the action was taken or originated. Here the concept of uncertainty in innovation is very similar to Frank Knight (Knight, F. {1921}, Risk, Uncertainty, and Profit (Boston:Houghton Mifflin)). Another important aspect of innovation is assimilation of new ideas leading to effective actions instead of only accumulation of new thoughts, ideas. Neoclassical school always talks of accumulation in explaining the behaviour of an economic system behaviour. But the evolutionary school of economics remind us of the importance of assimilation in changing an economy and towards the development of an economy. While reading about all these I was seeing that the anti corruption movement in India has most of these elements.

So, can we say an Anna Hazare campaign as an innovation to change the social systems as it closely follows the concept of uncertainty element of innovation as mentioned in the Schumpeterian way of explaining innovation. All these anti corruption campaign actors in many ways dont know the exact estimate of the probabilities of the success of their action. A large part of their success will also depend on how the social actors and systems assimilate these actions and implement it in their day to day actions. So it is not only about accumulation of more campaigns like these. But the success of these anti corruption campaigns as a social innovation process will depend on how much assimilation of these thoughts happen which will be measured by the effective translation of these ideas of social reforms towards implementable, practical, effective actions.

Another dimension of innovation systems is creative destruction. Schumpeter's writings on "Creative Destruction" suggests that any new innovation creates new markets where some firms loose out, become obsolete and new firms, market structure are born once they become obsolete. Technological innovation plays an important role in that dying out and birth of new firms leading to new market structures. But the question is whether a same mechanism of creative destruction will follow in the society. So analogically, a social innovation like anti corruption campaign has to destroy old corrupt institutional systems, processes and will have to give birth to new ones to maintain the analogy. The answer to these are very unknown to all of us in India at this stage. But that should not stop us from thinking about them.

So the anti corruption campaigns can be identified as a part of social innovation process as they have two traits of innovation - viz. a) role of uncertainty in innovation and b) role of assimilation in determining the success of innovation. Further they might or might not follow a process of "creative destruction" pattern of innovation systems depending on many other social, political and economic factors. It is not clear to me to what extent these anti corruption campaigns can be called as social innovation process. But after doing only little literature review on innovation systems and economic development, these overlapping areas of innovation systems in studying social systems was coming on mind. I am not yet clear about any definitive conclusion about whether anti corruption campaigns can be called as social innovation processes or not. But that doesnot stop any of us to think, write, debate and exchange more thoughts on these issues. These debates only will give a definite direction on whether we can call "Anti Corruption" campaigns or any social reform as a social innovation system process. And this will always raise one question in the minds of all those debate lovers. That question will be - "When does social reforms follow the process of creative destruction?"

Reference:
Freeman, C . (2011), "Technology, inequality and economic growth", Innovation and Development, Vol.1, No.1, April 2011, pgs 11 - 24
Lundvall, B. (2011), "Notes on innovation systems and economic development", Innovation and Development, Vol.1, No.1, April 2011, pgs 25 - 38
Nelson, R. (2011), "Economic development as an evolutionary process", Innovation and Development, Vol.1, No.1, April 2011, pgs 39 - 49

"Harassment Bribe" and "Institutions"

Since the upsurge in the news of corruption in the country, I have been trying to stay stoic to these news and continue doing the daily job of being insync with the project related research. But this stoicism to the loud news' of corruption didnot stay long. As a first step, I thought to read the latest article written by distinguished professor, author, thinker Kaushik Basu titled - ""Why for a class of bribes, the act of giving a bribe should be treated as legal" - Ministry of Finance, Government of India, New Delhi - 1.

The article has been uploaded on the web for wider public reading and invoking thoughts on the minds of every Indian regarding the issue of corruption.

Professor Basu discusses of a particular instrument called "harassment bribe" in this article. In short words he has defined what are "harassment bribe" and when do they arise in a system. Typically it is a bribe which has to be given to a bribe taker to enable the bribe giver to claim and get access to something to which he/she is entitled to. Thus this bribe helps the giver to avoid the harassment and have a claim on his/her right to something. This something can be an asset or any property or any good over which the bribe giver has a full right and is being harassed by the bribe taker towards getting this right to access the property/good/or something tangible.


The article discusses of the incentive structures of the bribe giver, taker and the regulatory, legal paradigms in which harassment bribes get enhanced in a system. These bribes are rampant in several blocks of the system and in our day to day life. We as common Indian have observed, sensed situations where giving little bribe induces the bribe taker to act fast and provide the giver the right or the facility to which he/she is legally entitled.

In many of our day to day scenarios, from the bribe giver point of view, the act of giving the bribe has an incentive as it fastens the procedure of claiming the right and reduces the transaction costs thereby bringing efficiency in the functioning of the institutional systems in which the bribe giver and taker is operating. The taker becomes happy with the illegal payment and does the job and stops harassing the bribe giver by reducing the transaction costs for him/her.

The article by Prof. Basu suggests that if we can create a system where infomation disclosure of giving harassment bribes are made legal and with larger punishments for the harassment bribe taker in comparison to the giver, incentives for the bribe giver to disclose information will increase. Further it will create threat for the taker to not indulge in harassing people and get engaged in taking "harassment bribe". This will reduce the chances of occurance of the act of "harassment bribes" and can diminish the level of corruption in a system.

But this can only happen unless and until the bribe taker and giver collude. The chance of collusion will depend on the discounting of expected costs and benefits of collusion/non collusion by the giver, taker while being involved in the act of "harassment bribes". The article highlights about all these possibilities. Valuation of the expected costs and benefits for both the giver and taker will depend on time horizon of each of them. This time horizon will further depend on the political economy of the institutions and mechanism of operations that decides the nitti grities of the functional mechanisms of the institutional system in which these two individuals operate.

It is here, I believe that even if there is a legalisation of the disclosure of information of the act of giving "harassment bribe" and creation of legal structures that penalises the giver more than the taker, the system can still be marked by the same level of corruption with its sustenance. To put it simply if we ask - "Why does one harass another in terms of exercising his or her claims on something to which he/she is legally entitled?". Is it not linked to the human behaviour, psychology and moreover on the nature of institutions that facilitates one form of human behaviour over the other. The issue of role of institutions to promote the right ethics of not harassing people from exercising and claiming their rights therefore becomes important. So ideally, morality and ethics of the human behaviour regarding corruption and bribe taking should be questioned, regulated and necessarily changed to stop harassment bribes. But in a practical scenario with various constraints it is not possible to change the morality and ethics of every people of a country because of their different backgrounds and socio- cultural routes, constraints. This brings out the question that in terms of policy prioritisation what should be the objective - a) Should it be reform of the institutions to regulate the human behaviour or b) Should it be creation of norms, legal processes to facilitate transparent information disclosure to reduce the level of corruption as some degree of corruption will always stay unless and until in an idealistic situation all human beings are driven by perfect ethics, morality and stop harassing people and taking harassment bribes.

In terms of pragmatism for policy prioritisation, I think to reduce the level of corruption in the economy and the system, the way ahead might be to first change the functional and non functional operational instruments of the institutions. Incentive structures should be first embedded within the institutions and be regulated for effective, efficient operation. Once institution systems with embedded incentives for promoting efficiency, transparency seeking behaviour of human beings within the systems are in place and implemented to some extent, only then instruments of legalising disclosure of information of "harassment bribe" should be brought in. This will further enhance the efficiency of the operational mechanisms towards reduction of corruption in the institutions. Legalisation of "harassment bribe" without the initial institutional reforms through policies and legislations might not be able to reduce the corruption levels. So may be , first institutional reforms have to be brought in followed by legalisation of the "harassment bribe" wherever and if required.

Operational structures of the institutions under different political regimes have to be questioned and modified wherever necessary followed by thought provoking new ways of reducing corruption within the economy. One of the ways of that could be transparent informal disclosure norms supported through effective legal and regulatory frameworks and instruments. In this regard, the suggestion of legalising the "harassment bribe" is a thought provoking idea. Debates, discussions and effective actions following such debates surrounding these types of thought provoking ideas will help in constructing a new India in the days to come. But definitely for a country like India, only legalisation of "harassment bribe" wont be able to reduce the corruption levels unless and until they are complemented with very strong institutional reforms at all levels of governance.

TINTIN IN NEW DELHI, WEST BENGAL

Since the results of the election in West Bengal are out, one cartoon character has been thwarting all around in the creative hemisphere of mind. The character is no other than our famous - "TINTIN "created by Belgian cartoonist Herge. An important question is why suddenly "TINTIN" is baffling and coming on the mind.

Reasoning to the answer of this question lies in the plots that were established in the stories of "TINTIN IN AMERICA", "TINTIN IN THE CONGO". As all TINTIN lovers know how TINTIN has played a major role in various social reforms. Be it against gangsterism during 1930s America or be it against the oil corporation lobby. Role of TINTIN as a social reformer has been amply depicted by Herge in several of the plot centric stories that has enthralled us.

Thus when the election results were out in West Bengal complemented by the anti corruption campaign of Anna Hazare, Baba Ramdev, I was thinking it would have been great if suddenly "TINTIN" could have arrived in India at this point of time.

Following TINTIN's arrival in India, several plots could have been born where TINTIN the social reformer who always fought for truth and exposed corruption will join hands with Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev in exposing corruption of politicians in India. Perhaps, TINTIN, Snowy, Captain Haddock, Prof. Calculas could have been appointed by the CBI to find out all the culprits of the mega 2G scam in order to find out the people playing around with the public resources of India.

Snowy could have been the biggest information sniffer who would have more efficiently catch hold of the ruffians easily and avoid the institutional beauracracies that jack down the system of finding out corrupt people in this country. Our beloved Snowy would have just sniffed the people, understood them through his senses and would have grabbed their trousers. TINTIN could have then followed it up by putting in handcuffs. The police and the CBI could have been guided by Prof. Calculas in predicting all future plots indicating which minister is going to get engaged in a scam and to what extent. By this way the famous team of Herge could have reduced the existing level of corruption and would have prevented future scams to happen.

However to make the ministers honest and make confession about their corruption, Captain Haddock could have created local informal parties where they could have been intoxicated and Captain could have influenced them to speak the truth with the help of some potions.

In between, TINTIN could have attended some of the Dharnas with Anna and Baba Ramdev and distributed pamplets for common people with objective findings of his investigation exercise of the 2G scam. By this way, our close to heart boy TINTIN would have shown the youth of the nation a new dawn. In between, he could have met also Prof. Kaushik Basu in Ministry of Finance and also discussed his thoughts with Prof. Basu who has been proposing an idea of legalising corruption to check the mal effects of corruption by means of transparent information dissemination. The minutes of that meeting would have been a really nice plot for "Herge's" future plots.

At the end of a two month stint in New Delhi, TINTIN would have got a salute from all the people of this wonderful country in New Delhi and we all TINTIN lovers would have been reminded of the famous "ticker tape parade" that TINTIN had got in Chicago in "TINTIN IN AMERICA".

But if you all think, that TINTIN's stay in India would have ended over here, then you are completely wrong. Because after this he would travel to West Bengal where the state after 32 years of left regime saw Trinamool Congress coming to the ruling position.

The leader Mamata Banerjee would invite TINTIN to sort out one of the extremist problems in certain parts of West Bengal. TINTIN is informed that the extremist movement is largely being carried out by some of the Maoist groups.

TINTIN takes the case and goes to the field to explore the complex interplay of the state, grass root people, opposition politics and how the people belonging to Maoist groups are also expanding their reach through their bargaining with the down trodden people, politicians and corrupt officials. TINTIN also gets some hint that one group of politicians uses the extremist movements as a pawn to come to power. Media facilitates this game of power control amongst the people of the state through a series of manipulated information dissemination.

Industrialists also dont move back and they also see their incentives in supporting a group of politicians for shift of power. In this spider game of power control TINTIN finds out that everybody is maximising their gains. So he is intrigued by the fact that at the end of the day the loosers are people who are in the margin and who dont belong to any of these groups. For these people who live and struggle for their subsistence, the problem is not sorted out. They receive oppression sometimes through means of state, police, opposition party cadres, maoist groups. Their story of suffering continues. TINTIN could not provide a solution to the Chief Minister when he comes back to Kolkata from the field.

Our beloved cartoon hero is now more bewildered, perplexed and he doesnot get a "ticker tape parade" in Kolkata. Though he fails to resolve this case, he understands the need to do a lot and undo what has been undone at all levels of governance in the state. However, TINTIN goes back to New Delhi and from their to his own country. But before going back and waving from the plane in Subhash Chandra International Airport promises to come back soon to solve some of the unifinished tasks in the state.

We never read these stories of "TINTIN IN NEW DELHI, WEST BENGAL". But we read "TINTIN IN AMERICA", "TINTIN IN CONGO". But I always hope our future generation will also read or see some manifestations of plots like "TINTIN IN NEW DELHI", "TINTIN IN WEST BENGAL" and through these plots the imagination of future social reforms in this country will be born in the minds of all children as we used to have when we had first read - "TINTIN IN AMERICA", "TINTIN IN THE CONGO".