The article misses out one element in the nexus - the militants (the ex-militants too). Under the 60:40 rule, one needs to add that component and voila - all local power holders are happy.
Nothing unusual - the bogey of central blame has been used (very successfully, I must say) time and again for too long. More than a systemic failure, it is a failure of leadership (perhaps across generations). And given that all share in the loot, whether power changes from a central to federal to autonomous to independent - all that is going to happen is that a few dollars will be moved around these 4 entities. --- Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > C'da, > > I am appalled on two counts. > One of course, by the enormity and the sheer ease by > these scams have > been perpetrated on the NE people. I truly > sympathize with the real > victims - the people. > > The second, is how the article shifts the blame on > Delhi because it > did not pay attention to the scams. > Shouldn't one be outraged by the ministers an > businesses who scammed > the people first? The different State Govts (the > primary watchdogs) of > the respective NE can then be asked why they have > been napping. > When we get enough answers, we can then ask the > Center, why they have > been neglecting the scams in the NE. > > This is atrocious, if someone's home were to be > robbed, the first > anger should be against the thieves, then the local > cops, and finally > the Justice Dept. > > Something like the lottery scams are controlled by > the State Govt. > There are procedures. My guess would be that until & > unless the State > Govt. asks the Center's help, the Center can't do > much. > > Now, it would be understandable, if it were a income > tax evasion scam. > In that event, the IT department & the Center would > be responsible. > > BTW: I did not see anywhere in the article, that > Central Govt. > officials or Ministers were involved (atleast those > from outside the > states). What does that tell us? > More than likely, the scams, the artists, the > players, and the victims > were all of the local variety. > Its time to get the house in order, IMHO. > > --Ram > > > > > > On 5/20/05, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > This story, as incomplete a picture as it is, > does point to certain > > issues that are often overlooked by some of our > friends here in Assam > > Net for example, and by most Indians. To get a > better understanding > > of how and why exactly these can take place and > with such impunity > > one needs to read Sanjib Baruah's book DURABLE > DISORDER, > > Understanding the Politics of Northeast India, > which I have started > > reading, finally. > > > > cm > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Scam as scam can > > > > Corruption prospers in the Northeast because it > bothers so few > > > > By Nitin A. Gokhale > > > > The eight states of the Northeast may be unique in > most respects but > > when it comes to big-time financial scams, the > region is no different > > than the rest of India: Politicians, bureaucrats > and businessmen gang > > up to rob the exchequer of big amounts in the > Northeast as they do > > across the country. For scamsters in the region > the colour of money > > is same as in any part of India. There is, > however, one unique thing > > about scams in the Northeast - no one is unduly > perturbed, no one > > gets punished and all is forgotten with time. > > > > Being outside the radar screens of New Delhi, most > corrupt practices > > and big-time scams in the Northeast > > go unnoticed and unreported > > Financial irregularities, running into hundreds of > crores of rupees, > > have been uncovered in the region more frequently > than anywhere else. > > The Rs 300-crore lottery scandal in Nagaland; the > Rs 250-crore import > > of palmoline oil scandal; the Rs 197-crore power > department scam or > > the latest Rs 100-crore fci supply scam, the list > is endless. Those > > in the know have even coined a term for these > scandals. They are > > called the 60:40 scandals. > > > > This is how they work. The well-informed > bureaucrat proposes a > > scheme, the politician endorses it and the > ubiquitous businessman > > implements it - all on paper! Then the spoils are > shared 60:40 - 30 > > percent each goes to the politician and the > bureaucrat and the rest > > is pocketed by the trader. > > > > All these swindles have been well documented and > written about but > > none of the culprits has been taken to task. Many > of them continue to > > be active and flourishing politicians or > bureaucrats. Businessmen, > > under the patronage of the politician-bureaucrat > nexus, carry on > > defrauding governments in the Northeast with > impunity. If any of > > these scandals had taken place in the so-called > mainland India, > > someone would have made a song and dance - the > opposition, the media, > > civil society groups. > > > > But India's Northeast appears immune to any of > these reactions to > > big-time scams. Mainly because, like with most > other aspects of > > governance, the region suffers from the > 'out-of-sight-out-of-mind' > > syndrome. Being outside the radar screens of New > Delhi, most corrupt > > practices that take place in the Northeast go > unnoticed and > > unreported. In some cases, the watchdogs in Delhi > get co-opted. The > > Opposition in the state does not raise a voice > since its members have > > shared the loot during their time in power. The > media, in most > > Northeast states is weak, dependent, with a few > exceptions, upon > > government largesse and therefore subservient. > Given the combination > > of these factors, no one should be surprised that > big-ticket > > financial scams in the Northeast get a decent > burial after creating a > > few ripples. > > _______________________________________________ > > Assam mailing list > > Assam@pikespeak.uccs.edu > > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam > > > > Mailing list FAQ: > > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/assam/assam-faq.html > > To unsubscribe or change options: > > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/options/assam > > > > _______________________________________________ > Assam mailing list > Assam@pikespeak.uccs.edu > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam > > Mailing list FAQ: > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/assam/assam-faq.html > To unsubscribe or change options: > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/options/assam > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? 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