Earlier this week, T N Chikkarayappa and SC Jayachandra , two top officials in Karnataka, were raided by the IT department. This is, in a sense, vindication for all of us out here who have objected to the demonetisation process from the start. Those who decried the move, saying corruption couldn't be rooted out by bringing the salaried class and common man to their knees were branded as anti-nationals and our motives questioned.
Economic prosperity begins from the bottom. Rooting out corruption however must start at the top. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced his demonetisation, Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party opposed it, saying that it will not bring an end to black money or corruption, so much as it will 're-monetise' banks and corporate NPAs.
Exposing black money holders is a lot more complicated than denotifying currency. Those who do keep wealth in the form of cash have the ability to do so only because they are an intrinsic part of an elaborate, well-oiled machinery. It is within this system, entrenched as it is in corruption, that they will find other ways to convert black money to white. Undeclared income is usually converted into assets like real estate and gold.They realise keeping it in the form of cash will mean depreciation of their wealth and also that they are likely to be caught.
If the Rs 150-crore of unaccounted wealth in the form multiple luxury residential apartments, kilos of gold or the fleet of ultra high-end cars (including a Porsche and Lamborgini) recovered from the two Karnataka officials isn't enough to convince you, the Rs 5 crore found in new currency, the millions who have been waiting in endless queues to withdraw their quota of '2000 and the resultant nearly 70 deaths across the country certainly should!
The many instances of huge amounts of cash being stored in new currency notes, by people in positions of power and influence, amounts to a nothing more than a mockery of justice. It is a slap-in-the face for every patriotic Indian who has willingly made huge sacrifices in the interest of national good.
People who have stood in lines or tried to draw money over the last few weeks will fully appreciate how big a feat it is to lay hands on such large amounts of cash in new currency! Again, this couldn't have been achieved without that well-established network, which includes corrupt officials across government offices and banks, and most importantly, without direct political patronage.
The case of these two officials is still just the tip of the iceberg. While there are many honest and sincere officers, politicians ensure they post corrupt officials in key posts, where they serve as conduits and collection agents for their political masters. That both Chikkarayappa and Jayachandra had close ties with our CM and with PWD Minister HC Mahadevappa is well known. In Chikkarayappa's case, members belonging to the ruling Congress party's CLP not only objected to his promotion as PWD secretary in 2013, but even complained to central observer Digvijay Singh, to no avail.
As people across Karnataka continue to struggle, hoping to contribute in some way to the fight against black money and corruption, nothing has changed in reality. Congress replaced the BJP and Siddaramaiah replaced Yeddyurappa.
The Republic of Mysore replaced the Republic of Bellary and H.C. Mahadevappa replaced none other than Janardhan Reddy. Not a single question was raised by the government, despite his unsavoury past, about the source of his staggering wealth, brought singularly into focus by the lavish wedding he held for his daughter during the very worst of the demonetisation crisis.
The crux of the problem is the present political system, which does not inspire any hope. The answer, however, to "bad politics" is not "no politics" but "good politics."
The writer is State Convener of the Aam Aadmi Party Karnataka and a member of the National Executive of AAP.
*All views expressed in these columns are personal.
