Action – orientation or Inaction
By: Amit Bhushan Date: 16th Feb. 2018
Can or should the government be allowed to get away by shouting systemic collapse and without identifying a root-cause for any of frauds being accepted by it. But we continue to have claims, tall claims and statistics, in our politics. And parties with their respective Netas adept at it. More recently we have dashing, action-oriented Netas who are invigorating the political space. The claims have been regards action enmasse’ on fake companies, directors etc. all designed for cleansing the system especially the banking system. However the system continues to behave as usual. This is because two types of trades on which the system heavily depends upon, have seen little action. Professionals in these trades are heavily relied upon for reporting failure as well as success. These people help convert failure to success as well as vice-versa. These are the accountants (CA/auditors/valuers’) and the lawyers. While an accountant’s certificate on the books of account is relied upon as basis of much of creditworthiness as well as usage of proceeds of the loans, these also certify the due processes have been complied for extending loans and often a part of the due diligence process as well. Similarly, the lawyers help with declarations, affidavits and declarations as well in fool-proofing of the contracts ensuring their legitimacy. But what happens in actuality is often branded as Corruption Advisory in ordinary people’s parlance. And the outcomes continue to justify that epithet although the powers that be remain in a happy state of denial.
The commercial media on its part would not take these burning issues to either the ‘Ghanta Brigade’ roaming around for Ram Rajya, or to the ‘Caste Leaders’ be it Yadavs, Rajputs or Jats or Gurjars etc. for their views on progress such events mean to their communities. In fact such leaders would be allowed to go scotch free and to continue their politics in the fog by avoiding anything to do with such issues. This is while they would continue to push to prop up same old issues with the same old Netas and the same old cycle of fraud/s. And need to add the same old silence… This time ‘Itna sannata kyo hai’ from Game.
Despite all the efforts and much energy spent, these two profession always escape and avoid any action on its members. The political Netas and parties almost always remain soft or in denial about any wrongdoings of members of these professional communities. And the influential section amongst them almost forms a core of the political parties and leading voices in many of them. Should there be a ‘code’ to name the professionals involved in any wrongdoing, as well as their suspension or deregistration??? This should apply to the firms as well as the involved professionals but the same is hardly a practice followed here in India. Should some strong action be taking place, then some more skeletons from the cupboard get spilled further complicating the political situation for our Netas is a core concern. The question therefore seems unlikely to be discussed and is most likely to be vehemently fought and argued against by the respective members within most of the parties. So we can have a RERA for the builders who pain home-buyers, something going on for medical profession (although not yet out) but not for the accountants and lawyers who supported and justified this pain as well. With the Leaders relying upon them to settle their own dirty linen aspects, it doesn’t even get pressed much and the commercial news media follows their Netas rather than public point of view.
With some in the media now pressing to explore the process aspects rather than be glued to the event and select players alone, we may have some hope although is yet to be seen. It should be pointed out here that the author is not against the members of the profession performing their duty to defend their clients, however this should be done within the legitimate guidelines, principles and due considerations of policies & prescribed procedures. This is because these certificates & documents form a key basis of financial decisions by some institutions as well as non-institutions and a lax performance tends to ensure systemic weakness. On its part the society and government should also ensure some minimum payment norms based on some merit criteria rather than ‘open competition’ for hiring of members of the profession as well as some work-load criteria so that work remains distributed amongst these professionals , with a view to reduce ‘systemic risk’. Let’s see the ‘Game’ evolve…