Letter from the Editor-In-Chief

Dear friends,

2010, according to the Chinese Zodiac calendar is the year of the tiger. Unfortunately, the national animal of India is close to extinction and nothing much has been done to save the big cat. The year has gone, leaving behind many events both positive and negative. In our January 2011 issue, we have taken stock of both local and world events which have had a bearing on the North East region.

The most upsetting among the numerous events of 2010 was the surfacing of a large number of scams which came to light throughout the year. The mother of all scams, i.e the 2G Spectrum allocation involving Telecom Minister A. Raja was the most significant one involving 1.76 lakh crore rupees according to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). The scope and reach of the scam was of such a magnitude that the Supreme Court was forced to intervene. The year also exposed the dirty media connections with a section of the top corporate houses thus tainting the image of the Fourth Estate. If we were to make a list of the scams that were uncovered in India in the year 2010, suffice it to say that the list would be a long one. However, we may point to a few of the most glaring ones such as the Delhi Common Wealth Games scam, the Adarsh Housing Society in Maharashtra scam, the land scam allegations against Yeddyrappa and his son, the Orissa mining scandal, etc.

What we need to understand is how so many scams can take place at one time? Is there a fault in our system of accountability? Has human greed risen to such an extent that nothing can be done to curb it? The time has come for people at the helm of affairs to think and act for the common man. It is no wonder that Transparency International has termed India as one of the most corrupt countries where over $ 16 billion dollars are lost annually due to corruption and inefficiency.

Let the new year bring new hope and let there be a debate on system correction to prevent scams of any nature and any magnitude.