Ramesh K Raina
There has been a phenomenal increase in scams in our country in the last decade or so. The country has earned the tag of land of scams.
Why there has been so much upsurge in these scams has to be understood in its historical context. Every society is passing through an evolutionary phase. The only difference is that some societies are in the initial stages of evolution and some are in the latter stage and even some societies have evolved much faster than other societies.
Taking a look at European society, this society passed through a phase of peasantry system which was replaced by feudal system. After the industrial revolution there was a complete change in the social and economic fabric of European society. Society began to be polarized into two main economic classes. Those who owned means of production were called capitalistic class and who sold their physical and mental capacity called labour power merely for earning wages for subsistance were called working class.
In fact capitalistic mode of production started to emerge with the onset of industrial revolution. However, traces of this system were even before this but modern capitalism which has become a paradigm showed its presence with the advancement in technology. In this history of class struggle capitalism became the brutal form of economic struggle. It is in the nature of this struggle, that power plays a decisive role. This gives rise to power relations. Those who can wield power over others can gain hold of resources called means of production. Power is wielded in any form which can be money, muscle, knowledge numerical social strength and et al. Means of production over which control is gained can be in the form of land, factories, real estate or the huge capital. In fact there meams of production are the wherewithals which are pre-requisite for capitalistic mode of production.
Taking this historical context further, it has been witnessed that any form of brutality is by nature pre-requisite to gain control over the means of production. In this struggle many kinds of crimes, extortion, scams or even murders have taken place to grab the capitalistic goods. Thus there is a set coercive formula that is adopted by the powerful persons who use any unscrupulous means to gain control over the capitalisitc goods.
What adds to the problem is that it becomes a vicious circle and the social order becomes anomic. The law enforcing agencies become helpless and lose their control over these powerful agencies and groups. In other words it becomes a situation free for all. It becomes a “Jungle Raj” where big and mighty rule the roost. During disintegration of erstwhile USSR, mafia groups indulged in all kinds of brutalities to gain control over means of production and distribution and the middle class was left at the mercy of barons.
Once these means of production are owned by using any form of brutality or unscupulous means, situation becomes stable. Now, the criminal becomes a saint. Now workers are employed in factories and industries on paltry wages which are just enough for his subsistence. Profit making starts and expansion of enterprises takes place. Workers sell their labour power and work overtime for their survival. This is how the take off stage of capitalism reaches its mature phase.
Indian society at present is passing through a transition phase of economic evolution. After economic liberalization, private ownership has become stronger and the state control is losing its grip. People are in the mad race to accumulate wealth required for gaining control over means of production and even means of distribution. It has become a competitive culture which is vicious in nature.
In the present scenario, it has become a market situation and in a market situation there are chances. These chances are according to the capacity of individuals. Those individuals who have a chance to grab capitalistic resources can become barons. Indian society at present is in the process of transition from a traditional agricultural economy to an industrial economy, from a traditional value system to a modern rational value system, from a traditional religious ideology to a western secular ideology. People in today’s society are in a dilemma. On one side there is traditional socialistic conception of economy. Caste ideology, religious ideology patriarchy are deep rooted concepts particularly in rural areas. On the other side, market forces have dominated every aspect of society be it social, cultural, political.
These market driven forces have had personal influence on the common man of Indian society. These forces are profit driven and exploitative in nature. In the garb of raising the standard of living among the people these market forces are making a good market from the consumption of manufactured goods. In order to improve their standard of living and raise their social status, people have resorted to all kinds of practices which include mass corruption, scams and so many frauds. What has conflicted the problem is that money accrued through unscrupulous scams is partially invested in productive enterprises. Much of the money is used for unproductive purposes such as extravagant marriage ceremonies, dowery and so many other social evils. So the ethics that is being followed in matured capitalism is not being followed here in its true spirit.
Now an important question is that who has the chance of getting hold of means of production. Here one more element comes into play its role and that is the means of administration. So who are at the helm of affairs in the administration have a bright chance to wield influence in accumulating wealth. In these circumstances, elites and sub elites who are the important functionaries in administration are in complete control of means of administration. They are in command of reign and take policy decisions. All the schemes, their execution, implementation are being formulated by these functionaries. Means of administration and means of production are the two sides of same coin. These two have a dialectical relation. Those who are in control of means of administration have a better chance of controlling means of production and vice versa. A new mafia group emerges in administration and huge amount of money is channelised through a network. This is how scams take place. Wealth accrued through these scams is invested in gaining control of capital goods which are necessary prerequisite for entreprenership.
In the existing scenario, large scale scams that are taking place are the result of unending quest to acquire entrepreneurship and become the owners of means of production, because the backbone of capitalistic mode of production is the means of production. In the present circumstances, it seems that these scams shall continue though intermitantly till the stage of capitalism reaches its stable phase where people may use only scrupulous means to a mass wealth.
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