N Ram’s Why Scams Are Here To Stay is a must read

There cannot be a better time than now for a book on scams to come out. After all, Bihar has recently witnessed a dramatic change in politics with Nitish Kumar crossing over from the ‘’secular camp’’ to the ‘’saffron camp”, all for Lalu Prasad Yadav’s and his son’s alleged scams.

The corruption rant is once again in the air. In fact, it never goes away from the Indian political scene. Virtually every political party and player face it. Political parties bow out of power facing scam charges. Yet, scams do not go away. They keep recurring and keep haunting the Indian political establishment and political players with impunity.

Why Scams Are Here To Stay is the title of N Ram’s latest book wherein he traces the scam scenario in detail. Ram is a serious journalist. His works too are steeped with intellectual insight. Here he takes an overview of scams and politics of scams with great intellectual insight.

The former editor of The Hindu has dealt the issue of corruption in three sections in the book under review. The three sections–the story of corruption and scams in India; History, definition, and theory; and two case studies–speak volumes about every thing related to scams.

The book deals with all major scams that have haunted Indian public life. It goes into political, social and class factors behind corruption in Indian politics with brilliant insight. He deals with the problem in pre-liberalisation and post-liberalisation context. Ultimately, Ram concludes that the problem of corruption in our public life is becoming ‘intractable’.

But he does not give up. His suggestion is not to give up in the fight against corruption. Instead, he tells his readers: ‘’It would be irresponsible for citizens to stand aside and let the hugely damaging current situation and the trends discussed in this book continue to take their toll.”

It is, indeed a short book of only 164 pages. But it is one of the most serious books that have so far dealt with the issue of scams. Ram does not believe in writing quickies. He is a serious writer. Anyone seriously interested in the issue of scams and corruption must read this book. It comprehensively deals with the issue with a fresh insight and interpretation and helps in understanding political corruption in India.

You can’t ignore the book if you are interested in the subject.

Why Scams are here to stay? ; Aleph Book Company; Rs 399