Assam - the Embodiment of Corruption

Dear Sir,

Recently it was officially declared that Assam ranks as the 'most corrupt' State in India, on the basis of 11 vital services which included 'basic services' like PDS, hospital service, school education, electricity and water supply services and 'need -based services', like land records, registration, housing service, forest, NREGS, banking service and police service (traffic and crime).

I would like to forward another area where the level of corruption in Assam can be gauged ; that would be the 12th service --- selling out the State of Assam to illegal migrants from Bangladesh.

There goes an Assamese saying which mentions that a fish rots from the head. So, we see that starting from the State Secretariat to the Gaon Panchayat, the entire administrative machinery in Assam is corrupt.

The politicians of Assam are far more corrupt than those in the earlier 'leading State' in corruption, i.e., Bihar. At least the Bihari ministers are not selling their State to Bangladeshis. They are indeed some of the most corrupt in India , but when it comes to safeguarding their State, a ray of conscience still exists in them.

Gone are the days of writing catchlines like ' Assam---the land of Blue Hills and Red River'. Starting from Dhuburi, Goalpara, Barpeta, Mangaldoi, Nagaon, and so on, one after another districts of Assam are witnessing unnatural change in the demographic set-up and destruction of the once scenic beauty of the State. This phenomenon is unique to Assam only. Leave the world, in no part of India, even in the other alarmingly corrupt States like Bihar, one would not find such patronage from the State administration.

And, even as the other political parties question the present ruling party about the survey findings, they themselves know how they played with the 'Foreigners issue' during their respective regimes. Now as the AGP MLAs point fingers at Tarun Gogoi led ministry, they themselves showed their true colours way back on August 15, 1985, the day they signed the infamous Assam Accord.

I would like to congratulate the Transparency International and Centre for Media Study for arriving to the conclusion that Assam is the most corrupt State in India in the latest India Corruption Study 2007. Also, they needn't spend their resources by conducting further surveys in Assam in their next study for, the State would top this list for all times to come, regardless of who forms the government. The booklets of the Department of Tourism, Assam can go ahead preparing taglines like 'Assam---the embodiment of corruption' and the like.

Morever , Assam would get international recognition of being the most corrupt State in the world the day it is officially declared to be a part or a 'district' of Bangladesh.

Yours etc.,
Pallavi Barua,
Sanmari,
Guwahati - 781 003.