IT is customary for our leaders to hold the patwari and thana culture responsible for the indignities suffered by the people. Every politician pledges to put an end to it.
The so-called culture persists, nevertheless. The explanation is simple. Most leaders don’t mean what they say and those few who do, have no alternative to offer to the age-old patwari’s revenue circle or to the police station headed by a station house officer (SHO).
The plain fact is there is no alternative for either. In a society where the vast majority of people own small land holdings, (or plough the larger holdings of others) and crime is rampant, the officials who keep the land records and those who are supposed to take cognisance of crime should be at hand and accessible.
Seemingly, the worry of the leaders is corruption in the system. That is no justification for depriving peasant farmers of a service that no one else can provide at a lesser cost or a lower rate of bribe.
Corruption is a national phenomenon. The higher one goes, the bigger is the demand and the lesser the access.
Categories: Asia