There are many young Indians on Twitter and more so in private conversation who yearn for an Egyptian style revolution occurring in India. Are they indulging merely in wishful thinking? Not necessarily. It should happen. It could happen. God willing, it will happen. But if it does happen it will happen very differently from what happened in Egypt although bringing about change no less profound. This is why and how it could happen.

Following the debates in parliament has become irrelevant. Listening to the politicians in parliament it would appear that they are convinced that the fate of the nation rests only in the hands of those elected to that august body. Apart from scoring debating points against each other not one leader either in government or in opposition has risen above generalized platitudes to outline specific measures to introduce reform. Politicians seem out of touch with reality.

A revolutionary change cannot be sparked by the words or deeds of our worthy leaders who adorn parliament. The change can be ignited only by giant exposures that might rock the nation. Is there hope of any such exposure erupting? Indeed there exists a faint hope. To see if it is realized focus attention on just one man. And that man is Mr Suresh Kalmadi. He is India’s best hope for clearing the path to Egypt.

Recent events indicate that Mr Kalmadi’s arrest may be imminent. His close junior colleagues have already been arrested. As the threat of impending arrest approaches there is a subtle change in Mr Kalmadi’s public utterances. Earlier he stressed that he was entirely innocent. He averred that if even one rupee of bribery could be traced to him he would resign from parliament. Now his tune has changed. Mr Kalmadi has not accepted any wrong doing of course. But his emphasis has changed. He now asks why only officials of the Organizing Committee (OC) of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) should be targeted when its budget was only a fraction of what was spent by the Union and the Delhi governments. 

Mr Kalmadi has demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the CWG. Mr Ajay Maken the present Sports Minister retorted that the JPC was not justified when the CBI was already probing the CWG. It was a pathetically weak response. The CAG, PAC and CBI are all probing the 2G scam. That did not prevent the government acceding to JPC probing the 2G scam. Why not the CWG also when the main suspect himself is demanding a JPC for a thorough probe against all involved in the CWG? Logic is on the side of Mr Kalmadi and not on the side of the government. 

Lest there be any doubt about his innuendos Mr Kalmadi went on to demand that Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Union Ministers MS Gill and Jaipal Reddy should also be questioned. These are not the leaders who have the power to prevent Mr Kalmadi’s arrest. By naming the leaders he has given warning and notice to those leaders who do indeed have the power to prevent his arrest. According to the grapevine Mr Kalmadi in private conversation has named VVIPs of the UPA as the ultimate victims of his exposure if he is arrested. Is this empty bravado or an ominous reality? Only events and time will clarify that.

The question is whether Mr Kalmadi’s arrest is really imminent. The CBI officer in charge of probing CWG has suddenly sought voluntary retirement! He will move to greener pastures to probe corruption in cricket after being recruited by the ICC headed by Mr Sharad Pawar widely regarded as Mr Kalmadi’s political mentor. So one must wait and watch how wheels move within wheels. 

Meanwhile if an exposure to rock the nation does emanate from Mr Kalmadi the aftermath will be quite different from what occurred in Egypt. It could lead to the fall of the government, the discrediting of the entire political elite, a massive realignment of political forces and a mid-term poll that might introduce new forces and a new political culture to govern India. So watch Mr Kalmadi, our last faint hope. At the very end he might surprise us by emerging as the one least blameworthy in the prevalent den of thieves!