From rags to riches

 

Selvi Gopal, fz.com 

 

Well, I don’t really have police statistics on hand or even trust it to give an adequate answer to that question but Hindraf, or Hindu Rights Action Force, has indicated that crime has indeed become a local Indian problem.

 

According to statistics provided by Hindraf, which was reported by New Delhi based think tank Observer Research Foundation, about 50% of all convicts in prison in 2004 and 41% of beggars in the country were Indians; and 15% of juvenile delinquents are Indians.

 

They also reported that the percentage of Indian civil servants fell from 40% in 1957 to less than 2% in 2005.

 

Interesting, the percentage drop in jobs in the civil service is made up by the percentage increase in crime rate.

 

Anyone who reads the newspapers on a regular basis would know that the crimes committed by members of the local Indian community are visible crimes; the obvious gang related violent crimes, the robberies and burglaries and crimes perpetuated within the community.

 

But what is often overlooked by those quick to point the finger at this community are the unseen crimes. The crimes committed by the loan sharks, the drug dealers, the vice groups and the human traffickers who force women and children to commit sex crimes. 

 

And let’s not forget about white collar crimes committed by corporate figures who rob shareholders and taxpayers through share manipulations and kickbacks. 

 

And then there are industrial zones that are unused and feedlot companies that get such large loans that they don’t know what to do all that money so the end up buying luxury cars and condos.

 

Crime is often associated with the poor and disenfranchised but rarely with the rich and powerful.