"The voter thinks that the State is not going to impartially deliver services, provide justice, basic law and order, social insurance -- so as a voter it's very rational that I may choose a criminal who will help me navigate the State. A weak State allows a criminal politician to be the person who provides that guarantee to mediate whatever problem the citizen has with the State."
Milan Vaishnav, Senior Fellow at the Washington,
DC-based global think- tank, the Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace, explores the nexus between crime, democracy and the marketplace
for criminals in his first book,
When Crime Pays: Money and Muscle in Indian Politics. He speaks to Archana Masih/Rediff.com.
Do read.Image: RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin who has been convicted for a variety of crimes, including murder.