It is a stark portrayal whose realism enthralls the reader. There are no heroes or villains. As in life, a man can be both. It also reflects the beliefs and traditions of a society. What such an attitude underlines is that an end justifies the means.
Corruption indeed has a long history in India.
If one were to go by the Arthshastra, a Mauryan manual of government, compiled by Chanakya in 321 BC, which enjoys the same prestige in India as does Machiavelli's The Prince in the West, corruption is almost sanctified by tradition. Just as with fish moving under water, it is impossible to detect whether they are drinking water or not, so it is impossible to detect government servants employed on official duties when helping themselves to money. The genesis of the present-day scandals lies in the freedom struggle leading up to independence from Britain in 1947. It was during that period that a nexus developed between big business and politics. The freedom movement was virtually financed by Indian industrialists.