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| Fighting corruption | | | Omkar Dattatray
The problem of corruption has become all pervasive but is disgusting. The nation upholding truth and non violence is under the forceful grip of monster of corruption. It has made great in roads into our body politic and administrative set up due to permissive attitude of the successive rulers of this land. Today there is hardly any segment of our collective and national life which is not in the grip of the demon of corruption. Corruption that is at a large scale at the topmost levels of our political and administrative hierarchy is a cause of serious concern for the intellectuals, academicians and the people at large. But still the commoner seems least bothered about it as he has learnt to bear with it as there seems no way out. The plebeian has to grease the palms of the officials and officers for getting his work done. Notwithstanding the laws against corruption in public life, there is no real immunity from corruption which is threatening our very existence today. Corruption is a national shame and disgrace. India is counted as the third most corrupt country in the world. It is very disturbing development that a country whose national emblem contains the motto of Satayameva Jayate is mired in falsehood. Corruption stands institutionalized now. The country is time and again rocked by scams and scandals, one overshadowing the other in magnitude and gravity. Some say that the scams which have come to light are only the tip of the ice berg. In such a grim scenario, an honest man is an odd man out and is relegated to the back seat. It is soothing that the PM Narendra Modi has expressed his commitment to fight corruption. Not that corruption was not there in fifties and sixties but it was very rare and at a low scale. But today it is there from top to bottom of our administrative and political life. Bappu's nation is rocked by scandals and scams every day. No file moves from one table to another without bribe and favours. The height of the matter is that the bribes are openly demanded and paid. The good old days are gone when corruption was considered a social stigma and was looked down upon. What a sad commentary on our plight? There is a change for worse in our social system. See how low we have stooped as the man who doesn't pay bribe is isolated and not the corrupt one. What a change of the value system! In such a situation only God can salvage us from this crisis. Not only are government and public sector undertakings prone to corruption, but private sectors also suffered from this disease. Earlier Tehelka exposures had exposed the hallow claims of clean and corruption free governance of then NDA government. The Tehelka revelations were of serious nature as the defense procurements and deals were associated with it. When there is corruption and kick backs in defense deals, the very sovereignty and integrity of the country is threatened and jeopardized. No laxity should be shown with the corrupt but no one should be allowed to make a political capital out of corruption cases. The congress party which had ruled rather misruled the country for a long time is a sage of corruption and misuse of public office. There were cases against Late Rajiv Gandhi, Narashima Rao and so many other party functionaries and ministers and MPs. There are cases of corruption against other political parties including NDA and the big wings as well. Whether congress rules the country or BJP or any other formation it hardly matters unless the problem is attacked from long term perspective and in a pragmatic manner. There is no Mr. Clean in politics and no Dharm Raj Yudishtira in Indian politics now a days. The days are gone when men of honesty and integrity like Gulzari lal Nanda, Lal Bhadur shastri, Sarder patel and the alike adorned the political scene. There leaders had no properties and big bank balances. They were truly in service of the country. There is dearth of such public spirited men in our political-socio life. Corruption is a threat to our democracy and is a bane of modern democracy and civil liberties. More so of open and liberal societies. Earlier NDA rulers of BJP were perhaps right in their assertion that the problem of corruption has come down to them through succession from congress. So transfer of power from one party to the other will not eradicate the menace of corruption. In today's NDA government corruption has shown its ugly head in various scams and frauds like Banking fraud committed by Nirav Modi and Mehul Chowksi. In earlier UPA government 2G scam, Shardha group financial scandal, common wealth games scam to name a few were committed. We must fight corruption unitedly. Weeding out corruption from our society and administrative set up is an arduous and challenging task. It must be fought on a war footing basis but sooner the fight against corruption is started the better. Corrupt persons howsoever high or low should not be spared but should be booked and punished. Speedy disposal of corruption cases is the need of the hour. It will restore the confidence of the common man in the democratic and judicial system of the land. Delayed justice is justice denied. New legislation should be passed and the existing laws against corruption in force should be implemented and enforced to contain corruption. There is urgency to pass Lokpal bill. No one in the democratic government should have absolute and unlimited power. The real power in a democracy should be with people but that is also a hypothetical proposition. Because in a democracy like ours people are the absolute rulers in theory only. Much needed electoral reforms must be initiated in right earnest to wipe out corruption and misuse of public exchequer. Panchayati Raj institutions should be given power to deal with corruption cases in rural areas and at lower levels. Political financing is not a sin and it in vogue even in western democracies like USA. The practice of political donations should be deliberated upon and a consensus should be reached for state funding of elections. Honest public servants should be promoted and rewarded suitably and those indulging in corruption demoted and punished. But these positive and negative incentives only will not contain corruption. What is needed is to impart moral, ethical, spiritual and valued based education to our young boys and girls who are the prospective citizens, administrators, leaders and rulers so that a strong and sound moral and social fabric can be built. There is all round deterioration and perversion of value system. Present educational system is devoid of value education and it lays emphasis upon bread and butter only with the result, there is erosion of cultural values and total confusion and chaos. For fighting corruption we have to make our boys and girls socially, morally and culturally strong. So overhauling of the educational system is the prerequisite to free the nation from cruel jaws of demon of corruption. T.N Seshan, one of the former election commissioners of India was right when he remarked, "Tu cheese badi hai brusht brusht". The government, judiciary, NGOs, print and electronic media, educationists and the people at large should work in unison to purge the politics and administration from this evil, otherwise our image and credibility will further suffer. In this Maha Yagya all of us should contribute or else our future generations will not forgive us and will suffer for our sins. Thus something on war footing must be initiated to contain corruption. But can we do so is the million dollar question? |
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