Corruption

 

Corruption is a global phenomenon, found in one shape or the other whether the country is a democratic, kingship, Socialist or Communist, developing or a developed. Hardly a country is free from the clutches of the devil of corruption. The subject of corruption figures in every international summit, as almost all the countries have fallen under its grip.

A recent World Bank survey reveals that the corruption as on date, involves those responsible for making laws, responsible to execute the policies and laws of the nation that means the politicians, bureaucrats are mostly involved involved in corruption. The survey points out that "Corruption is the most infallible symptom of constitutional and administrative liberty."

The 1999 report on Human Development in South Asia that covers India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Shri Lanka and Nepal finds the corruption as the most damaging resulting of poor governance. According to the report, "Corruption undermined investment and economic growth and deepened the extent of poverty". The report also characterized the South Asian countries engulfed with corruption, that to a great extent responsible for their slow progress. The peculiarity of corruption in these countries is summarized in the following points:

(1) Corruption begins at the top and so distorts on developmental programmes and priorities.

(2) Money earned through corruption is smuggled abroad in safe havens and not ploughed back into the domestic economy.

(3) Corruption generally leads to promotion, not punishment and the sharks, unless they belong to opposition rarely caught. If caught, manage to escape in due course of time, as judicial system takes unreasonably longtime to dispose off the cases.

In India, corruption has become a way of life. In the words of Nitin Chakravarty. the columnist, "As much as 70% of all developmental budgets are estimated to be cornered by politicians, bureaucrats and contractors","

The corruption is so rampant in India that is regarded as a land which abounds in political opportunism, avarice, crime, and where everything is possible, but with money and bribe.

It is not only shocking but also disgusting that the legacy of honesty, dedication, austerity, public service and patriotism, the ethical and moral values which the leaders of the past like 'Gandhi, Nehru, Subhash, Patel and others cherished so dearly, are being squandered away by the corrupt and power hungry political leaders. It becomes a matter of introspections as to why and how the politicians even as popular representatives should acquiesce, pejorative connotations, questions the T,N,Chaturvedi the former CAG of India,

It is assigned that with progress and advancement, corruption is inevitable and permissible, that it is found every where even in the developed countries and that one should first mind only the efficiency and performance of the system and not of its ethics, It is true that corruption has become a global phenomenon, found everywhere, but the common man is not so hardly affected by it as in India. Efficiency is important but at the cost of ethics is self-destroying.

Gandhiji once said, "To check corruption, we require a high code of morals, extreme vigilance on the part of those who are free from the corrupt practices."

Even today, idealism in common men, all over the world is not totally dead. The corrupt leaders are in many cases discarded by the people in elections or whenever they got such an opportunity. Even today we find personalities like Joginder Singh, Ex, CBI Chief, Anna Hazare, T.N. Sheshan and so many who did not bow to the wishes and whims of the politicians and worked fearlessly.

The Rig Veda says that only ethically pure and intellectually capable persons should be allowed to administer the country. The Atharva Veda considers it the duty of the citizens to see that only the competent are at the helm and that those in power remain ethical and conscientious lest their inherent greed should harm the country.

Various measures can be suggested to kill the devil of corruption like transparency in public life, stringent laws to deal with the corruption cases, electoral reforms to check the misuse of money and muscle powers, reform in judiciary system, to quicken the disposal of cases of corruption etc, but the foremost duty and responsibility lies with the common mass. It has become customary to indict the politicians, bureaucrats, police and corporate businessmen for the flourishing of corruption in the society. Undoubtedly it is they who have made the corruption creped into every fiber and fabric of body politic of our nation.

But can we escape the criticism and responsibility when we ourselves are the part and parcel of the social paraphernalia that is actuated largely by materialistic considerations ? How many of us, believe in the maxim of ‘Simple living and high thinking? How many of us, value ideals of honesty, dedication to work, and purify of spirit ? To earn money is not a bad thing, but to earn by unfair means, immoral acts, is condemnable . Lofty ideals look good on paper, to fight the menace of corruption prevailed throughout the world, a multipronged actions are required to be taken.

Corruption can be checked when the rulers themselves set an example for the common men to follow. How can we expect the lower rungs of the society to tread the path of righteousness, when the higher echelons are totally tainted? One should remember: "Lilies that fester smell for worse than weeds , says W.,Shakespeare. People follow the elders, the leaders and the persons in authority. If the so called leaders are fully sunk in the ocean of corruption, then who can save then the nation To fight the demon of corruption, not only the politicians but also the common men have to strive hard sincerely, honestly and with determination, Vigilant and awakened people can prove to be competent army under the leadership of an honest and dedicated leader to fight the evil and devil of corruption