Corruption and its Cure

Some days ago I wrote a biographical hub on Anna Hazare, a social activist in India. Recently, India has found a new hero. Even the Indian film heroes have become ordinary citizens of India in front of the popularity of Anna Hazare. He is a man who led a movement and pulled the Indian mass behind himself. Anna not only inspired the Indian citizens but he has inspired many activists of different countries, His movement is against the corruption in India.

Definition of Corruption

According to the dictionary ‘corruption’ is an immoral act. A dishonest act by any person is corruption as for example: Taking bribe either in cash or in kinds to do a work which is in reality a legal duty of the person.

Different Angles to Corruption

The act of corruption is not a one sided affair. It involves both the parties that are one who accepts bribe and the other one who offers it. Different scenario of bribe act:

Receiving or offering bribe both are equally corrupt act but sometimes people lack the courage to raise voice against it and surrenders.

There are even such people who willingly try to bribe before being asked to with an expectation of a favor.

Sometimes the person who is being offered bribe emerges stronger but rejects the offer and performs his duty with utmost sincerity.

The common scenario is both the parties are willing to give and take bribe. In this situation both the parties are equally responsible for the corruption in the society. They simply try to see their own benefit.

Corruption has become a malady which has affected the Indian society very badly and to which Anna Hazare has reacted very strongly.

Anna protested against the prevailing corruption in India and suggested a way to curb it. Anna recommended ‘Jan Lokpal Bill’ and wanted it to be implemented to keep a check on corruption in India. He even went on fast to make government accept his recommendation. Anna Hazare roared against corruption and Indian citizens supported his movement. Many Indians disagree with the pressure tactics of Anna Hazare but they support the cause of the movement whole heartedly. Anti corruption movement led by Anna has opened up a new chapter in India. It has created a furor and Indians are now bound to think about the prevailing corruption in their motherland. Especially, the common people of India are the sufferers at large due to corruption and so they have a strong opinion regarding the rampant corruption in India.

As a common Indian I would like to point out some personal thoughts against corruption and its cure in this particular hub. Actually, my thoughts are not based upon any constitutional law. Rather, it is going to be out and out an emotional outburst. Many may not agree with my thoughts but I think to eliminate something from the root it is not true that law can always provide a complete solution. If law had been the strongest method to curb an evil practice then internal and external terrorism, murder, rape, abortion of girl child, dowry death and many more heinous crimes would have been eradicated long back from our country – India.

In my opinion, corruption is a self inflicted vice. Basic bad human traits are the cause behind corruption. This cannot be rectified by pressure or punishment. It can only be kept on hold for sometime but not for always. One may get caught and the other one may not then the evil practice goes on. That means no judging body can eradicate this evil practice entirely from our country, India. Presenting my viewpoints:

Fight within India

It holds true that the anti corruption movement by Anna has awakened every Indian. He received support from all the corners of India and also from different strata of Indian society. Many big names joined their hands in this movement against corruption. This anti corruption movement is termed as 2^nd freedom struggle. Here, arise a few questions: What freedom are we talking about? From whom are we going to get freedom? Are we fighting against the rest of the world?

Here, we are talking about a freedom from an evil practice. Its name is ‘corruption’ which is extremely rampant in India. Neither this freedom means to be free from any individual person or any particular nation. Naturally, this time the fight for freedom has a different connotation. This freedom is not to be snatched away from somebody else but it is to be earned from the vice of our fellow citizens of India. Thus, anti corruption movement is not a fight of India against the rest of the world but it is a fight by the Indians for the Indians. Our 1^st freedom struggle was against another country that who ruled us and curbed our independence in our own motherland. The anti corruption movement lead by Anna cannot be paralleled with our freedom struggle. It is our very own vice. Somebody else has not pressurized us of adopting corruption rather some Indians have opted it quite willingly. Some among our own countrymen has lost their virtue and chose wrong means and shortcuts for their dreams to get fulfilled. It is a fight between the Indians within India. Definitely, this movement should also be fought with heart, mind and soul to gift India a corruption free society as our great freedom fighters did to gift us a free India.

In the meantime we should not forget that we are fighting against our own fellow Indians. This should be a fight against the evil practice in the Indian system and not against the evil practitioners. This fight should not possess hatred in the hearts of the anti corruption campaigners against the corrupted people. Hatred will further ignite hatred and one evil will be substituted by another evil which will not be good for the progress of India. Blaming and abusing one another, passing indecent comments, expressing doubt over each others intentions, enacting different types of gestures to insult the members of the other side and so on are quite disgusting and disgraceful. Fighting against immorality needs basic morality because India consists all of these men who practice corruption or zero corruption. The corrupt people do not form a separate entity outside India. It is within India therefore we have to live together and remain united so that no external force can destroy India on the basis of disharmony within our own motherland- India.

Peaceful Movement

India is our own country and to bring some positive changes we need to act in a peaceful manner. Thanks to Anna Hazare. His recent anti corruption movement was very peaceful. If protest becomes violent our very own motherland will face unrest. Disruption in our daily life, personal losses as well as loss of some national property cannot be of national interest. Positive changes must be achieved through positive means or else any loss occurred in this connection will be entirely our own loss.

Job Guarantee

Usually government job in India is taken for granted. It is a general concept that until retirement there is no chance of losing the job. The security of job usually works detrimental. The job security should be based upon performance. Once there is a fear of losing a job due to inefficiency the sincerity and honesty will prevail. People will start working diligently and efficiently. Naturally, the work culture and working environment will change for the betterment of the country.

Income and Living Index

Every now and then there is a rise in price but the question is how many times in a year the salary is being increased? There is a huge gap between income and living index. It should be at par. Life has become miserable with the cost increase. Due to the need of money many people fall prey to the cheap means of earning such as bribe. Government lacks the basic compassionate understanding towards their own people.

Government does not control the fee hike of the private schools which is enormous. Same is with the private hospitals. The treatment is very expensive and Government is not bothered to put a control over it. It seems, in India life and standard education are only meant for the celebrities. It is tough to afford but people strive for it by indulging in corruption. Who is mainly responsible? Actually it is government who simply allow this to happen by keeping no check on the private sector. Not only this, the overall standard of education in the government school does not match the present need and minimum effort is being made to improve the standard of the students so that they can fit into a place properly.

Disparity in Rewards

Celebrities especially cricketers in India who have all the luxuries are showered with enormous incentives but what about our soldiers? Rewards are fine but there should be some check on it so that there is no disparity and let others also enjoy some privilege in the society. If working hard for the country is not rewarded equally then dissatisfaction mounts up. Six sixes in cricket fetched one crore rupees then what a martyr should fetch? Sports bodies are autonomous bodies which acts according to their own wish but that does not mean that government should lack control over such organizations and enhance the disparity in the Indian society. When hard work does not pay then corruption takes place.

Distinct Quality

Imagine a leader gets elected as a representative of the countrymen who has some serious charges against him. It is a real shame. The common citizen gets a government job only after police verification then how come some leaders get elected as the representatives of the ordinary Indian citizens despite a criminal record? Progress of the nation gets disrupted because of such prevalent corruption in Indian politics and the government.

Use of Power

Powerful men such as leaders or influential officers use their power for all the wrong reasons. If the big fish become corrupt then who can stop the small fish from becoming corrupt? Sitting at an influential position one must follow some moral principles in life then only can show the right path to the subordinates.

Transformation

Normally, prison is a place where inmates are treated badly. Suppose we expect a transformation in the inmates of the prison it is required to treat them humanly and provide them options to change for the better. The worst part in India is if an influential person is jailed due to illegal and corrupt act then they are kept as a prince. Treat them humanly but as ordinary inmates. Allow them to realize and analyze their fault by leading a simple life in the prison as the other ordinary prisoners. Princely treatment will never make them understand their fault and blame game will continue.

As a common Indian I may have failed to analyze the harmful impact of corruption on the Indian society on legal ground. Even the methods to eliminate corruption may not go down well with many Indians. I believe in systematic changes as well as in uniformity of approach but in India it is always a rule book which is always full of loopholes. Some or the other way it gets misused and corrupt people come out clean without any proof against them.

The government never realizes the fault they create in making law as well as their outlook towards the countrymen never changes. The worst part is that the government becomes partial towards its own men. How can we regard a government whose work is of utmost disregard? The government has to be transparent and must have a uniform policy for everyone in this country without exception. Change in policy making and mind set of the government is very much required in India. If not, then, loopholes in the law will never allow India to be a corruption free country and the generations to come will be forced to breathe in a corrupt India.

That cannot be our future, we need to strive for corruption free India and will definitely eradicate this evil. Let us hope for the best and as an Indian we must work hard towards India of our dreams – A country without corruption.