The information hardly causes any consternation though these alarms fail to ring our ears in the present milieu besides remain a passing memory treated as a Mimosa Pudica (perennial herb leaves of which fold inward and droop when touched or shaken, defending from harm and reopen a few minutes later). Section 4 of The Prevention Of Corruption Act 1947 reads “Where an accused person has accepted or obtained, or has agreed to accept or attempted to obtain, for himself or for any other person, any gratification (other than legal remuneration)or any valuable thing from any person, it shall be presumed unless the contrary is proved that he accepted or obtained, or agreed to accept or attempted to obtain that gratification or that valuable thing as the case may be, as a motive or reward…”It also reads “if it is proved that any gratification(other than legal remuneration)or any valuable thing has been given or offered to be given or attempted to give that gratification or that valuable thing, as the case may be, as a motive or reward …”
Section 5 inter alia reads “if he dishonestly or fraudulently misappropriates or otherwise converts for his own use any property entrusted to him or under his control as a public servant or allows any other person to do.” Dictionary meaning of Corruption: Lack of integrity or honesty (especially susceptibility to bribery), use of a position of trust for dishonest gain. Bribery means Offering, giving, receiving or soliciting items of value. It is evident, therefore, that Corruption has wide connotation encompassing multiple misdeeds. It goes beyond transaction of cash only with a lower rung authority as is being made to believe. It has been intentionally squeezed to make it look innocuous and limited to camouflage crime of big fishes. Al-rashi wal-murtashi kila-huma finnar….(from Sunan Abu Dawood). “And do not eat up your properties among themselves for vanities, nor use it as bait for the judges with intent you may eat up wrongfully and knowingly some portion of other people’s property (Al- Baqarah).
The moot question is whom to blame for this menace which has had been eating into the vitals of society with tacit countenance from all stakeholders ergo in different forms. Leaving it to Police only to get rid from it will remain a mirage. As rightly said by Sir Murray McLehose (1973) Governor Of Hongkong” It’s quite wrong that the police, as a force, should carry the whole responsibility for action in this difficult and elusive field…the situation calls for an organization, which can devote its whole time to the eradication of this evil….Clearly the public would have more confidence in a unit that is entirely independent and separate from any department of the government, including the police.”
Corruption is hardly an evil for the society at the most deemed as peccadilloes and invariably an accepted norm as it entails access to power corridors, awe in neighborhood besides a lavish lifestyle. Society has failed to manifest its disapproval to this menace instead has had been reconciling with it. Unsafe milk being supplied by one of the leading Kashmir based unit is a case in point the operation of which was stalled by the competent office besides being widely publicized pursuant to reports of presence of detergent but escaped from action due to some technicalities. Unfortunately public remained a moot spectator and continued consuming the milk not to talk of a social boycott to show disapproval in a civilized way. Lemming effect at its best. The role of civil society to unmask the perpetrators remains elusive resulting in impunity to perpetrators.
Moral outrage is being justified. On one hand we lament about presence of criminally involved people in legislates/ government and on other hand prefer to elect representatives who can work the ineffectual state to their advantage thus validating the dictum “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Governments of the day in view of insecurity, inability to work at ground level, lack of public trust, disconnect with public has had been becoming claustrophobic entrapping themselves in opaque fortifications. This results in knee-jerk reactions and under the guise of getting go getters resort to brazen disregard to rules by posting pliable and technically ineligible persons at key positions. Square pegs in round holes exposes governments to allegations of nepotism. Recent incidences of mismanagement in our leading health institute exemplify the mess. In one of DVOs conference at SKICC some years back then Director Vigilance Organization was asked about adjustment of people against Gazetted posts in absence of selection through Combined Service Examination/Public Service confirmation and subsequent action by Vigilance/Crime department as it involved misappropriation of state exchequer money but the concerned authority preferred to avoid the query. Most of these selections, particularly during a particular period of disturbance in State, have allegedly been made in brazen violation of laid down rules and ironically many among them are now ruling the roost. Litigations in courts on these counts are testimony to this. They remain in a state of mutual obligations thus making it a vicious cycle of nefarious designs-You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.
Allegations of turning non-gazetted recruitment agencies into churning centre for political cadres represent another ugly face of corruption. Scuttling the cases against higher/powerful offices by sitting on files tantamount to collusion. Vigilance organization remains under the supervision of General Administrative department i.e. under the direct control of the ruling party of the time thus evidently has a limited room of maneuvering which has had been affecting its credibility.
Bane hain ahle-e- hawas muddai bi muncif bhi Kis se wakeel Karen kis se munsif chahen
Appreciations and rewards for a fake achievement has belittled the importance of these activities besides have created an environment of intellectual bankruptcy and intellectual dishonesty. This is the worst form of corruption depriving the deserving besides creating quacks in every sphere wherein mediocrity thrives. The accomplices ensure undermining of the system to create a chaos to masquerade their incompetent and excuse for violation of rules.
Bureaucracy is good number of subjects find themselves wanting particularly vis-a-vis subjects requiring technical competence resulting in allegation of corruption.This percolates to implementation levels with reports of failure/overshooting of completion period of schemes and projects etc. Alchi Hydroelectric Power Project at Leh reflects the administrative apathy as most of the power generating capacity of this 40MW project remains unharnessed in view of non-availability of transmission lines to areas of demand.
Police with investigating powers does not seem to have earned the trust of people in controlling the menace and are invariably being alleged of loutish behaviour and servility before powerful. Arrests of low rung functionaries, sparing bribe offering parties, failing to construct technically sound cases against powerful seem to substantiate the apprehensions of common man. Classic case of Hitchens’ razor.
Corruption, therefore, is a hydra- headed social problem ethically wrong and retards development. Every sphere need to fight it out at their own level as per the possible means though the role of government is paramount. It is like a fish which stinks from the head. Society has to be proactive and unmask the real culprits but not to hound people for settling personal scores. Disapproval has to be unanimous and conspicuous.
There is urgent need of: An effective independent powerful law enforcement body consisting persons of highest degree of credibility and competence. Laws to monitor economic competition particularly regarding awarding of contracts, permits etc.(not confined to manufacturing activities but in all commercial activities including educational institutes).Mushroom growth of uncontrolled academic related institutions and the culture of pseudo- seminars/trainings have become cogs of this vicious cycle of corruption.
Speedy disposal of credible complaints through impartial/competent oversight bodies will instill an element of confidence in society besides a deterrent against violators.
Reformation of administrative and financial management. Posting of an honest person at top no doubt shall have a salutary impact but will not succeed unless institutions get transmogrified.
Transparency in government transactions and access to information effecting governance is a myth as proved by Sri Lanka and Maldives(Transparency International Sri Lanka/Maldives).
Mutual trust between government and people as shown by Solvenia. Media to be made accountable to safeguard against misuse in view of their wide reach and immediate impact.Recognition of genuine honest persons along with punitive measures against accused. Vigilance organization not to be used for settling political scores or to browbeat opponents.Weeding out of corrupt officials and developing new set ups as per system in vogue.
Exclusive bureaucratic structure for the subjects involving technical knowhow with inclusion of technical experts.Meritocracy not to become a spent force with the encouragement of mediocrity. Special audit by credible and expert teams particularly of expenditures incurred in official foreign junkets and the corresponding benefits/revenue accrued thereof and accordingly put in public domain. Even a parliamentary panel (Committee on Estimates) recently suggested an effective mechanism to assess contribution of officers to national growth. A look at some of these departments reminds Ghalib
“Naala jaataa thaa parey arash se mera aur ab
Lab tak aataa hey jo aisa hi risa hota hey”
Corruption therefore is egregious morally as well as legally and cannot be justified. I would like to close with Ashfaq Ahmad’s “Jis muashrey mein sab chalta hey who muashra mushkil hee se chalta hey” and Ben Franklin’s “We must all hang together or most assuredly we will hang separately.”
(The author is a freelancer. The views of the author are his own)
