CORRUPTION BENEFITS THOSE WHO PAY BRIBES

Do you know why corruption is rampant in our country? I have a rather different take on this topic. I think corruption is widespread in our country because it benefits those who pay bribes. Those who pay bribes are actually the beneficiaries rather than the victims. The reason behind this is very simple. For argument’s sake, in our country where 20% of the population can afford to pay bribe, 10% of the population sit on the fence and decide to pay bribe if it suits them while the rest 70% suffer as they have no alternative. Those who accept bribes are not concerned about the majority as long as there are people who are willing to pay bribes for getting their work done.


Nowadays, bribes are given for doing the right work at the right time. Those who paid bribes in the 2G Spectrum Scam were actually the beneficiaries. Those who paid bribes in the Adarsh Housing Society Scam for getting membership in the flats were actually the beneficiaries. Private companies pay bribes for evading duties and are ultimately the beneficiaries rather than the victims. Go to any Registrar’s office. I bet you can’t come out of it without paying any bribe. Even if you refuse to pay bribe, there will be people who are willing to pay bribes and you will be sidelined. So, after the Varna system, class system, this is the new pecking order for the Indian masses. Those who can pay bribes can cross the hurdles faster and get ahead while the others lag behind. Who cares about those poor who run from pillar to post for their daily pension or any small work to be done? Even the bureaucrats do not care for such people, as they do not really benefit from such paltry amount received as bribe from such hapless people. It is another matter that such small amount of bribe paid from the pocket of a poor man means a lot to him than those pumped in by the richer classes for their personal benefits.

So, corruption pays. It is just another case of the haves and have-nots. At the most, people can overthrow corrupt governments in elections, but the bureaucrats who work in government offices remain the same and enjoy the fruits of their tainted labor for their entire period of service. Sometimes, there is not even a choice in elections for the common man, who often has to choose between the devil and the deep sea. Take the case of Tamil Nadu elections. Each political party has fielded many candidates with criminal antecedents leaving the voters with no choice. The educated class takes the easy way out and boycott voting. They easily blame the poor illiterate class for all the ills in the society but never take the initiative. Somewhere, there needs to be a revolution of sorts wherein the youth are encouraged to join politics and strengthen the system rather than getting alienated.

The laws of the country are sound and the systems are in place. Remember, it is not the systems that have failed but the people who are currently in charge of the systems have not been able to deliver. Even the Jan Lok Bill needs the expertise of a CBI to investigate corruption cases. But then, the CBI is understaffed and many of its staff is working more than 12 hrs a day. Recent medical tests conducted on CBI personnel showed very disturbing results and reflected high level of stress among the staff of CBI. There cannot be a short cut method to curb corruption. It is a continuous process. Only in a society that is less materialistic and will not stand up to corruption in any case, you will be able to witness positive results, industry, integrity, impartiality, transparency and accountability.

Even the cynic in me was bowled over by the enthusiastic response given by the youth to the movement against corruption launched by Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal, Swami Agnivesh, Kiren Bedi and others. I only have a word of caution that the Jan Lokpal does not transform itself into an ultra-constitutional authority or impedes the working of honest government servants as I very well know that it is the honest government servants who commit mistakes whereas the corrupt government servants hide them. The Twitter and Facebook youth would rather not understand this.



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