Curbing corruption

Those who have done the secret video recording of 10 members of Lok Sabha accepting money to ask questions, also deserve credit. They have done the big job of exposing the corrupt practices by a section of law makers with documentary evidences. They lost their membership following a report by a Lok Sabha probe committee indicting them.

A member of Rajya Sabha (Upper House) was also removed as per a report by the parliamentary Ethics Committee.

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The Indian website which has conducted the "sting operation" and also the news channel which telecast the incident on December 12, have, in fact, glorified the image of journalism as a profession. People's representatives are expected to dedicate themselves to the cause of people's welfare.

But instead the parliament members in question got involved in taking money simply for raising questions in the Home. They were hired for raising questions as desired by those who wanted to influence certain government decisions.

Those expelled represent the ruling Congress, main opposition BJP, the BSP and the RJD. Though there was a feeble move of opposing the action on ground of lapse in procedural formalities, there was no big noise from BJP, which had to swallow the loss of five of its parliament seats. The beauty of Indian democracy is that there was no strike call or street agitation protesting the expulsion."

The practice of accepting money for raising questions in parliament is not unknown to us but that, in this case, it was done inside the House is something new. The action against the parliament members is sure to be cited as a glaring example in similar circumstances also in other countries including ours. It is for the second time that such action was taken against some erring law makers of India.

Bangladesh has been repeatedly branded as the world's number one corrupt country by Transparency International (TI). When it was first so described Awami League was in power. The BNP led alliance used it as a favourite slogan against the Awami League. Today with the change of government Awami League is using the same slogan against the BNP.

As per election pledge, the BNP led alliance government has set up the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which, however, is yet to deliver the goods. It is high time that the country's major political parties sat together and devised ways and means at least to minimise, if not eradicate corruption, which has become all pervasive.

There is increasing trend of corruption even in the education and postal departments, which were traditionally known as corruption free areas. Recently I met some people who were duped by the postal department with regard to taxes for vehicle registration. Even some top bureaucrats (both civil and military) and newsmen have been cheated by a section of postal department employees and in the process they have amassed huge wealth.

The question arises whether it is possible for some low-paid employees to get involved in acts of corruption in the postal or education department without connivance of high-ups. It is often asked if politicians in high positions are involved in corruption, there is no sense in blaming a section of poor employees.

The politicians of India alone are not to blame for corruption. It will be quite difficult to find politicians of clean image in other South Asian countries including ours. The politicians have a ready reply to defend their corruption.

Their arguments include huge regular expenditure in the name of keeping their supporters in their respective constituencies loyal to them. The cost of electioneering, they would argue, has also multiplied as they won't get people to work for them on voluntary basis as was the practice in bygone days.

In today's Bangladesh society political leaders traditional family having political background, are frequently seen lamenting in private conversations that they were being driven out of politics by those coming in for promoting their business interests.

Money has become a major factor in politics as those having money spend it for buying both musclemen as well as votes.

To such elements it has become convenient to spend money to become politicians themselves instead of hiring others to serve their cause. Those with business interest suddenly getting important political responsibilities usually take politics as another type of business having little obligation to society.

It is being increasingly asked in different circles how the society can be freed from the influence of black money unless political leaders have a clean image. I would like to quote Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Chai Xi, "Unless there is check to corruption, Dhaka won't get its cherished Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)."

Nurul Huda is a Special Correspondent of BSS.