Let us take a stand against corruption

A million dollar philosophical question is -- why greed? What in fact breeds greed? What are those forces that brace greed? Could we say safely that, greed (of different types and shades) hibernates in every mind? It is however, one's upbringing which either teaches one that greed is reprehensible or allows one to indulge in greed. Our teaching itself might be so weak that the content of morality is easily washed off from our mind in a sleaze company or being over powered by the degree of greed. The other is our inability to fathom the economic implications of corruption, that it eats into the vitality of the economic system of a country and that corruption engenders inflation and that inflation urges for further corruption and that all these boil down to the pauperisation of a nation as a whole, where every one, including the ones who have so much of ill gotten money, also suffer.

Acceptably, family background or friends or colleagues circle, i.e., working environment, may either be a prohibiting or a facilitating force. The national political system, however, is at the top of a triangular base and the deciding force, with intellectuals coming between them. Unsettling corruption trickles down from the top, by its sheer weight and does not creep upwards, because it cannot. Only petty corruptions, that have no economic or moral effect at all, may simmer at the bottom. This sort of corruption does not scale up, if there are watch-dogs to stymie this if it becomes reckoned. As long as this premise is true there will be no rampant corruption in a society. This can be ensured only when a family or a society or a nation looks down upon a corrupt with contempt and sanction and shuns his company. But unfortunately in a thoroughly corrupt environment illegal earnings, as long as it can ensure a powerful and comfortable cushion in the society, is not abhorred. When the corrupt are powerful then it is an indicator that the legal or law enforcing systems are purchasable. It happens very obviously only when a political system itself is indulgent. In an ambience of this indulgence that does not contempt corruption it assumes larger and larger proportion and people become bolder with the vice as they are unhindered. This then becomes a culture. This is self-annihilation by a nation.

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Only political commitment can rein in corruption. Any attempt to cleanse a nation of corruption therefore will have to ensure a clean political slate. Accountability should begin with those who would ask for accountability from others. One measure of political transparency, in this regard, would be the difference between the legally limited cost of an election campaign and the actual spending.

The second most heinous, perhaps the root, is what can be called intellectual corruption; as the intellectuals are the ones that are responsible for the building blocks or destruction of the society and the future generation. The relationship between 'intellectual corruption' and 'political corruption' is complex. To begin with the reluctance of the intelligentsia to create a corruption-free ambience through their teachings is one factor that facilitates indulgence of future politicians and secondly they themselves also jump into band-wagon when corruption is pervasive, to satisfy their own ulterior motives and needs.

Intellectual corruption may be multifaceted. It may be in the form of deliberately given improper advice; keeping eyes and ears shut to wrong doings, for what ever reason; not supporting right causes, if these do not serve one's own selfish ends; moonlighting; doing or saying something with ulterior motive, although some of these would seem to support a cause at a given time; creating coterie interests; eulogising, rewarding and aggrandising people for wrong reasons, which strengthen and create corruption. These acts snowball and strengthen the hands of those who push the good ones out of the mainstream (like the bad money driving the good money out of the market). Political leaders are man made. They generally stand in the second rung of morality. Unless the intellectuals, the naturally created leaders, are clean and strong on moral grounds any expectation to change or uplift the society or a nation morally will be a utopian dream.

A few suggestions, to conclude this write up, are perhaps in order. Firstly, teachers need to teach, and teach well. They need to set examples and ideals as the initial step in more visible and stronger manner. Other professionals, who trade for noble causes should also join in and set examples of noble attitude and behaviour visibly, e.g., physicians, nurses, police, politicians etc. at every feasible turn and occasion. Every one from among them require to fight alone and also in association publicly and visibly. Whistle blowing and uncovering corruption and ill motives of the so-called incorruptible, however dangerous and dirty job that might be, have to be in regular practice.

Since politicians are the strongest social and national force only those among them should be at the helms of political affairs who have been time tested for their honesty. This may only be ensured by the relevant systems, e.g., Election Commission and the Anti Corruption Commission. The highest offices in the government and in the country are the ones which will have to ensure that appropriate and effective people head these and other relevant institutions and offices. Any failure in this function will be the failure without any excuse, of those exalted ones, who have been placed in these most venerable and powerful positions and offices by the people.

A M Zakir Hussain is a freelance contributor.