Corruption and Accountability
The basic question everyone is asking if corruption is going to be a part of the Indian way of life and where do we stand in terms of our own claims to have had a thousands of years old culture that deified the best in human tradition. Where do we stand in the comity of nations toward fulfilling the minimum needs of the people—If we let the corrupt go scotfree? No nation can survive if people rationalise corruption and dare not bring to book those who have plundered the national wealth. If we ask ourselves why have we not come up the glorious way like our distant Asian neighbours like Singapore, the fault is not to be found elsewhere but in ourselves. A nation wedded to honesty and unity of purpose, dedication, self-disciplined, leadership, accountability, and the qualities that exalt a nation emerge solid and strong to strive for the welfare of each man. People should either be made self-disciplined or do the right thing out of fear of the law. A nation is doomed if they do not belong to either of _these categories, one shudders at the thought of such a scenario happening now in India.
A direct effect of pervading corruption in India is the lack of accountability on the part of the bureaucracy and the politicians in India. Anyone can do anything and get away with it. Look at he last few years, how many scams have come to the surface; there not being a branch of activity that has not been tainted in the wake of scores of shocking revelation. What is more shocking is that criminalisation is proving to be the turn of corruption and there are several areas of activity where the mafia works hands in glove with the corrupt. One cannot obviously expect the leadership to illumine the path ahead, for the fact is that leadership has failed the country time and again. The nation can be saved only if care to discharge their duties allotted to them in a manner that does not militate against conscience, that puts forth the best in people and that makes the nation proud. The greatest blunder one can commit to oneself and the nation is to wait for others to bring about the change; the change should come from every citizen first, from within and then from home, school, college, office, work place, family and the community at large, it will have done the best for the nation and its future.
The government confessed, “Neither the political nor juicicial nor the administrative system single-handedly can deal with the virus of corruption.” It pointed out the inherent flaw in the entire hierarchy when it mentioned: “Both accountability and responsiveness to the needs of the people should be the watch words.”
