Jantar Manter on that day was overwhelmed with the public response in support of Anna.He finally got the government nod for the Jan Lokpal Bill against the rampant corruption in the veins of the bureaucracy and governance.People are hopeful and jubilant.Hope is a good thing but that this won't suffice.
Looking at the past, we have had several bills and legislations over numerous other social issues and even after they became acts, nothing has changed significantly.For example, the bills formulated on dowry, child labour, sex determinations etc.They all exist in the constitution now and have the punishments listed in the Indian Penal code but can we say that these evils do not exist now? In fact laws on these issues apparently have changed nothing.When ever we come across someone taking dowry or whenever we see a child working in a shop, do we do anything about it? Do we use the existing laws? What people need to understand that having a law won't suffice, the people should feel for that law.
Often we criticize oligarchs of corruption and for ruining the fate of the nation but more often we ourselves indulge in unlawful acts.How many of us can put a honest claim that they have never faulted or paid a bribe, directly or indirectly.When we have some work in some governmental organization, we often use money power to speed up the process.We hardly follow traffic rules in India.And when stopped by the traffic police for not wearing a helmet or not having a pollution card, we never get a challan done.Who the hell wants to go to the magistrate for this meager amount.Why not give that traffic policeman half the amount and live in peace.It's a kind of service tax you see.But we never stop criticizing the politicians for their violations as they are colossal.But there is nothing called small corruption.The typical Indian mindset "Itna to chalta hai yaar!".Think, if someone harasses a girl a little, it will still be harassment.
As far as the government officials at the lowest levels are concerned, they with their not so handsome pay-scale don't mind a little extra to cope up with inflationary living standards imposed on the middle class.As long as there is unequal distribution of resources, this will persist.So it's a all win situation when it comes to our personal work.Otherwise it's a crime.And this principle has injected this All-India-Corruption-I Superbug in us.All of us. And the Lancet hyped NDM-I superbug is no competition at all.
2 comments:
Truly brought about the core issue of "Indian mindset" as the root cause of most of our problems and as the saying goes "A government in democracy is the reflection of its people"
However this highlights the need for reform in our graduate curriculum. I strongly feel a need for compulsory course on India (a mixture of post independence history, sociology, public administration, polity, macro economics and issues). Graduation is the right time as it shapes the personality and the individual is mature enough to internalize and pick up the right things. It is important that educated citizens of India are "aware".
Affirmative.A compulsory course on General studies in the first year comprising of polity,geography,history,science etc with focus on the Indian context.That would be an eye opener.
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