Corruption is deadly, stop it!
During the past few years, the image of our country has been defaced beyond redemption. A large number of scams and scandals have come to light which involve huge amounts of money running into millions of rupees.
They have shaken up the entire conscience of our country to the bones. If we expect the government to eradicate corruption, it is never going to happen.
If we want corruption to come to an end, we have to start with ourselves first. We should not give or take bribes.
Actually corruption has become a part of our daily life. Wherever we go, we try to jump queues through money power or acquaintance.
When we are caught violating traffic rules, we tend to give money to the traffic policeman instead of paying up and taking a receipt.
We even try to evade paying taxes to the government by giving fake rent receipts and medical bills to our offices where we work so that we don’t have to pay taxes.
In my opinion, all ministers and public servants should be made to declare their assets.
Unless and until we stop accepting or giving bribes, nobody in this world can stop corruption.
The vigilance department should also keep a constant eye on corrupt government officials.
Ministers and senior officials must set a noble example of an honest living free from corruption and immorality.
Today, the number of ministers possessing an honest image in our country can be counted on finger tips.
Earlier, bribe was paid for getting wrong things done. But today, the palms of officials are greased for accomplishing tasks at the right time.
Corruption will only end when people like you and me stand up and speak out. Actually, corruption is not a national problem, it is a global problem.
Almost, every country faces it due to which it affects the growth and development of the nation in all aspects like social, economic and political.
It has made its base in both developing and well-developed countries. Also, in our country, it is available from the historical time of the Mughal and Sultanate period.
Political corruption is worst. The major cause of concern is that corruption is weakening the political body and damaging the major importance of the law which is governing the society.
There were so many scams in the past that people lost faith in the government like the Indian coal allocation scam, 2G spectrum scam, Commonwealth Games scam, fodder scam, etc.
These were some of the many scams that were done by some elected ministers, politicians, bureaucrats and high government officials.
India got her Independence in 1947 and it was slowly becoming strong and developing but in the midway, corruption started taking place and stopped India to grow with that speed.
The major cause of concern is that corruption is weakening up the political body of our country and damaging the supreme importance of the law governing the society.
Now-a-days, politics is only for criminals and criminals are meant to be in politics.
Elections in many parts of the country have become associated with a host of criminal activities.
Threatening voters to vote for a particular candidate or physically preventing voters from going into the polling booth in several parts of the country.
Corruption will not do any good to anyone in the long term basis. It harms everybody because it is based on injustice!
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Mumbai, India
