Quest to stop corruption

For the past few months we have been having a great debate on the formation of a new authority to punish the corrupt.

I refer to the battle for the Jan Lok Pal as proposed by Anna Hazare and and his ‘civil society’ and the government inflexibility in insisting that its version of Lok Pal is all they will concede. Anna wants that the Jan lok Pal must have the authority to investigate and punish everyone including the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of India. The government has left many out of the purview of the Lok Pal.

Corruption is a disease that affects our society from top to bottom. We have all expected it as a way of life. It will not be eradicated by anyone fasting for 11 odd days or so. If we seriously want to free our society from the curse of corruption then we must start with ourselves. When we commit a traffic offence or a drink and drive offence, we bribe the cop instead of paying the fine, to get admission in a good college, we pay bribe than settling in which ever college we get through our grades. We bribe every possible person to make our lives easy. We all do this but have we become ignorant to our addiction to corruption. The Lok Pal or Jan Lok Pal will only punish those who take bribes. What about those who give bribes? If one stops giving bribe, automatically corruption level will fall. To eradicate corruption, the giving will have to stop, only then will the corruption will stop too.

Anna Hazare’s appeal for Jan Lok Pal has become a moment in our history that calls for humility and courage, the public has come on streets to support Anna, with the perception that if the bill is passed- corruption will wipe out. They fail to realise that it will reduce to some extent but never stop, his bill is not a magic wand that corruption will dissolve in few days or few months-it will take years to slow down. But the passing of the bill will atleast give light to the core areas of corruption. Anna Hazare has lit a fire and now its our duty to keep the flame of hope alive.

PRAJAKTA KAVDE (3749)