Corruption in our DNA?

Politics is defined as the practice and profession of conducting political affairs. But in our country it is something that is akin to corruption and misdoing. Since my childhood days, I was told that politics was a dirty game. My callow brain interpreted it as something that was tailor made for people who were powerful and ruthless. I believe almost every kid was brought up with a similar definition of politics. It was never a career option, if there existed a family legacy it was a different matter altogether. Even students contesting college elections were seen as demagogues, seeking power by investing money. The odds of winning or losing had a direct relation with the money invested. It was meant for those who were not too serious about studies or had surplus paternal affection or political backing.

The result: Perennial abomination towards politics became a part of our up bringing. Politics and scams have been running on parallel tracks since their inception. And the recent scam expose have just sprinkled fuel to the already roaring flame. The youth today loathe politicians more than the Pakistani cricket team. Politicians are branded as the cause of all possible problems that our country faces. They have become nothing but a convenient punching bag available at our dispense. General public, TV channels, Print media nobody misses a chance of scoffing the politicians and expressing grief over the grim state of affairs. I say, it is not completely fair. There is no smoke without fire. Can these larcenous politicians eat away public money without outside support and co-operation? Politicians are the cynosure of all scams, agreed but we cannot turn the blind eye to the other aspect that plays an equally crucial role. What about Corporate houses, media, NGOs, Bureaucrats who are equally venal.

Rampant corruption in the system has kept honest people at bay, with the best talents entering the corporate sector for a just and harmonious ambience, leaving politics for the not-so-well-educated and influential(of course there are exceptions). But the question that arises is: Are corporate houses clean? The answer is a big no. Corporate India also shares the onus for corruption in India. Over ambitious corporate houses are willing to do anything to get their job done. They are least hesitant in paying bribes, be it in cash or kind. Leading corporate houses consider bribes as processing fees for felicitating an action. My uncle, who happens to be the CEO of a fledging company says that bribes are included in the company budgets and are dispensed every now and then through liasioning officers. My friend once asked a leading B-School teacher about the importance of Business ethics. To which he said “Business ethics has reduced to a mere subject, having no practical application whatsoever”. What message are we sending to the world? Statistics suggest that about 7 trillion worth of investments waiting to be commissioned- that is start production by May 2012. Calculating the amount of bribes involved will be disturbing.

Law minister Salman Kurshid recently said that throwing big corporates into prison will harm investment. But isn’t bribe giving a crime too? Putting corrupt corporate leaders behind bars might prove good for investments like in Singapore, where strict anti-graft rules helped gain corporate confidence.

A similar situation persists in the media-dom. Media jurnos and reporters have prior information on an issue before an actual declaration by the government , which they flash in their Breaking News item, adumbrates the unspoken illicit relation that exists between the politicos and the jurnos. Leading Reporter Barkha Dutt being allegedly involved in the 2G scam is an example. Today’s media is highly manipulative, powerful and influential. It understands what the people want and gives them exactly the same, resulting in monetary gains through soaring TRPs. The multiplier effect in the Anna fast and the politicizing of smalls issue suggests that India’s very own Murdoch moment is not very far away if media continues to function unwarranted under the aegis of selective political backing. News channels are constantly in the hunt for breaking news material. There are like a million chat shows everyday where the reporters rant at the participants (usually politicians) painting an even more grim portrait of the situation. Nobody questions the credibility of the media as it claim to be whistleblowers. Hence, media sports an invisible cloak that hides them from public judgement, making them corrupt, powerful and immune at the same time.

Corruption today is rampant and clearly Anna-style protests are not the answer; especially when it is on the verge of losing its apolitical strature. We need to look for deeper for lasting solutions. There needs to be a systemic change and a change in attitude. The common man does not wake up and say "Oh! it's a beautiful day, let me go give some bribes". We need not restrict corruption to politicians only. As citizens we often consider paying money to get things done "faster", or in some cases get it done at least. We have to oust corruption out of our minds and systems and believe that one can also be successful without being corrupt. India's talked about growth rate has also started showing cracks. India will be light years away from the vision 2020 we once talked about unless we do something about the corruption conundrum and decide to reform ourselves for a better future.