Corruption has become the norm. It is nothing new but it is so ingrained, at times, it feels like there is no other alternative. In a recent encounter with a government office, the officer in charge was sitting in his chair and demanding a bribe to do his work. He felt no shame to ask so. His posture and demand seemed like he was doing the right thing. I did raise complain with the Tamil Nadu CM’s special cell and the response was immediate and heartening. Several works with government agencies are pending from my end, as the officials in the lower rung make it very difficult to process basic things even with legitimate documents.
Where is moral leadership?
For an economy to grow, truthfulness plays a major role. For small and large affairs, people conveniently lie. It matters to get work somehow done rather than doing it the right way. The recent byelection in Erode east constituency is shining in shame. Voters were bribed in large scale in broad daylight. Cash, silver items, cookers and sarees have been free flowing. Video, photos and even other proofs seem to have no effect with the Election Commission.
Our readers must be aware of the recently conducted seminar on the theme: taking stock, planning ahead and marching forward. Most of our speakers highlighted the issue of rampant corruption. Ramamohan Rao, former governor of Tamil Nadu cautioned that it is very intense and stated that for an economy like India, low productivity + high corruption would lead to inflation. Lakshmi Narayanan, ex-vice chairman and ex-CEO of Cognizant highlighted the lack of moral leadership. Several of our politicians who are the face of the nation act in unconstitutional ways. Their action throws light on how we are construed as a society.
Singapore shines
Our island neighbour Singapore is a good example. Till 1959, corruption was a way of life as it seemed to be low risk and a high reward activity. The probability of detection and then punishment were very weak. As Lee Kuan Yew and his team in 1959 came to power, they were determined to keep the country free of corruption. Lee’s policy of zero-tolerance toward corruption was reflected through the Prevention of Corruption Act. The act provided adequate budget for investigating officers, competitive salaries to ministers and senior civil servants and punishment to all offenders, regardless of their position, status or political affiliation. The law was implemented with full force and within few years Singapore became corruption free. As a result of this, the country became a preferred investment destination despite several geographical factors, that it lacks.
As of now, instability and Covid in China have made India a prime focus for investors. If corruption is not addressed, India could also be shunned for other better alternatives. The success of Lee’s policy was in punishing people of power who were corrupt. They are role models to common man. Punishing them puts out a loud warning statement to the public.
Corruption needs to be treated with iron fist. For a country with high ambitions, corruption will be a deterrent. Not only for the growth rate but also for the economic and physical wellbeing of the country.
