DailyPost 2544
HAS HONESTY LOST CREDIBILITY?
This is biggest damage that can happen to nation, nation building and national culture and that seems to have happened. When corruption becomes situational, honesty is bound to lose credibility. When the citizens are barely able to point with conviction towards an honest organization which is for sure honest and can bet their life on it, the battle is lost before it is starts. Whatever is happening on the ground is no one’s concern, what perception is built in what matters. The perception is carefully positioned on a corrupt system to give a look and feel of a different type.
Today nobody is above board, is the truism which we are faced with. A cut or commission has become a way of life. It does not permeate only the governmental sector, it pervades all; private, academia, media et al. The other truism is that if you are not caught you are not corrupt. And the ultimate one is he was unlucky that he was caught. Not that the honest have completely been vanished, but the effort is made that behind the honest façade, the person would be indulging in financially nefarious acts. The honest at times or most of the times reaches a point where he not ready to stick his neck out, which means while he might not indulge in it, but he is not ready to stem the rot right under his nose.
Corruption in a crime with multifarious implications, sufficient to enough to debilitate a nation. There is no social stigma attached to it now. A clear cut criminal offence has been brought to the level of opinion. That is how it is being talked about now. To be honest or corrupt we are made to believe is a matter for personal choice. The legal checks and balances, permission required and processes to be followed were all created to safeguard the honest. Unfortunately, most of times it works out as a safe umbrella cover to corruption. The de facto and de jure, as far as corruption is concerned, are two different worlds. The game is to be corrupt and navigate the system. Integrity in being certified and validated appraisal after appraisal, can be called as the institutionalization of corruption.
There is no objective mechanism for certification, your sweet will is enough. There is free lunch, presumably the same thing applies to free and sweet will. What India Against Corruption achieved, with the wisdom of hindsight, it is right there for all of us to see. The Lokpal is still to make waves and make its presence felt in the cleansing task. When an ex-CAG tendered apology and the main anti-corruption watchdog had corruption charges against its senior most officers, how does honesty get protected? The high and mighty are not corrupt till they are convicted and it can take any number of years, the dismal conviction rate adds to the woes.. Today with most of the governments, policy to procurement, everything seems to have a red herring, when something is exposed. It has reached a level of my corruption against your corruption, my modus operandi vs your modus operandi. From TRP scam to Hindenberg report, the gullible and sentimental Indian electorate has to fend for itself. Resurrecting honesty’s credibility seems to be even a far thought.
CORRUPTION IS BOTH A TOOL AND SCAPEGOAT FOR MULTIFARIOUS PURPOSES.
Sanjay Sahay
Have a nice evening.