Corruption makes a mockery of democracy, good
governance and of the efforts at development. In its various forms, we are
surrounded by administrative corruption, though in recent years the press, the courts and civil society have been paying greater attention to high-level corruption.
Anti-corruption campaigns led by Anna Hazare, an environment activist and anti-corruption crusader, have received considerable media publicity. But the focus is always on the corrupt, instead of on the reasons and causes of corruption; and on the system which breeds that corruption.
There is corruption in developed nations as well, but what differentiates these western countries is that there is almost no low-level corruption there, leaving the average citizen free from the scourge of fraud and dishonesty. In South Asian countries such as India, everybody joins in the plunder of state resources, including state-owned natural resources. Corrupt government
officials siphon funds meant to clean drains, repair roads and dispose off garbage.
As always, it is the poor people who are the worst affected, for they cannot afford to pay the additional cost of corruption. Corruption is a major social, as corrupt officials ensure that the benefits of welfare programs do not reach the poor and the downtrodden. (Poor salaries of low level officials are often cited as a cause for widespread corruption.)
India''''s system of
governance was developed in the 19th century by a colonial power whose main interest was to exploit the country and extract as much wealth as it could for its own economic growth. This system of governance has continued into the post-independence period as well, for reasons best known to the government.
What needs to be done? There is a need to promote greater transparency in the system of governance. Participation of the public in the formulation and implementation of government policies and programs, especially at the village level, is of critical importance. A respect for the rule of law, and for state property, needs to be inculcated in our education system from childhood itself. There is an urgent need for a more decentralized form of governance. Control over finances and natural resource management must be handed over to local bodies. The role of the state should be that limited to that of a regulator, rather than that of a producer and provider.
The government systems have failed to protect its forests. Timber smuggling is rampant in many parts of India. In order to control illegal smuggling of wood, the government has imposed many rules and regulations on the use of the land. The government''''s forest protection programs tend to alienate the local people. To avoid these unwieldy rules, farmers often bribe forest officials, and see no benefit in planting new trees. Thus the forest cover declines over time.
The public also aids and abets this corruption by keeping quiet about it. If only the trees and the other species could speak, they would cry out at the pollution and the degradation of the environment, but they too have to suffer in silence…
Wherever there is construction, there is corruption. The larger the project, the bigger the bribe allegedly paid to politicians and bureaucrats by the contractors. Large amounts are also routinely spent on repair and maintenance. There is a politician-engineer-contractor nexus that shares a strong vested interest in "development" projects. Of course, the official loot of the treasury is carried out in the name of the poor!