In terms of changing public perception of corruption as a low-risk, high-reward activity to a high-risk, low-reward activity, India just has to make strong determination to combat corruption, given the various legislations and its legal structure.
HIGH LEVELS of corruption and its fallouts can be reduced only when an adequate anti-corruption strategy is made effective through strong political and bureaucratic will. And for this, the root causes of corruption have first to be diagnosed, and then eliminated or minimized. The root cause of bureaucratic corruption in the case of India and a few other Asian countries (Indonesia and China) basically originate from opportunities provided by the involvement of civil servants in the administration’s control, and final disposal of lucrative activities, disproportionate salaries, and weak and ineffective policing in terms of detection and the consequent punishments.
Apart from these causes, the politician-criminal-bureaucrat nexus existing merely for individual gain and survival, and for expanding their tentacles all over and showing no sincerity and reverence towards values, is also a crucial debilitating factor.
Apart from learning from the experience of other countries (like Singapore, the least corrupt country in Asia), in terms of changing public perception of corruption as ’a low-risk, high-reward’ activity to ’a high-risk, low-reward’ activity, and also basing the comprehensive anti-corruption strategy on the ’logic of corruption control’ in terms of focusing on the removal or minimization of incentives and opportunities that make individual corrupt, India just has to have strong determination to combat corruption, given the various legislations and its legal structure.
The only thing, which has to be ensured is proper, impartial, and unbiased use of various anti-corruption Acts to take strong, deterrent prompt and timely legal action against the offenders, irrespective of their political/bureaucratic connections, and money or muscle power.
Beyond that there is a widespread perception, and it is also widely seen in everyday life that India is increasingly becoming a soft state in terms of postponing or ignoring, diplomatically, the use or application of the given legal sanctions or discretions, if any, in crucial matters. This attitude requires a paradigm change starting with a tough treatment (within the given framework) of anyone involved directly or indirectly in corrupt practices.
The law enforcement authorities also have a crucial role to play in this context. Presently, they are viewed with suspicion. They have to evoke faith, not terror and have to change their mindset to be fully accountable to generate public confidence. Judiciary, which is presently under great strain, has to provide speedier and less expensive justice by enhancing its infrastructure and incorporating modern methods to activate the whole procedure.
These prescriptions combined with strong and undaunted political will and long-period macro anti-corruption strategy, will no doubt make India, in time to come, a less corruption-free society, and once the beginning is made, the end result would be highly rewarding.
CJ: Vinod Anand (meri news)
