Corruption and crime are universal phenomena observed in all societies throughout history. Right from his establishment on earth man is provided with guidance on right and wrong from his Creator, as per major religions. It is due to deviation from the correct guidance, degeneration and unlimited worldly ambitions that nations befell to ignorance and corruption. Reformers in the form of messengers from the same Creator were sent every time. The last in the chain of scriptures claiming to be divine i.e. the Qur’ān also confirms the above viewpoint.
Corruption has become predominant in the modern times due to increasing materialism i.e. the goal in life becoming ‘a question of the belly and that below the belly’. That is what most of we Indians from all walks of life, not to blame only the members of polity, judiciary or bureaucracy, adopted blindly from the West.
The misguided propaganda of inhuman philosophies like Darwinism, atheism, capitalism, racism, fascism, Zionism and communism added fuel to this fire by drawing people away from ethics.
Many of world leaders even today believe, contrary to the common sense, various constitutions and UN charter, that everything is fair in war, in politics and in love.
As is universally accepted among the circles concerned with the rising corruption, the root cause of this evil lies in the lack of accountability.
From time immemorial all the religions have stressed the need to maintain ethics in all our actions, as they influence the life both in the present phase and in the hereafter.
The Qur’ān, for example, says: “Then shall anyone who has done an atom’s weight of good, see it! And anyone who has done an atom’s weight of evil, shall see it.” (The Qur’ān – 99:7-8)
Ultimately it is this true belief of life in the hereafter, of accountability to the one Master and of immense reward or stern punishment, depending upon the actions in the material world that can effectively make everybody aware of the consequences of corruption or crime and deter them from the same.
The law in all of the so-called civilized societies has failed to act as a deterrent against the increasing crime and corruption thanks to the human rights organisations which are allowed to raise a hue and cry against the proven criminals while innumerable suspects without even being convicted are selectively rotting today in the jails in the leading democracies throughout the world.
Every time the matter goes out of control, the governments and authorities think of better and stricter laws instead of implementing the existing laws to the satisfaction of all concerned.
Also we see, as a universal phenomenon, that only when a new government takes over whether at a state level or at a national level, detailed and everlasting enquiries by high level agencies are ordered against the outgoing government, or electoral opponents.
RTI should be used to highlight how the vast and valuable resources, financial or otherwise, generated in the country are being properly utilised and whether the rights of the less privileged like the tribes are being upheld during the process.
It can’t be ignored that corruption may not always necessarily mean illicit gains in terms of money.
The over ambition for political power, sexual abuse and even addiction to drugs and alcohol often leads to corrupted life combined with loss of health, wealth and peace of mind.
Cable TV introduced a few decades ago in our country without any sane consideration whatsoever overlooking the objections raised by a few intellectuals has been an attack on our culture and still playing a havoc by poisoning the young minds by exposing them to serials and films showing and glorifying violence and crime. The cunning westerners and their media supported and encouraged this, knowing very well the evil consequences faced under such situations earlier in their societies during the last century.
The onslaught of luxury and making money at any cost continues with the rich becoming richer and the poor becoming the poorer. The government policies of creating special economic zones (SEZ-or special exploitation zones as they are called) to encourage big business houses and MNCs establishing large scale heavy industries at the expense of the tribes and farmers have turned out to be source of political corruption and are leading to law & order problems.
Engineers have a special role to play in generating awareness and publicity against corruption. Many a time engineers at various levels come under attack on this count, in spite of the confidence reposed by the first prime minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru by calling them ‘builders of the nation’. Engineers should be on the forefront by educating the wide range of public they come into contact on the importance of thinking, speaking and practising simplicity.
We should encourage people to look upon those who are less fortunate in the material matters and emulate those who are high on the spiritual and moral scale. We should encourage charity and kindness especially among the young and children to make them aware of the realities of life and importance of simple life. This in turn mitigates much of the corruption. We should be aware of the appeasing tactics of political parties and politicians during the elections and their illicit practices after elections too to be kept in check through RTI, Consumer Complaints, etc. General publicity and awareness against corruption should be taken up from all these angles by citizens of all strata for this campaign to be successful.
As for the generation of awareness and publicity against corruption, I propose promoting the belief in the life hereafter i.e. belief in the reward and punishment in the hereafter and putting an end to atheism in all its forms as the basic remedy. Shunning luxury and encouraging simplicity in our lives as exemplified by the Father of Nation, Mahatma Gandhi is a practical way of attacking corruption.
Every citizen should think, speak and act in this direction.