In the last few months, i guess, "Corruption and fasting" are the just two words that must have beaten the words “cricket and the world cup”, as far as the national news is concerned.
But corruption is not only about India or its politicians but a global phenomenon that we are facing at least for a last few decades.
Time and again, we shout at corruption, only when there is news like Bofors, 2G, CWG,etc, propping up in our morning newspaper.
Despite the awareness on anti corruption movement, corruptions woes keep on increasing year by year in India.
Interestingly, this time it has been a different story like never before, as there have been too many stunts made in the name of fasting so as to fight out corruption!! But unfortunately these stunts did forget to tell us one thing - “the law making alone may not solve the problem”.
I guess we all know the difference between the words punishment and solution.
Yeah it’s clear that an Anti-corruption law such as Lokpal will certainly catch the right crook at right time so as to tell the public “hey look, no one can escape from punishment here on”, given that the panel itself is not corrupted.
If we keep on shouting about the punishments and laws for the crime here, then it makes only tougher for the people especially youngsters to keep their faith any longer in the democracy or government, which in turn may not generate future leaders at all.
Now, decide which one sounds good, “shouting the slogans over the amount of money which has been bribed everyday or seeing you, being the solution for bribing?
I guess we generally like solutions rather than complaints to get away from problems forever.
And it sounds well when we talk about the root cause of the corruption rather than criminals and their punishments?
For years we have concentrated on the criminals and punishments like festivals, so lets re-look with a new perspective at least now.
Though the current system has CBI & Central Vigilance Commission and other anti-corruption initiatives with some strenuous laws in its armory, still it could not able to stop people from doing crimes.
So what does it really take to stop bribing?
A study conducted by Transparency International(2005) in India found that more than 15% of Indians had first-hand experience of paying bribes or influence peddling for getting jobs done in public offices successfully. It means it’s not only the politicians involving in corruption but also common people like you and me.
So I suppose that it has to have some fundamental reasons for corruption, when you see a quarter of your nation’s entire population involves in the crime.
Having thought all this, it sounds like “the mind over matter” thing.
Leave alone politicians, it’s for the entire human being that “the attitude is the driver, one steer my life through the lane which is bumpy and rough, now and then”.
When my driver is not equipped enough for the lane, then there is always a chance of meeting accident or opting for a wrong path towards the life.
It’s only attitude and values, which guides us to take decisions, to lead life better. It just controls our greediness to wealth, which comes in a wrong way. .
If I don’t know how well is being an honest person, then I won’t at all feel how bad is being a wrong person.
So if I lack a good attitude that is full of honesty, truth, unselfishness, etc., then it’s easy to become a union minister who sets the record straight in bribery.
I suppose that the attitude is the first and foremost root cause for the crime.
So what it takes all to becoming an owner of the attitude which tells me to bribe. This is sown in our mind since childhood, by our parents, neighbors, education and society.
Lets begin with our family.
'Corruption free society starts from a righteous home' –APJ.
I am damn sure that if only my parents care for attitude and values first rather than the degree at engineering or medicine, then it is very rare that I will go wrongly; no matter how bad is my condition.
And it’s very important for a father to be good role model for his child, as he is the first hero for anyone.
Now, To all the parents who want to stop corruption,
One of the most important things you can do is set a good example for your children. They learn from seeing how you treat them, overhearing your interactions with others and observing what you do in different situations throughout the day.
If you want your children to exhibit values like honesty, self-respect and compassion, then you need to show these qualities in yourself. All the teaching in the world can be undone if your children watch you behave in ways that contradict what you've said.
“Please teach us how to become a good human being who cares for integrity, love, peace, altruism – the attributes of a good leadership to drive a corrupt free nation because it’s you who shapes ultimately not only a Childs life but also this nation’s progress towards the excellence.
And it’s youngsters who has to make it sure that we start living towards a positive and inspired destination. It’s our responsibility to make sure first that our parents, brothers, friends are journeying in right path by being a good human being and citizen before criticizing the democracy and politics regularly, if we want to stop corruption.
It’s simple as that you obey traffic rules, even though there is no traffic police in the road signal if we want positive change in society.
Secondly we picture our childhood education,
Since it’s the early years of a child’s life which last a lifetime and these years globally acknowledged being the most critical years for life-long development. I read that a recent research in neuroscience has provided convincing evidence that
“Experience – based brain development in the early years sets neurological and biological pathways that affect health, learning and behavior throughout life.“ If these critical periods are not supported by a value education, then the chances of a child’s brain development to its full potential are irreversibly reduced which in turn leads to a lesser analyzing capacity of mind than he actually needs for a day today life.
And this Childhood education is not only the right of every child, but will also impact on the quality of human capital available to a country, whose main asset in the years to come will be its “youth power”.
Let me put you the static’s straight away here.
Now it is India where 41.6 % of its population falls below the international poverty line. Given this situation, the probability of me being a poor father’s son is 40-60.
If I find my parents inside this 41.6% population, I don’t even know if at all I can get my childhood education. But there is still a decent chance of getting my primary education, as we find the 80% of elementary schools run by government.
Having come from a village, I know very well what most of the government elementary school are capable of.
These schools don’t even have some necessary facilities that include restroom or even classroom. Teachers just come to school as if they want to escape from their family responsibilities for the day.
¾ of youngsters are just growing up without learning any values and attitudes, given that 59.2% Indian literate population suppose to study in these corporation schools.
And on the other part the private schools, do teach on numbers. They develop the capacity to memorize textbooks. Their only aim is set at IIT’s, and not about living life.
But the problem here is Majority of people don’t even realize that only degree or carrier isn’t life but it’s attitudes and values that matures me to handle the life.
Are we talking about patience, skill, care and creativity in our corporation school? And if the answer is NO, then how can we expect them to become good leaders who could compete with the world’s best minds. In fact they could not even compete against themselves, ending up in crimes.
If I don’t learn about honesty and integrity things in my childhood life, then it will be difficult to even understand it as I become old.
And the rest 25% who are illiterate will do not only corruption but also all crimes that include religious riots.
I beg to all those schoolteachers who want to stop corruption, please teach us how to live first rather than how to score marks so as to get a carrier. It’s really a shame only for you when you see your student doing crime not only in politics but also in police station, public offices, business, etc.
Given this kind of educational system, it’s absolutely rubbish to expect integrity in every corner of India.
I request here all the people who shout for anti corruption law, “please raise your hand for a better childhood education too, if you really care for the nation not for some heroism”.
Let’s look on to our society next.
The society, unfortunately all it cares is about currency and fame, no matter how excellent you are in attitudes, how superior you are in values!!
As long as I am earning like billionaire and faming like a cricketer, I have been allowed to earn certain respect for me in India. If I don’t posses this, I become unnoticeable, though I know how to love people in planet earth.
When the whole world is judging you with only your wealth and fame; tell me what would you do?
Given this situation, it’s just a matter of my values to choose a short cut in order to conquer wealth just for the sake of this society’s recognition.
It’s just the society who successfully provoked me for bribing, as I haven’t learned in my life what integrity means? What honesty means?
Okay, what can we do here to make one beautiful face to this society in order to minimize its influence in my behaviors towards crime and wrongdoing?
After all we are looking for solution. Isn’t it?
Look, who are all driving the society in India?
The list is full of cricketers, film stars, political leaders, spiritual Gurus and worlds Forbes’s list of billionaires.
Have you ever seen them, addressing public about Vision, unity, honesty etc., to their fans or supporters?
If only a cricketer or an actor talks about the children’s education, then even some illiterate parent will think about sending their child to school in India.
You can ask me why I am calling this on the national celebrities.
Firstly I do believe that they owe a lot thing to their followers and supporters for the immense love that they are being showed.
Secondly, most of the people give their ears only to these heroes but not even to their parents.
Given the fact that their stardom status is the one that drives our people madly, can’t these cricketers, spiritual heroes make a positive revolution in youngster’s life?
When you tell all those kids to be truthful and honesty, I bet these kids will at least ask their parents for the definition of those words, if not anything else.
It’s you writers, film directors, musicians who teach public everyday what human life and feeling is. But I fear we are filming more a kind of human ugliness, such as plotting murder, bank robber. But don’t forget that spreading positive thoughts about life are your responsibility too.
It’s agreeable to write about your expired love story and some college day’s sex. But it’s also your responsibility to write about how to become good leaders of future India, since you are respected by people.
So before calling for the politicians head, it’s us who has to make sure that we are building a happy home by being a good son and father, building a healthy society by being a right role model, building a stronger nation by being an honest citizen, building a peaceful world by being a lovable human being.
Let’s make it sure that the right changes comes from us first to stop not only corruption but also all hurtful things.
To all those parents, teachers, social activists, celebrities, media and common people of India,
Please teach us all the right values and attitudes to help me become a good human being first so that you will not be responsible for any of the crime I do. Until then, you are all sharing the crime for a greater percentage that everyone has been doing.
I hope deeply that a good education and a right role model be it is my father or the society will root out not only corruption but also the poverty an violence, etc.,
It is a journey of stopping corruption that is DOWNSIDE-UP starting from me to the entire nation.. It starts with how everyone of us live our life.
with liability,
Murugapandiyan.Pon
