If there is a big corruption problem in a country, there are always three reasons for it, which are also true in the case of India.
1. No love for the country:
On paper there are many countries that are classified as very nationalist after Polls. India and Pakistan are always in this list at the highest ranks and countries like Germany at the bottom. But how is it possible that both of these countries are at the bottom of lists when it comes to the development, education or wealth of the population?
Quite simple. Statistics cannot look into the hearts. You will not meet many Germans spending hours their time online for fictional wars or carrying their German flag in their car or at home, but pay their taxes with precision, develop new technologies for their country, never cheat others, and still humbly live their lives.
So, who loves his country more? The Germans or some Indians who spend hours on social media trolling practical and sensible persons. The very same person closes his pc/smart phone after spending hours as a pseudo nationalist on internet and then bribes the very first police/government employee or take as IAS/IPS officer bribe by themselves.
In short, corruption is a big problem in India, because very less people love their country!
2. No risk-taking mentality:
For years, corruption has been so prevalent in society that people see it as normal. Many adolescents are even moved by their own parents or neighborhoods to become public servants, not just for safety or reward, but to receive nice gifts from businessmen or direct bribery to enrich themselves.
After receiving the job, you are so under pressure from co-workers or your own friends that you are very easily called stupid and naïve if you do not accept money. And it's always the same: How should I compete against the system? What can I do alone?
But revolutions have always emanated from individuals. Somewhere, somebody has to do something about it. If you do not take the risk of losing your job, even maybe going to court, but on the contrary, are not these arguments apparent when you invest in a very risky business with your last pennies or marry someone with millions of debts?
An Indian has everywhere a risk mentality, in the traffic, in a fight, as an entrepreneur, but not to fight against corruption in their own department?
3. Moral erosion:
India is a country where many religions have their origins and very beautiful lines about morality and ethics were written on paper centuries ago. But somehow, somewhere this mentality has been put aside.
It has been so easy with sentences like: I do that because XYZ does that, too, or when XYZ does that, then I'll do it double, triple. (Always blame the others and find yourself a reason to continue your bad habits)
One of the most valuable civilizations has developed in such a desolate direction, where no one can teach the other and a large part of society is completely resistant to criticism. Forget to teach someone morality or to say something good for their development, even reporting a crime is considered as shameless. The person who does this is even considered by his closest friends as a traitor.
Many of my friends always tell me that it has something to do with a lack of education. But I'm sorry, the biggest sums of corruption go to very educated people. You cannot learn morality at school. It is learned at home, from parents, neighbors, from friends, relatives.
And the reasoning that it is because that you earn little in India, I think is also a very weak argument. If these three golden rules above are not changed, only one thing will change with more pay:
Someone who earns 30 k rupee will consider 500-rupee bribes as enough, and someone who earns 300 k rupee will ask for 50 k rupee as a bribe.
Conclusion
All Indians are against corruption, if it is done by other people. However, when they are themselves benefited from the corruption either as a bribe taker (government officer or politician) or as a bribe giver (contractor, taxpayer), they don’t mind indulging in corruption. This type of behavior is often called hypocrisy. However, Indians consider it a sign of smartness.
As long as you cannot change a person's heart and mentality, you can give him a Harvard scholarship and fill his pockets with millions, but he will remain same.
Mohd Kamaran Ali
intern@thradical
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