CORRUPTION

This past year I have turned a new leaf to my life. As is customary that meant having to do my rounds in the government offices to get my change of status documented and sealed. My case being peculiar, it warranted more visits than normally prescribed. It was here that I got my self toying to understand the most astounding of all social organizational beasts- Corruption.

It is the most discussed organizational faux pas. It is clearly the most fought against vice at regional national and international levels. All around the world much has been written by our legislators and millions work as watch dogs to ensure its abolition. It miraculously however continues to not only mutate and exist but does so in a manner which shows no trend of a decrease. A simple surface dissection in to the topic will clearly show that it is a systemic malfunction but for some reason I couldn’t bring myself to believe it was just that.

I sit and think of all the Television AD’s and the Anti corruption campaigns that always sing the same sermon-“Corruption is evil”. What an eye opener!! It baffles me to think, that any one would be naïve enough to believe for a second, that those who engage in corruption do so because they believe they are promoting social welfare and equity. This is classic human defense mechanism at play. The principle is simple- Label whatever is unjust and unfair to society as foreign to our good nature and tag it all on evil (Mind you the definition of evil is very fluid, a work in progress, and we add to it with every passing day). We move on to identify our good nature as rational beings whose actions in all circumstances is in total harmony with what is just and fair. This of course cleanses us of what is evil, and defines its traits foreign to the normal social behavior we exhibit.

Does corruption exist because there are those corrupt officials wanting more than what the system provides or the service seekers who are willing to do anything to get around the line of service? Is it an aberration unique only to some processes in the system? The second notion is much easier to deconstruct as corruption works its way from the smallest of ranks to the highest of seats. In developing countries like ours at the smallest levels one can point to the inability of the system to adequately remunerate its civil servants as a possible reason. In higher settings however, such a reason can not be quoted. The service providers as well as those who require the service are too wealthy to cite inability to meet their needs as a cause. Corruption at this level is a different beast all together. At this level its purpose is not to get things done but rather to mask or rearrange certain elements and tip the odds in ones favor. In such a setting the participants have higher risk coefficients and zero patience to get in line cause their wealth can buy countries let leave be bothered by system rules.

The nature of what has people engage in corruption is not differences in their economic standings and definitely not the type of service that they are engaged in. The welfare scheme of ones country can curb the level of corruption at the lower levels but it will continue to thrive at the highest public and private administrative settings. The primary prerogative of man is Survival. We often forget that all other values are adhered to and accepted provided that survival is not threatened. As one is pushed close and closer to the bare minimum of what is the required for survival, the higher the desire to bend and eventually break the rule of law.

At this point, my thought process has reoriented from identifying corruption as a social animal to one that is innate to the individual. The nature of man one can relate to corruption is of course greed. Be it as the officer offering the service or the person seeking for the service, be it whatever the reason for participation, the existence of corruption highlights our inability as a race to adhere to rules and regulations. Maybe after all it is not a rational prerogative for man to always act in ways that are just to his fellow beings. Maybe what we claim is evil is nothing different to our own actions that can’t be reconciled with social justice and harmony. My question thus changes from ‘What are the organizational measures to be taken to fight corruption?’ to ‘Can we fight corruption at an organizational level or at a personal one?’ Obviously the organizational anti corruption set up is to criminalize and jail those who are corrupt. This of course helps keeps at check those who conspire and use corruption as a steady means of income through the fear of incarceration. However the distance such an action goes to bring about behavioral change in an individual is debatable.

If corruption in its entirety is an adversary we wish to combat, it is a battle to be fought with in each one. Until one places their trust in the system and the rule, until one refrains from acting in a manner which is selfish and unfair corruption will continue to run our systems. Though rosy to paint the day where all will put first what is fair to what is personally beneficial, its actual occurrence in reality is as far as we will ever be to getting rid of systems that bow to corruption and people who are corrupt.

“If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher.” Abdul Kalam