POWER CORRUPTS, BUT ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY.

POWER CORRUPTS, BUT ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY.

New Delhi: India has improved its position in the comity of nations in terms of integrity as it is ranked 72 among 180 countries in the corruption index in 2007, Transparency International has said. It was at the 70th position among 163 countries in 2006. Accordingly, India's integrity index has marginally improved to 3.5 in 2007 from 3.3 a year ago on a scale of 10 points, TI said in a report released on Wednesday. India's rank at 72 in corruption index is also shared by China, Mexico, Morocco and Peru. Pakistan is way down at 138th position. Denmark, Finland and New Zealand are the least corrupt countries, which jointly top the list with integrity index of 9.4 points each. (PTI)

I am sure the news above will bring smile in every Indian face. But the question is how much of this is really reflected when we transact in our real life? Is it really things have improved for better? Is the menace of corruption in its declining path? That will be certainly fabulous if it is so.

Few days back I happened to meet one of old college met who is working as civil engineer in one of the central Government concerned. A plain and straight forward person blessed with one of the finest engineering brain. But he was highly disturbed when I met him. He feels that after putting up more than twenty years of services, he finds himself being increasingly misfit in his organization. Reasons are simple:

YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT YOU DO NOT WISH TO DO.

YOU HAVE TO BLINDLY FOLLOW THE ORDERS WHICH COME FROM THE TOP.

I, of course did not ask him about the repercussions if he does not obey the order from the top. I knew those. For that anybody in India who is in the middle management level knows that. Repercussions shall come in many forms.

In the first place the person, who does not fall in the boss's line of thinking, will be sidelined. He will be relegated to a position of extra and will be asked to deal with routine correspondences. His juniors will be encouraged to bypass him. And you must agree with me that the greatest punishment for a person is to ask him to seat ideal when things move around him in a feverish pace. Yes, it can be very easily done as our government sectors are overstaffed, which gives enough opportunity to the BOSS to maneuver and play by sidelining people.

Secondly since you have not done any meaningful job, your performance appraisal will be written accordingly. Of course, higher ups other than the boss who shall review the performance appraisal shall never know that you have not been assigned with any works.

I do not wish to write thirdly, fourthly, fifthly, blagh, blagh, blagh; etc, etc for it is all known.

Then what is the alternative? Simple. Fall in the line of boss. Here the whole issue of corruption and principle comes. It is just like, be part of the corruption and at the same time do not soil your hands and do not be part of the kick-back process. Let your boss rip the illegal benefits. It is called "BE PRACTICAL" principle of Government sectors. Morally not correct but it is ok for survival. But if something goes wrong, boss will wash his hands and all the blame shall percolate down the line. Catch-22 situation! Is not it?

So after lot of deliberation I suggested my friend to follow the "BE PRACTICAL PRINCIPLE". Pat, came the question what would happen if the vigilance latch on to the case? "Ok, say it is as per verbal instruction of the approving authority", I suggested. "After all, Boss is the approving authority. He has every right to disagree to what the junior has recommended. Boss can not escape. He will be in trouble too in case of vigilance enquiry", I argued. Then, came the last reply of my friend which left me totally unarmed and defenseless.

"As per vigilance rule the recommending authority is equally responsible in case of any misappropriation, hence Boss will be caught and I too will be caught. My Boss can pay the penalty back as he has earned enough illegally. But from where shall I get the money to pay back?", he replied.

Sure! There is no denial and refusal to what he stated!! Just imagine the plight!!! Then where do we end then? Accept the corruption? Flow with the wind? I did not wish to suggest him to be a Whistle-blower. I have not forgotten Shanmugam Manjunath, the brilliant boy from IIM, Lucknow who was murdered while working for Indian Oil Corporation. Nor have I forgotten the murder of IITian S.K.Dubey while serving for National Highway Authority of India. So how to deal with this type of scenario?

Just reverse the scenario and think. Here, we have corrupt Boss and honest sub-ordinate. Sub-ordinate can not control the scenario. Ok. If we have corrupt sub-ordinate and honest boss, then? If we go by the rule that Boss rules, you will agree with me that in the second scenario the corruption can be prevented to a large extent. But can we make the Boss honest? How? Ok, can we force him to be honest? Possible! Yes, possible!! Simply change the vigilance rule, in case of any misappropriation hold only the approving authority as responsible. Leave apart the recommending authority. I am sure this shall work. If you think I am asking for too much from the approving authority. Let it be so. If approving authority can not carry the burden of the responsibility, let him/her opt for voluntary retirement scheme. No problem. An agile and dynamic shall take over.

This is the concept of GANDHIGIRI of Munna Bhai in Munna Bhai's style. Then why do not we change the vigilance rule? Ok, some concepts are only good for discussing, not for implementing. We dwell in duality. We love duality. We thrive in duality. Think and read between the lines.

NOW MY NON-INDIAN FRIENDS WHO ARE INTERSETED TO KNOW ABOUT THE STANDING OF THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES AS FAR AS THE CORRUPTION GOES, HERE IS THE LIST.

aaaa