ARE WE NURTURED BY CORRUPTED MOTHER? Suvidutt M. S.

(This article was originally published in a Delhi based Law Journal AB INITIO) THE PRELUDE Corruption, a phenomenon with copious demonic physiognomy has transmutated into the sub-culture of the populace in all walk and stroke of life. Corruptions sordid stain in the corpuscles of the humanity is permeating in more than the pace of malignant carcinoma. The miasma has finally desecrated and polluted the tabernacle of heavenly honesty, sacrosanct sincerity and ethical morality. The ramification of the evil corruption has influenced all the root and route of the countries machinery becoming grease for the smooth lubrication of the system. It seems as if everything in our land is purchasable1 if one has got the money, material and man with legal and illegal insight. The price of justice, value of truth and appeal of decency has eroded and faded away paving way to become a hi-tech profession of cheating, corruption and deception which the Croesus employ to get anything and everything they crave for. Those days have gone when the corruption was for the need but now a day its in greed. The cupidity in lakhs and crores confined to local level has altered into currency of millions and billions in the global pulpit with culprit as the top echelon, elite entrepreneurs, polite less politicians, administrators, bureaucrats and businessmen assembling the poignant poor, downhearted downtrodden and under developed countries as the victims. Corruption became borderless and boundless with a transnational language and a phonetics understood by all the criminals, terrorists and traders of crooked raison d'tre.
Debts, bribes and corruption, M.V. Kamath, organizer, the moving fingers writes, February 23,2003
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In almost every facet of our diurnal activities sleaze come up in chameleonic avatars whether it be in the place of electricity, telephone office, hospital, educational institutions, police stations etc. Torrid corruptions takes place mostly in upstream than in the down stream which warp elementary decisions about policies, projects and programs leading the committers to promotion rather to prison. Corrupt gains by the corrupt men instead of plowing back to domestic production and investment are smuggled out to safe heavens abroad implying a trait that corruption got wings and not wheels2. Inevitability has befallen to prune not only wings and limbs but the whole anatomy of corruption. The sheer dimension of corruption reroute the direction of resources from the descamisado to the Dracula minded affluent creed, increasing the price tag of running commerce and distorting public expenditure. Listening to all these sagas of corruption and perceiving the sages of corruption, the watch dogs CBI, CVC and Lok Ayukt simply bark without biting due to their own compulsions and confines. And we the people overlook the scams and scandals with the same haste of its exposure devoid of doing anything needful. Its high time to preach, ponder, and practice positively. NIDUSES OF CORRUPTION An assortment of reasons can be attributed for the dispersion of cancerous corruption in our civilization. This is an epoch where the whole congregation craves to procure and purchase whatever substance or object one discern counting even reveries and fantasies for which satchel of spondulicks is required. For dousing the inferno of avidity and avarice, gratifying the fancy, living in coziness and accomplishing elevated socio-economic status all and sundry voyage in the crooked cruise with the culturally instilled instinct and insight of more material and money. Extra the wealth one makes supplementary the dipsomania for opulence and ostentation. Thats why corruption is said to be sedative and addictive3.
Competition success review, September 2003 crime and society: current issues and trends-James Wadkanchery

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There is a sort of social acceptance of corruption and the masses are conditioned to the chemistry of corrupt carry outs4. Few decades back corruption was reckoned as illegal, unethical 5and unearthly utterance, but now corruption is mere illegal in the filth blemished folio of decrepit law manuscript volumes and is not considered as somewhat unethical because the criterion of ethics has modulated stupendously as time voted for and transpired as an acknowledged quisling. One or two elections post-independence were contested on the epithet of policies, programs, convictions and commitment with men of integrity, accountability, education and erudition. The percentage in quality and quantity of such persons abated and superseded with the key factors like obtrusive hypocrisy, camouflage agenda, communal and caste consideration. Politicians now a days crusade with pontificating promise, concession enticement, void vocalization and visualization forgetting norms of divine democracy and focusing the enchantment of ephemeral moneyocracy. In succinct, elections come under the label of prime etiology of corruption compelling the statesmen to brood over. In the bygone years the element of ignominy and inquietude predominated. Now it no longer vegetates even if a felony is committed. They evaporated over the period of time as the consciousness of the impulse physical survival gained priority in the globe of Darwinism. Correspondingly, the aged colossal ideas of probity, sincerity, service and sacrifice are regarded as anachronistic which have dilapidated presently into a hovel of scatterbrains syllable. Amidst presto life, bustling schedules, quantum quandaries and quagmires, the citizens have no time left to heed or to quest for redress mechanism against corruption letting the weeds to mature in their own peninsula. Even the onerous authority is least concerned. How true are Shiv Keras6 words that societies are not destroyed by the activities of rascals, but by inactivity of good people? Nimbus of ebullition and revulsion
crime and society: current issues and trends- James Wadkanchery Perceptions-S.K. Kulkarni 6 The Times of India, June 12, 2000
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against graft and bribery has changed into an auspicious climate for the embryo of corruption to germinate and bloom. Thats why a wild garden of weed is in the increase. Magnitude of the brandishing population is also a nidus of corruption. The short supply of the basic goods has ensued in boogie of corruption on the rostrum of scarcity and impecuniosities. Evading of paying the hefty taxes and the smidgen oblation to officials7 which is one of the corruptions metachrosis are evident from the realm of customs, sales tax, electricity, telephone bills etc. All these contribute to form a huge budget of corruption. Manipulation of opportunity, exploitation of government funds, amassing tolls through activists under overt and covet duress, earning illegal commissions from foreign companies by signing contracts with them on behalf of the government etc are the exercises done by the brutish politicians who actually are more precarious than the don Daud and brigand Verrapan. In addition to this a major reason is the cosmic discretionary powers clothed by the politicians and bureaucrats over the procreation, proliferation and interpretation of counter-productive regulations8. Self-aggrandizement and self-interest is the precept in the place of national interest, security and secularity which is an important point to be noted for the causation of corruption. The omega option and the edifice of justice, The judiciary in our country has also came under the penumbra of non accountability despite of its enjoyment from exceptional constitutional privilege to formidable weaponry of contempt of court for silencing its critics. A judiciary neither with fear and favor nor with taste and temptation has slipped into the cobweb of the sullied spiders due to the nexus with the underworld, business mogul and other influential sections of the society. What a stigma? Now whom can we trust and whom to forgive? ELIXIR TO EXTIRPATE
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competition success review, September 2003 competition success review, September 2003

Corruption, a poison which should be diluted if not utterly obliterated, with some sort of potion and the subsequent paragraphs is crammed with such antidotes. Circumscribing the role and docking the discretionary powers of curbstone ministers, getting down the bureaucrats from the ivory towers and leaving the application of major policies, programs and polemics to an independent commission or self-reliant authority or trustful executive body assigned on the basis of their professional dossier will definitely boil down the augmenting corruption volume. It is indispensable to inject gramicidin of effectiveness, receptiveness, courteousness, accountability and altruism to the body of corrupt and contaminated officials of the state machinery. To accentuate on judiciary, it must deliver virtuous justice and judgment without fear or favor, affection or aversion and threats or temptation. Equal justice beyond pressure or purchase is the artifact; easy access to the humblest and hated along with expeditious finality devoid of exorbitant appellate procrastination is the process anticipated. India has witnessed more than ten general elections which endured many ailments needing an ointment of election reforms. Bullet instead of ballot; shooting, looting and booth capturing instead of voting and polling; contesting elections by any amateurish person or malefactor is the history and story hitherto. Reformation in auditing accounts punctually and cataloguing income-tax returns by the political parties, embargo on persons with criminal muniment from contesting elections and puritanical enforcement of statutory sine qua non of code of conduct are brought in. State funding of elections is yet another efficacious modus operandi that will enable political parties to secure electoral funds in a bona fide manner and also redound to free and fair elections, eliciting men of integrity in legislatures, equalizing of manifold political parties election disbursement and so forth. Formation of stalwart local bodies, independent of the government is an egress from the Gehenna of corruption which can furnish meteoric justice with economical expenses. Lok Adalats, Lok pals, electricity and telephone Adalats, ombudsmen for

banks and other tribunals etc have to be case-hardened and accoutered to look into the enigma of politico-administrative corruption. They have to be given more potentiality and puissance to establish an extensive network of administration. The central bodies like CVC, CBI etc should investigate cases of misconduct, misappropriation or misgovernment of MPs, ministers and public servants employed at different undertakings. Autonomy should be given to these bodies to sift into cases, irrespective of a persons power, privilege, position or possession. It is honored wisdom that diffusion of information curbs discretionary and discriminatory practices that direct to corruption9. Besides administrative transparency ameliorating efficiency, endowment through right to information is an effective esplanade to help citizens combat the torment of corruption. Further, politicians, military officers, bureaucrats, judges etc must be required to produce detailed statements about their tax returns and possessions which followed by fleet inquisition and investigation against corrupt, will have a deterrent denouement. A dire necessity has befallen to create public action groups or watch squad against all social evils including corruption10 which should be positively activated and animated. Awareness campaign and cavalcade, speeches and seminars strewing cognizance and consciousness about the root and rotten fruit of corruption could clog the frowzy arroyo of graft, flowing across our terra firma. Mobilizing the people in proper channel in opposition to corruption by the religious organization and socialization of value-oriented existence by family, parents, schools, teachers humanity can succor in umpteen ways. Stringent and sharp punishment, instantaneous prosecution and immediate incarceration of the blameworthy caught red handed etc should be the lasso to hobble the corrupt cattle by the legal vaquero.
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India Today, September 2, 2003 crime and society: current issues and trends- James Wadkanchery 11 crime and society: current issues and trends- James Wadkanchery
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APPENDAGE The annual Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2003, published by Transparency International (TI), a private anti-corruption watchdog body set up in 1993, reports that Corruption was "omnipresent and omnipotent" in Bangladesh, Nigeria, Haiti, Panama, Burma, Tajikistan, Georgia, Cameroon, Azerbaijan, Angola, Kenya, India and Indonesia. At the top of the list - which measures the perception of corruption among both locals and expatriates - countries such as Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and New Zealand remain the hygienic places having the least corruption. Another survey of foreign businessmen showed Indonesia as the most corrupt country in Asia for the third year running, followed by India and Vietnam12. Considering this, to be an Indian, are we not embarrassed? UN launched new global convention against graft on December 9th 2003 and henceforth designated December 9th as International Anti-Corruption Day. Thats well and good. But a need has came to celebrate the whole three sixty five days of a year as international anti-corruption day because of the immense gravity of corruption and to vamoose from its gravity the utmost and ultra escape velocity seems to be a futile attempt. Corruption emasculates the soul and soil of democracy, Upanishad of constitutional provisions, ethical values, rule of law and jurisprudential justice jeopardizing sustainable escalation in economy and environment. To risk, a sound ethics in civic service is indispensable for the victory of any egalitarian democratic setup. Along with it there must be accountability and esteem for the law from the side of the judiciary to lift its iconic stature and to combat the source and strength of corruption. This is reflected from the dictum of the majority decision (J.S.Verma, J dissenting) of the Apex Court in K. Veera Swami V. Union of India (1991) 3 SCC 655, where he states that the existing Court system is efficient but it has to derive its strength from those who man

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it and whose adequate extent of knowledge, experience, involvement and determination alone can effectively curb the evil of corruption13. Everything has got bounds and ends. There is a saturation point for any activity beyond which no more of something can be absorbed or accepted. However, lust for fardel of simoleon, people has no culmination. The extra miles a person travel n the corrupt highway, the additional corruptive milestones he covers, more the temptation landscape he perceives and numerous distractive opportunities he opts for. Jesus Christ said that the pursuit of knowledge is like imbibing briny sea water by a thirsty man, the more he imbibes the sea water the more he gets thirsty. Perhaps crave for wealth is also like consuming seawater, the more wealth a person gathers the more voracious and unquenchable parchedness. Cant we provide the normal water? Otherwise our society will be submerged amidst the torrential sea water and corrupt parasites seeking on it. In a non-corrupt season only the blossom of parity blooms spreading the redolence of prosperity in the earths herbary. If the whole populace be the horticulturists cultivating such a garden then the pulchritude of those sublime flowers of purity can be realized and relished by all. Otherwise a revolution should be brought out by the people as whole on anti-corrupt sovereignty establishing a novel corrupt-free jurisprudence and ju-jitsu. Something of these sorts must be done or else solemnity of honesty, parity and unanimity will sooner or later be the martyr. Its now or never. Corrupt people make a corrupt society and corrupt society preaches corrupt culture14. This prolongs into the eternity. In phraseology about the phenomenon, it can be said that every infant is born into a corrupt society feeding on the corrupt milk of a corrupt mother15. Isnt this bringing some sort of feeling in your mind? If yes, then hoist your voice and noise for the exorcising of the devilish corruption and go ahead. REFERENCES 1. Perceptions-S.K. Kulkarni
Strengthening the Court System to Combat Corruption-Justice R. K. Abichandani crime and society: current issues and trends- James Wadkanchery 15 crime and society: current issues and trends- James Wadkanchery
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2. crime and corruption to good governance- Subash C. Kashyap 3. society and politics, anti-corruption laws in India: need for a new legislationD.D. Takur 4. Crime and society: current issues and trends-James Wadakanchery 5. competition success review, September 2003 6. competition success review, October 2003 7. India Today, March3, 2003 8. India Today, September 2, 2003 9. India Today, December 1, 2003 10. India Today, January 20, 2003 11. India Today, July 14, 2003 12. India Today, May 6, 2002 13. India Today, September 3, 2001 14. (2004)1 Supreme court cases (J) 15. West's Blind Eye Opens to Third World Corruption By Victoria Brittain-The Guardian July 13, 2000 16. Slow Progress in War on Corruption By Jeremy Scott-Joynt, October 15, 2001 17. Corruption 'rife' in poorest countries , BBC (Transnational),October 8,2003 18. Corruption: Story Without End by M.V. Kamath: Organiser, The Moving Finger Writes, November 23, 2003 19. Debts, Bribes and Corruption by M.V. Kamat Organiser, The Moving Finger Writes, February 23, 2003 20. , Strengthening the Court System to Combat Corruption-Justice R. K. Abichandani 21. 'Corruption in urban services on a decline' By: PTI ,January 19, 2004 22. Liberalizing governance by Mr. Sharat Kumar