When the top rung of govt gets tainted...

A nation on the cusp of celebrating its 75th year of Independence, will certainly be looking forward to a new era of growth and inspiring leadership. One of the pillars of the Indian state which can lead the nation on the path of progress is the cream of our bureaucracy-the IAS and IPS-the top rung of the government who help ministers and parliamentarians frame policies and programmes for a better tomorrow.

These national level services do not lack in inspiring mottos either with that of the IAS saying, “Excellence in action” and the Indian Police Service having ‘Truth Alone Triumphs’ as its guiding spirit. Millions across the nation have great faith in these brilliant officers who they have always hoped, will bring succour to those looking for a future bereft of poverty and hunger.

So when such officers get caught in the web of corruption and are even sent to jail which does not happen without substantial evidence, one can feel one’s insides churning in dismay. These are not clerks or peons who one can always forgive if they get demanding when approached for a licence or project approval. They are the guiding lights of the government machinery and when they get tainted, hope disappears and the wait for better times continues like ever.

It has happened in Karnataka with an IAS officer and a senior official of the Indian Police Service getting arrested on the same day for their involvement in corrupt activities. While one was caught for shady acts in a land deal, the other is said to have known about a recruitment scandal happening under his nose and yet did not act.

Corruption is something all of us grapple with on a daily basis and to which we often turn a blind eye. But what we tend to forget is that it’s our hardearned money which we cough up as taxes which is pilfered by corrupt officials in the name of commission and ‘cuts.’

The shocking revelation by the contractors association a few months ago that the commission they have to shell out for any project is a staggering 40 per cent, is enough indication of the rot which now runs deep in our system of governance.

Corruption will continue to be the bane of our administration and if we are not able to fully root it out, we can at least make an effort to keep it to the minimum so that it does not eat away at the vitals of governance. There are enough anti-corruption bodies already functioning in the state and what stops them from launching an all-out battle against dubious deals is the fear of political interference or the lack of evidence.

Political will is an essential if one has to cleanse the system and for this, we need leaders of stature and statesmanship who do not mind calling a spade a spade even if it means severing their connect with the high and mighty in society. And there is also the question of a vigilant publicthe greatest force in a democracy who can make any tainted official quiver with fear if they have the truth on their side.

Eternal vigilance is the price we have to pay for our liberty…from graft and if we do not stand up against this disease which has permeated every level of society, we will be the object of ridicule of generations to come.