6.00 pm Cultural Program - India-Link.org

I would
The State of Corruption in India
Anna Hazare’s Movement
like to begin with an apology extended to
some of my Indophile buddies who turn and
squirm at the thought of anyone criticizing India,
however genuine and fact-based. Yet, that is what
I am going to do today – criticize India for one of
her major societal weaknesses – in my typical pure,
unmitigated, and straight from the core of my heart
fashion. Of course, that does not mean I love her any less.
No one loves his mother less because she has flaws.
Indeed, there is no such thing as perfectly flawless society
or country – India has its own share of fallibilities.
As we all know, India has taken tremendous strides
technologically and economically in the past two decades.
All projections are that it is poised to grow at 8% for the
foreseeable future. Indians are among the smartest people
in the world. Yet there is something very sad about India
that not only compels expression and admission, but some
concrete action as well
The societal weakness I would address - the focus of
this article - is the all-pervasive, omnipresent, eminently
rampant corruption that has spread through every strand
of every fiber of her social and cultural being. The extent
of corruption in India is so profound that many are
characterizing it as a necessary evil. In my view, its
cancerous, all-encompassing growth is threatening to
stigmatize the entirety of her otherwise noble character
and soul.
In this article, I will first provide a brief perspective
on the state of corruption in India and then address the
new movement germinated, incubated, and fostered by
Anna Hazare that promises to take the corruption
perpetrators head on and expel them from every nook and
cranny of India altogether. Will that promise endure the
20 INDIA LINK, 2011
By Dr. Ashok Kumar
The total amount of black money deposited in foreign banks by Indians is unknown,
but one estimate puts the total at over US$1.4 trillion) - R Vaidyanathan;Wikipedia
test of time? It is too early to read the tea leaves. I believe
that it is the essential first baby step. A lot depends on its
further evolution. I will provide my opinion on Anna’s
movement at some length at the end.
So, what is corruption? How does one define it? It is a
hard task, but I will try. In its broadest scope, corruption
occurs when a party uses its power or capability vested by
a system of government or otherwise to commit an act or
indulge in a process those results in an unfair advantage
to another party. In turn, the party that collects the
advantage gratifies the obliging party through cash, kind,
or other illegitimate resources. Withdrawing just favors
or currying unjust favors for inadequate reasons are
subtler form of corruption.
Indian folklore is replete with stories of rampant and
excessive corruption. Recent prominent corruption cases,
off the top of my head, that garnered a lot of news ink -
and got etched in Indian consciousness for ever – were: (in