Corruption and Indiscipline in political circles in India

Issue

Pervasive corruption and indiscipline are fast becoming an accepted way of life. With the result that communal, regional, gender, race and caste conflicts are increasing every day. The persons and the groups, who have the power in their hands and who control almost every walk of social and national life are working to deny justice to the masses. Common man has been reduced to the size of pigmy.

Closer view of the present Indian scene

Taking a closer view of the present Indian scene, common-man finds that with many of the old visionary leaders having gone from the national and state scene in the sixties, era of committed bureaucracy started, undermining the integrity, values, ethos and confidence of the service as well as of people.

Public attention diverted to abstract issues

In order to divert public attention from real issues, abstract issues like social justice, socialism, secularism, communalism were floated in the political world. Government assumed a pervasive role of being the sole guardian of public interest and assumed tremendous authority in the name of socialism. Economic logic and administrative acumen was subordinated to the logic of politics.

Broken social fabric

 The social fabric of India has almost completely broken. Population has exploded virtually unchecked. There are sectoral and regional imbalances, which are sources of great social and psychological tensions. Science and technology have yet to make their full impact. Social change processes and the larger political turmoils are making a virtue of narrow loyalties of caste and religion and the sub-cultures like – favouritism, nepotism and corruption. Bureaucracy (administrative services) being an important part of Indian political system, has reached upto the point of being beyond repairs.

Start of the rot

A rot started setting up rapidly in the administrative set up during Mrs. Gandhi Era (1965 to 1980). The trend of ‘committed bureaucracy’ developed ‘playing safe attitude’ amongst upright and honest bureaucrats while taking decision or action.

It added fuel into the fire. As the result, the country is facing caste-communal divide; forward-backward divide, urban-rural divide and division based on class, gender, language and region. The feeling of oneness has almost disappeared with the emergence of many myopic, local regional parties pursuing sectional interest.

Corruption 

Corruption and misappropriation of public funds was always there, but not so rampant, as has been witnessed after 1990. The corruption has deeply entrenched into the political world and has become its integral part. It has acquired a kind of legitimacy, as a price to be paid for “Getting a job done” in the Government and saving common-man’s “Time, energy and money”.

Era of instability

The era of instability started after the fall of Rajiv Gandhi’s Government and then disappearance of Nehru-Gandhi family from the political scene. In the absence of any sound ideology and clear vision, the politicians of 1990s depended ideologically on “Caste”, “Community”, and “Political secularism” considerations, in pursuance of sectoral interests and use of power of money and muscle to widen their electoral base.

Reasons for deterioration

There are many resons for reaching up-to the present pitiable condition of law and order all over India. Concentration of authority in few hands, protectionist and populist policies of the government to create vote-banks, poor personnel policies of the Government are responsible. Slow infrastructural development, cumbersome office procedures, increased paper work. Over and above it, there is disincentive to hard work, talent, honesty and sincerity, lack of accountability and alienation of common man. Last but not the least tolerance of people of India is also responsible, which tended the people to accept the sub-standard administration, giving very little challenge to the authorities to upgrade their performance.

How far Bureaucracy Responsible?

People hold bureaucracy, ‘the steel frame of governance’, responsible for its deterioration, which is shaking under its own pressures. People wonder why the steel-frame of yesteryears is shaking and failing to do its job effectively and judiciously despite having a constitutional status with enough powers to deal with unwanted situations. There is decline over the years in the quality, competence and commitment of the administrative officers. In-discipline, violence and lawlessness are increasing every day allover the country.

Comment and suggestion of Mr. VN Narayan

Mr. VN Narayan has described beatifully the present climate, “We have a political problem (scams and scandals), but we have no political solution, we have a religious problem (Ayodhya), but no religious solution. There is an economic problem (poverty), but there is no economic solution (Liberalization). There is a social problem (Sectarian conflicts), but there is no societal remedy (Secularism and Mandalisation). There is a socio-medical disease (cancer of corruption), but there is no socio-medical cure (ministerial resignations and reshuffles) There is only one solution to all problems – a human and spiritual solution. We have to consciously move toward humanizing our social institutions and spiritualize (not communalise or secularize) ourselves.”

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