01-04-2022 : It is terribly unpleasant to observe the level of corruption that exists today. Corruption in various forms has been with mankind from earliest times. Only that it has reached astounding proportions. Today it has become a rampant part of human life and occurs in multiple manifestations finding close associations with fraud, dishonesty, bribery, unlawful practices, abuse of power, to name a few. Its amorphous tentacles have stretched into every aspect of human activity. This ubiquitous phenomenon is intensified by the question of livelihood and ‘well-being’, social status and survival in the evolution of a socially perceived and accepted status of living.
It is quite ironic for it seems like a natural inclination to hate corruption but wilfully endorses it the moment one becomes a ‘beneficiary.’ In context, corruption is also mellowed down by certain local socio-cultural practices which are a ‘normal business’ and in the emergence of a lazy society and easy life yet status conscious, corruption will only continue to rise spectacularly.
There are normative ethical theories which illuminates on the moral dimension of human activities. In theory, these are moral compasses which should effectively talk with one’s conscience. Central to it is the human ‘will’ which operates within the domain of ‘weakness of the will’ where an individual is made to act contrary to one’s better judgment thereby choosing to do the ‘wrong’ consciously. In theory, there is space for liberation from the weakened ‘will’ but in practice the ‘will’ becomes too weak.
As such, the shouts against corruption only get stifled even as it gets normalized while effortlessly learning to live with it. A commentator lamented in a social media platform about the sorry state of the conscience even of those who are considered as the moral custodians. Is it a case of “Paradise Lost”? “Iniquity shall be in this World; woe unto you if you be the source of it,” Jesus Christ warned emphatically.
The moral condition and the way it is being conditioned has not only weakened the will, but has also doused’ the conflict between the right and wrong; good and bad. Rather, it has narrowed down to whether it is beneficial or not. Within such an existential reality, there is hardly any immediate space for realization and retrospection on the part of those causing it. Furthermore, in the evolution of the corrupt system, the existence of the right door is also threatened and which only makes way for all the wrong doors.
Corruption became a necessary evil in the issue of why ‘we’ need to be moral, and it is gradually becoming a normalised requirement today.
No doubt, the Central Government and the LG administration have established elaborate mechanism in the form of Central Vigilance Commission, Vigilance Organisation, Anti-Corruption Courts etc. to check the menace of corruption, the demon of corruption continues to raise its head now and then.
There have been movements such as ‘India against Corruption’ but this evil has not been curbed completely. There is urgent need to take immediate steps to check corruption.
Special Anti-Corruption Courts further need to be strengthened to deal with the corruption cases in a quick manner and award exemplary punishment to those proved corrupt. People must be motivated to avoid giving or taking corruption and make use of RTI to get information about the projects/works where they feel some dishonest practices have taken place. Honest and upright officers who take steps to expose and curb corruption need to be rewarded. Last but not least, it is only the people who can root out this evil from the J&K
We as a good citizen of Jammu and Kashmir must come forward and report such matters to the concerned authorities without any fear, delay, and having full faith on the administration and authority at the helm of affairs to protect the complainants from any misadventure.