LET US START QUESTIONING

Everyday in the morning, I wakeup not to the tunes of Suprabhatham, but to the news of some Minister’s hearing for bail plea in a Court; accusations of some Ministers involved in a scam; our money holed-up in the swiss bank; or in the more recent times—the hue and cry over Corruption, its rampant presence in our Country, Anna Hazare and his team, the Lopkpal , Team Anna Hazare’s trail and errors in trying to wipe out corruption from the face of India.

Well, all is well---but before we even start thinking of the various ways of eradicating this inevitable evil from our Country, let us try to understand what corruption is. U might be wondering why I am saying this—but I see that people equate corruption to just giving and receiving money in most cases—in cash or kind—but there is more to it than that. Only wen we diagnose a disease accurately, can we prescribe a medicine for cure

Here are a few cases and questions to be asked (taken from an excerpt of a letter by an IITan to Rahul Gandhi):

----Ask Sonia Gandhi , who is impeding the investigation against Hasan Ali—Ask her, who got 60% kickbacks in the 2G scam?
---Ask Praful Patel what he did to the India Airlines. You people cannot run an Airlines properly—How can we expect you to run the nation?
---Ask Pranab Mukharjee---why is he not divulging the names of the swiss bank account holders?
---Ask Sonia Gandhi--
YOUR SO CALLED SACRIFICE OF GIVING UP PRIME MINISTERSHIP in 2004. According to a Provision in the Citizenship Act, A Foreign National who becomes a Citizen of India, is bounded by the same restrictions, which an Indian would face, If he/she were to become a Citizen of Italy. (Condition based on principle of reciprocity) Now Since you can't become a PM in Italy, Unless you are born there. Likewise an Italian Citizen can't become Indian PM, unless He/She is born here!
Dr. SUBRAMANIYAM SWAMI (The Man who Exposed the 2G Scam) sent a letter to the PRESIDENT OF INDIA bringing the same to his Notice. PRESIDENT OF INDIA sent a letter to Sonia Gandhi to this effect, 3:30 PM, May 17th, 2004.
Swearing Ceremony was scheduled for 5 PM the same Day. Manmohan Singh was brought in the Picture at the last moment to Save Face!! Rest of the SACRIFICE DRAMA which she choreographed was an EYE WASH!!! In fact Sonia Gandhi had sent, 340 letters, each signed by different MP to the PRESIDENT KALAM, supporting her candidacy for PM. One of those letters read, "I Sonia Gandhi, elected Member from Rai Bareli, hereby propose Sonia Gandhi as Prime Minister." So SHE was Pretty INTERESTED! Until She came to know the Facts! She didn't make any Sacrifice, It so happens that SONIA GANDHI couldn't have become the PM of INDIA that time.
---Ask Rahul Gandhi---You Fake your Educational Degree, Your Mother Fakes her Educational Degree. And then you go out saying, " We want Educated Youth into Politics!!
WHY LIE ABOUT EDUCATIONAL CREDENTIALS?
----Ask Digvijay Singh---Why is he maligning Kiran Bedi?

These few questions clearly indicate that corruption is not just about accepting or paying kickbacks but lying –lying at all levels and then trials to cover up those lies---lies of oneself, lies of kin, lies of friends, lies of those in power, lies of those so-called businessmen, lies of a common man, lies needed or unneeded. This is the root cause of all corruption and this is what needs to be treated.

Now, if we identify lies as the root cause of corruption—why do we tolerate the same? We tolerate it because we are ignorant; we tolerate it to cover up our own flaws and lies---so it goes on to become a vicious circle because everyone wants to save oneself. None has the integrity of character to question others—HENCE JOIN THE BAND!!!

It is wrong to say that Power corrupts---because Power does not corrupt MEN; fools however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power. It is equally important to realize that weakness, too, corrupts. Power corrupts only a few, while weakness corrupts many. And this current trend of everyone supporting Anna Hazare’ s movement-- I call it a trend because the resentment of the public (weak public) does not spring from any injustice done to them but from their sense of inadequacy and impotence.

Also, in our society, we instruct our children to respect those who think alike. This is one of the surest way of corrupting them. We should teach them to hold in higher esteem those who think rightly, if differently.

There was a conversation between two children that I overheard recently—
( ONE is accusing the OTHER of stealing the book)
The first one says : You have stolen my book
The other kid says: Prove it !!!!
Today one needs to drown under water to prove he does not know swimming.....difficult times ahead.

And this is what we are teaching our children—an accomplishment if u can get away with wrong deeds rather than confessing to the same.

So firstly, the lesson starts at home—we should teach our children the values of truth, honesty and integrity. When one does not have the value of integrity in oneself, how will he/she question others?

Secondly, it is a basic requirement to educate ourselves with the basic knowledge regarding the rules of society and various bodies of administration, at least those areas that affect our daily lives—for example, how many of us know that only a traffic inspector of the level of SI or above can give us a challan? And how many knew that Sonia Gandhi could not have become PM even if she wanted to?

Thirdly, everyone should be united in their struggle against corruption. Even if there are a few black sheep, corruption creeps in. Many people think that it is not their job. They suddenly pretend to wake up only when it comes knocking at their door.
If everyone resolved not to pay taxes to the Government till only the untainted ministers represent them; if everyone resolved not to vote till they knew all the details about the candidates standing for elections; if everyone questioned why there is no age limit for retirement to run a nation while a fully capable person is forced to retire at 60 in the Corporate world----IF ONLY EVERYONE STOPPED BEING SILENT…..that is the answer for eradication of corruption.

We have stopped questioning—we do not question why we have a boss who barely knows how to correspond in proper English; we do not question why we need to pay lakhs to get a kindergarten child admitted to school; we do not question how the reality price for a barely there few square yards is a crore; we do not question the request of an additional 10,000 rupees by the official if it is for the approval of our house plan layout; we do not even question why we need to pay the autowala”10 rupees more than the meter price”---wen we cannot question an autowala, how can we question corruption in general----We do not question when it is our need that gets fulfilled

SO FRIENDS—LET US STOP BEING SILENT—LET US QUESTION—LET US QUESTION OUR CONSCIENCE-LET US BE HONEST—LET US NOT LIE—LET US NOT HIDE—IF NOT LIVE IN PEACE, WE CAN AT LEAST REST PEACEFULLY IN DEATH

Let us resolve ourselves to as Mahatma Gandhi said—“I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet”.