Pratibha Sharma
The cancer of corruption is spreading fast in the country and this malady is affecting most of the apparatus of administration, political, economic and social. The corruption is so widespread that no sphere of life-governmental, private or non-governmental is immune from this serious disease.
This 512-page book under re view gives a broad and microscopic view of the corruption prevailing at various levels in the system of our way of life. India is, at present confronted with corruption which is eating into the vitals of our system. This comprehensive book has highlighted the major cases of corruption, past and present, in details which show-case the enormity of the seriousness of this malady. Adequate light has been thrown on some of the recent scams and scandals like 2-G spectrum,Common Wealth Games of 2010, bungling in coal mines allotments, Adarsh Housing Society fraud, Cash for Vote, VVIP Helicopters, corruption in civil and even defence services. This chapter of the book makes astounding revelations and shall certainly grip the mind of the awakened readership.
Dangerous Disease
Another interesting feature is the full chapter on the reasons for corruption in India. According to the author the main route cause of corruption are : one our election system, slackness in administrative machinery (which was once a steal-frame has now got rusted), delay in our justice delivery system, money laundering malaise, lack of strong political and administrative will-power to be tough against the corrupt elements.
The fourth chapter is significantly devoted to tackling corruption in India. S. Surjit Singh, who is himself an ex-serviceman as IAF officer, besides giving the causes of the serious disease of corruption has also given some curative methods to deal with this malaise which has spread in most spheres of life. His major prescriptions include: crush corruption ruthlessly in a crusade against corruption, a strong Lokpal bill, independence of investigation and prosecution agency, reformation in judicial delivery system, effective and efficient CAG and gearing up the administrative system to have zero-tolerance for corruption. The Right to Information and other instruments like delivery of essential services by the administrative machinery in a time-bound framework need to be further improved and streamlined.
Causes & Cure
A full chapter has dealt with the corruption in different countries across the globe. He has pin-pointed few of the frauds and corruption cases such as Water-gate scandal which shook the entire world and ultimately led to fall of the US President Nixon.
A noteworthy feature of this book is that a rich mine of information is the detailed account of United Nation’s Convention on Corruption which has chalked out a strategy and action plan for combating corruption in all its forms at the international level. The signatory nations are committed to controlling corruption with all the powers and also provide effective and efficient governance through accountability, transparency and corruption-free system to the people.
Objective Viewpoint
At the very outset, the book carries quotable quotes of some of the philosophers, noted politicians, intellectuals and others leading figures. Two such words of wisdom are: “Corruption optimizes pessimism” Samuel Purchase said; while Tacitus in The Annals of Imperial Rome opined “The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws”. And G. Edward Griffin asserted, “To oppose corruption in government is the highest obligation of patriotism”.
Mine of Information
In the Preface, the author Surjit Singh, while outlining the scope and objective of the book has said “I have no intention to caste aspersion or show any individual or any political parties or organization in bad light”, but he has made efforts to summarize the unfortunate happenings in our great country and stressed that his writing is balanced one. The author holds that like cancer corruption is detected and diagnosed at initial stage, the chances of its spread to other vital organs can be reduced if not vanished altogether. To meet the challenge of combating corruption, all the sections of the society particularly the youth must join hands together and launch a vigorous crusade against corruption in India for speeding up the developmental works and welfare schemes for providing much needed relief to the common man.
The book entitled “Corruption” is well produced and contains key knowledge on this sensitive issue connected with the malady which need to be eradicated through sustained efforts. This work is an essential reading for the politicians, administrators, academicians, students as well as the Aam Aadami.
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