Kamal H Sangra
Behind every great fortune lies a great crime–Honore de Balzac
We are in the middle of the Vigilance Awareness Week, 2023 themed ‘Say no to corruption; commit to the Nation’ and this calls for a necessary reflection as we continue to dwindle amongst the most corrupt countries of the world despite our all-out efforts to contain the same since the year 2000. Observance of Vigilance Awareness Week is one of the tools used by the Central Vigilance Commission to bring together all stakeholders to collectively participate in the prevention of corruption, and fight against it while also raising public awareness regarding its existence, causes, and gravity of threat it poses.
The idea of a corruption-free society may appear elusive, but it’s certainly not impossible. A cursory look at the ranking of countries according to the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) by Transparency International suggests that mere political will and stringent laws are not enough to help countries become corruption-free. The reason why Denmark scored 90 out of 100 followed by Finland and New Zealand with a score of 87 each in the year 2022 are due to ensured transparency, accountability, and certainty of punishment on the one hand and slashed incentives for generating income through corrupt means on the other. That, perhaps, is the gap that we are not able to bridge.
These issues have explicitly been raised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from time to time. While showing unflinching support to the anti-corruption agencies, PM Modi in 2022 issued a stern warning that no individual or institution indulging in corrupt activities would be spared. In July this year, while addressing a public rally in Sikar, Rajasthan, the PM suggested the mantra, “Corruption quit India, dynasties quit India, and appeasement quit India” for a developed India. These words were further reiterated by the PM from the ramparts of Red Fort on the occasion of Independence Day this year. He rightly asserted that it is our collective responsibility to promote “Suchita (probity), Pardarshita (transparency), and Nishpakshta (impartiality)” in every sphere of life and governance to make India a developed nation by 2047.
Can we ensure Shuchita, Pardarshita and Nishpakshta in our institutions in J&K to restore public trust? The Police and the Bureaucracy are the veins of our social structure. They are all-pervasive systems that touch the lives of people very closely and directly. Any inharmonious encounter of the public with the same leads to ambivalence and conflict within society. It’s de-motivating and can lead to a sense of rejection in the public and hence needs redressal and categorical changes leading to the restoration of the public’s trust in the system. The recent appointment of DGP J&K and IGP Jammu Province are steps in the right direction that would inspire the rank and file of the force.
There is no denying the fact that consistent efforts have been made in many directions in the recent past. In the last two years, we have seen some practical action on ground by the LG administration that has effectively used IT tools as sources to eradicate corruption from J&K effectively. The online services which were limited to 35 in 2019, have reached 675 currently. Introduction of initiatives like BEAMS, Janbhagadari, Aapki Zameen Aapki Nigrani (AZAN), e-tendering, etc has transformed the administration into a more responsive, accessible, and transparent system. With the introduction of e-offices in most of the departments, one can track the movement of each file with time-series data analysis. Apart from this, the LG administration has set specific timelines for the resolution of Regular Departmental Actions (RDAs) and Preliminary Enquiries (PEs). The LG administration also ordered the observance of the “Day of Resolution for Freedom from Corruption” on August 5, 2023, and “BrashtaacharMukt J&K Week” from 4th to 10th September to sensitize the public against the menace of corruption. Inspite of these initiatives, the general public perception that the crusade against corruption is targeted only at the lower and middle-rung officials and that the acts of omission and commission of top-level officials go unnoticed has not changed.
Marking the Vigilance Awareness Week in letter and spirit, therefore, would mean taking the first step in understanding corruption in a broader sense and identifying the target area. While we all are familiar with day-to-day corrupt practices, seldom do we realize the silent corruption in mega-projects in which the kickbacks run into hundreds of crores, and the share is conveniently transferred to the corrupt public servants without getting noticed. It’s challenging to uncover these practices due to the lack of evidence against influential figures who occupy high positions, wields extensive networks, and possess considerable influence, as both the giver and receiver mutually benefit from this arrangement. Sufficient attention to this aspect is likely to yield motivating results.
Lastly, when a corrupt is transferred without being held accountable or retires gracefully, the faith of an ordinary man in the system erodes and when honesty and dedication are acknowledged, the system wins. We are witnessing both!
(The writer is a freelancer)
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