The Govt or laws aren’t weak and unimaginative to bring down corruption. As people, we are too strong and imaginative to remain corrupt by all means

Kautilya sat down to write ‘Artha Shastra’, one of the first books on economics in human history, some 2,300 years ago.  And he ended up writing a whole chapter on ‘corruption’.  He famously said, ‘just like it is impossible not to taste a drop of honey that you find at the edge of the tongue, it is impossible for a King’s officer not to eat up a bit of King’s revenue’.  

Essentially, it means that even as long ago as in 300 BC, we were rampantly corrupt and as a society we exploited whatever individual power we had.  Kautilya implied that for Indians, the very human nature it self poses corruption. Time and again it was proved in our history. Kingdoms grew or fell through some strategic corruption of individuals who switched sides at a critical time. Even the British India Company walked over this sub-continent and established the rule of Britain over us, because we could be corrupted easily, and it was so effortless to divide us and rule. 

As a society, we indulge in it as a casual act of convenience.  And then, we complain about it, make fuss and cry wolf.

Why is it that the Governments cannot absolutely wipe out corruption? In all these 2,500 years, we have had several types of Governments ruling over us - kingdoms, monarchies, dynasties, sultanates, foreign colonisations and democracies. There have been benevolent rulers, autocratic usurpers, people’s leaders, men of sword, religious oppressors… you name it.  But how come any form of government or system of rule could not bring down corruption through force, legislation, counseling, or any other means for thousands of years?  Havenot we punished people enough?  Well, the country has historically practiced capital punishment, dismemberment of limbs, jailing, public humiliation, seizing of property and all kinds of punishment for corruption over centuries and millennia. Yet, as a society, we are as corrupt as we have been for thousands of years.

This essentially means that it is not the Government or the Law which is weak and unimaginative in bringing down corruption. It is just that as people, we are too strong and imaginative to remain corrupt by all means. And morally, we do not attach shame or guilt in being corrupt. Corruption is our blood trait.

During these testing times, when a selfless and sincere approach was needed to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, this trait of corruption ruled the roost. A grocery shop owner fleeced customers citing short-supply. A pharmacist hoarded life-saving medicine. A basic equipment like pulse oximeter suddenly disappeared from stores and if available, was sold at a much higher price. Black marketing of oxygen cylinders wreaked havoc on families in dire need of oxygen. Even a taxi driver would charge hefty sums from passengers.

We have just shown that we could just exploit any opportunity for money or material. And by stooping to this low, we have also defeated all the good works of a large section of people during these difficult times. Individuals, organizations, even political parties, in their own capacities, have been providing free food, medicines, ambulances, oxygen and all possible support to the needy but they were easily eclipsed by the rampant corruption surrounding us.

In the Covid-era, we have seen that corruption has reached the zenith.  It is not exaggerating that during the times of the Pandemic, we have ‘corona'ted corruption and installed it on the throne.  Corruption thrives at the juncture of power. And power need not be political or administrative or of any high order.  And if the opportunity is of critical nature, rendering the other one helpless, distressed and weak in some manner, it is easier to exploit the situation. And CORONA has become a golden goose of benefit for the heartless, unscrupulous and ruthless.

People of all statures - from the rich and resourceful to the ones struggling to meet their ends - had to fight this corruption alongside fighting the deadly virus. It was widely reported that once you reach the hospitals, in the hope of some relief and cure, corruption widened its wings. In fact, finding a hospital bed for the patient proved to be a Herculean task and in many cases, the hospital beds were hoarded by unscrupulous agents in connivance with the hospitals. News reports of ambulance operators charging Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000 for ferrying patients to short distances of a few kilometres describes this moral corruption in the most absolute terms. 

In our country, where private infrastructure accounts for nearly 62 per cent of all of India’s health infrastructure, it is easier for corruption to thrive at every level of the system. Medical staff were found refilling empty Remdesivir bottles with fake drugs and selling them to patients not only at a premium but also risking their lives, remorselessly. Patients and their families were cheated with fire extinguishers in the name of oxygen cylinders just when they needed oxygen to save the lives of their loved ones.

These instances are just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. The deep-rooted corruption in the health services goes as deep as kickbacks given to health workers to secure better services, theft of medical instruments and medicine from hospitals that are then sold at a premium outside. This ethical and moral bankruptcy have even driven them to the extent of recycling and selling bio-medical wastes like used face masks, PPE kits and gloves for the sake of a few pennies. Hospitals were also found charging exorbitant fees from Covid-19 patients.

And if one thought this faceoff with corruption would end here, a rude shock awaited them. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, who would have ever thought of corruption in the cremation ground? Families of the deceased were charged up to Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 for cremating the bodies which otherwise cost less than Rs 5,000 in normal days.

I began this article saying that corruption is a blood trait of people. There is very little that anyone can do to remove this evil from our midst if people act beyond the sanctity of morality.  A thing that was never effectively curtailed for centuries will only increase and occupy the centre stage of our lives when people patronize it, benefit from it and silently subscribe to it.

The present Government under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi has effectively shown how a system can be run without corruption. Having served for 20 years as head of Government - in Gujarat and then at the Centre - without even a charge of corruption, Modi has an impeccable, clean character to inspire our generation to adopt honesty as the way of life. Unfortunately, even the high degree of honesty and morality of our Prime Minister failed to influence our society and proved that corruption was indeed our blood trait. 

Governments can only help people's will to change. But if they donot want to change, there is no power that can pull us out of the intricate mess that we have created for ourselves. Let us pledge not to exploit humanity with our greed.

(The writer is Chairman, Khadi & Village Industries Commission. The views expressed are personal.)