Corruption, in any society, breeds injustice and injustices triggers unrest which in no way is good for any healthy society. This menace, unfortunately, is wide-spread all over the country and Jammu and Kashmir is no exception. Lt Governor-led UT administration has been making claims of curbing this menace and in this backdrop, it has decided to observe 5th August every year as “Day of Resolution for Freedom from Corruption” in Jammu and Kashmir. The Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha, himself has been repeatedly saying that his administration would be working tirelessly to make J&K ‘Brashtachar Mukt’ (corruption free). These utterances sound music to the ears of the public who have been victims of corruption for decades. Corruption is the menace that hampers the progress and development of any society in the world. When the corrupt practices become a normal, the society as a whole is destined to fail economically and rot morally. Deserving get neglected and those not deserving are benefitted thus disturbing the equilibrium of the society.
While administration’s resolve to fight corruption is praiseworthy but there will always remain some ifs and buts which the administration needs to take care of. Corruption has all along been rampant in Jammu and Kashmir, so rampant that unfortunately it has, by and large been accepted by the populace as something inevitable. This acceptance has, in a way, provided a social sanctity to this menace. Gone are the days that arrest of any government official on the charges of corruption would shake people and arrested would feel the shame of public rejection. The situation has reached a stage where the most corrupt are the most respected ones. It feels good to read that the UT administration has made such major decisions to curb the menace but it goes without saying that the task is not so easy. The main organization that deals with the menace – Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) – needs to be strengthened. The administration should identify the upright and honest officials with integrity to run this organization. The administration needs to have ample circles of checks and balances to ensure the organization that is assigned to fight corruption, doesn’t have any scope for any corrupt practices within.
Secondly, corruption is a disease that needs to be tackled from the top. Targeting small fries is not going to make any huge difference. Yes, it may help the administration’s PR exercise a bit but will not help fighting the corruption. Need is to widen the dragnet and catch the sharks who actually are the main culprits and use the small fry to do their dirty job. That said, the society, as a whole, should raise its voice against corruption in public life and offices. The religious leaders during Friday sermons should talk about these kind of issues and make people aware that how Islam looks down upon corruption and the corrupt.
