05-16-2005, 06:27 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>The brutal face of corruption </b>
Bulbul Roy Mishra
Quoting from Vedanta, <b>Swami Vivekanand once said that it was weakness that was the cause of all the misery in the world. "We lie, steal, kill, and commit other crimes because we are weak," said he. "We suffer because we are weak." His message for humanity was: "Don't be afraid to face the brute."</b> When we do so in real life, we find mafia dons like Dawood Ibrahim turn into meek seekers of mercy.
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It is indeed a strange paradox that a feared gangster like Dawood, who throughout his gory criminal career has never been known to show mercy, wants good behaviour to be extended to him. The man who engineered the 1993 blasts in Mumbai, who has blood on his hands of innocents, who has had a number of his opponents killed, expects clemency should he choose to surrender. It proves that the mafia don is a coward. About 19 years ago, the same Dawood had said in an interview that he would rather be an assistant to an honest Customs officer like Dayashankar than the Prime Minister of India. It seemed then that he had a shred of principle in him. If that little shred is still there, he should surrender unconditionally.
Be that as it may, the fact remains that our reluctance born of weakness to face the brute has accounted for the rise of criminals like Dawood and Veerappan. If we had the courage to confront them, the extraordinary energy of these people could have been channellised to the benefit of the nation. That people with talent and extraordinary energy adopt the negative path is symptomatic of our collective weakness or failure.
In this context, I am tempted to refer to an anecdote from Yogis in Silence (RK Gupta, pp 218-219). A king wanted to evaluate a diamond and announced suitable reward to anyone who could apprise him of its true value. All tried and failed, but one old man in tatters told the king that the diamond was worth millions as it had two special characteristics. First, that its possessor would never be discontented; and, second, the diamond would emit light in darkness. The king found him correct and called his senior minister to determine the appropriate reward for the evaluator. The minister suggested hundred lashes. Asked why, he answered, if instead of stone-evaluation the old man had used his extraordinary intellect to attain self-realisation, then the wealth of the whole world would have been inadequate as his reward.
Politicians like Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav ought to draw a lesson from this. Possessing extraordinary energy and leadership qualities, he could have turned Bihar into a progressive and prosperous State. Unfortunately, Bihar has turned into a haven for crooks and criminals and a hell for its common people. Mr Yadav himself is charged in seven cases of embezzlement and fraud. If convicted, he can be jailed for up to seven years. His continuance as Union Minister during the trial in the fodder scam case shows the failings of Indian democracy. There is no way India can improve its ranking in the corruption index of Transparency International so long as tainted ministers like him continue in the Cabinet.
The strength of Mr Yadav lies in his 24 RJD MPs whose support may be crucial for the survival of the UPA Government. Both Mr Manmohan Singh and Ms Sonia Gandhi have chosen to be realistic, not idealistic. But they must realise that their failure to sack him will encourage others like Ms Mayawati to blackmail the Government with the threat of withdrawal of support unless the cases against her are closed. On the other hand, if the Government sacks the tainted ministers, its credibility will increase. In the unlikely event of fresh polls, this is bound to pay dividends.
Corruption breeds corruption. It is under the patronage of corrupt administrations that officers like the former chief secretary of UP, Mr Akhand Pratap Singh, has been exposed for keeping hidden within his premises unaccounted wealth to the tune of Rs 120 crore. Then, there is Mr Gautam Goswami, former district magistrate of Patna, who, early in his career, learnt the art of networking for money.
Engaging in one's duty truthfully - and not abstinence - is the message handed down to posterity by our spiritual tradition. Whether in power or in the opposition, if our political leaders follow this maxim, Indian democracy will never derail. If they don't, its future is doomed.
The UPA Government has shown courage in supporting the ban on dance bars by the Maharashtra Government, duly appreciating that these places had become dens of criminals, drug peddlers, sex-adventurists and HIV carriers with hordes of slave-girls, mostly from outside. Some respected journalists have held the brief for dance bars without delving deep into the subject. When they do, I am sure they will appreciate the logic behind the Government's action.
<b>Tagore urged his countrymen to awake into that heaven of freedom "where the mind is without fear and the head is held high". Vivekanand said, "We are miserable through delusion." Shall we give up the delusion, so that the whole of our weakness vanishes? India's future depends on our response. </b>
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Bulbul Roy Mishra
Quoting from Vedanta, <b>Swami Vivekanand once said that it was weakness that was the cause of all the misery in the world. "We lie, steal, kill, and commit other crimes because we are weak," said he. "We suffer because we are weak." His message for humanity was: "Don't be afraid to face the brute."</b> When we do so in real life, we find mafia dons like Dawood Ibrahim turn into meek seekers of mercy.
Â
It is indeed a strange paradox that a feared gangster like Dawood, who throughout his gory criminal career has never been known to show mercy, wants good behaviour to be extended to him. The man who engineered the 1993 blasts in Mumbai, who has blood on his hands of innocents, who has had a number of his opponents killed, expects clemency should he choose to surrender. It proves that the mafia don is a coward. About 19 years ago, the same Dawood had said in an interview that he would rather be an assistant to an honest Customs officer like Dayashankar than the Prime Minister of India. It seemed then that he had a shred of principle in him. If that little shred is still there, he should surrender unconditionally.
Be that as it may, the fact remains that our reluctance born of weakness to face the brute has accounted for the rise of criminals like Dawood and Veerappan. If we had the courage to confront them, the extraordinary energy of these people could have been channellised to the benefit of the nation. That people with talent and extraordinary energy adopt the negative path is symptomatic of our collective weakness or failure.
In this context, I am tempted to refer to an anecdote from Yogis in Silence (RK Gupta, pp 218-219). A king wanted to evaluate a diamond and announced suitable reward to anyone who could apprise him of its true value. All tried and failed, but one old man in tatters told the king that the diamond was worth millions as it had two special characteristics. First, that its possessor would never be discontented; and, second, the diamond would emit light in darkness. The king found him correct and called his senior minister to determine the appropriate reward for the evaluator. The minister suggested hundred lashes. Asked why, he answered, if instead of stone-evaluation the old man had used his extraordinary intellect to attain self-realisation, then the wealth of the whole world would have been inadequate as his reward.
Politicians like Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav ought to draw a lesson from this. Possessing extraordinary energy and leadership qualities, he could have turned Bihar into a progressive and prosperous State. Unfortunately, Bihar has turned into a haven for crooks and criminals and a hell for its common people. Mr Yadav himself is charged in seven cases of embezzlement and fraud. If convicted, he can be jailed for up to seven years. His continuance as Union Minister during the trial in the fodder scam case shows the failings of Indian democracy. There is no way India can improve its ranking in the corruption index of Transparency International so long as tainted ministers like him continue in the Cabinet.
The strength of Mr Yadav lies in his 24 RJD MPs whose support may be crucial for the survival of the UPA Government. Both Mr Manmohan Singh and Ms Sonia Gandhi have chosen to be realistic, not idealistic. But they must realise that their failure to sack him will encourage others like Ms Mayawati to blackmail the Government with the threat of withdrawal of support unless the cases against her are closed. On the other hand, if the Government sacks the tainted ministers, its credibility will increase. In the unlikely event of fresh polls, this is bound to pay dividends.
Corruption breeds corruption. It is under the patronage of corrupt administrations that officers like the former chief secretary of UP, Mr Akhand Pratap Singh, has been exposed for keeping hidden within his premises unaccounted wealth to the tune of Rs 120 crore. Then, there is Mr Gautam Goswami, former district magistrate of Patna, who, early in his career, learnt the art of networking for money.
Engaging in one's duty truthfully - and not abstinence - is the message handed down to posterity by our spiritual tradition. Whether in power or in the opposition, if our political leaders follow this maxim, Indian democracy will never derail. If they don't, its future is doomed.
The UPA Government has shown courage in supporting the ban on dance bars by the Maharashtra Government, duly appreciating that these places had become dens of criminals, drug peddlers, sex-adventurists and HIV carriers with hordes of slave-girls, mostly from outside. Some respected journalists have held the brief for dance bars without delving deep into the subject. When they do, I am sure they will appreciate the logic behind the Government's action.
<b>Tagore urged his countrymen to awake into that heaven of freedom "where the mind is without fear and the head is held high". Vivekanand said, "We are miserable through delusion." Shall we give up the delusion, so that the whole of our weakness vanishes? India's future depends on our response. </b>
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