The other day I was talking to one of my colleagues Vidya who grew up in USA but has keen knowledge of India and its affairs. The conversation veered towards democracy and ways to strengthen it. She obviously is very familiar with the corruption-infested Indian system. She even said that donating money for charitable cause in India is like putting money in a bag and throwing it in water: no one knows where it will end up. When I countered that despite all these odds, Indian has to come up with a credible system of deliverance if our democracy is to survive.
Our conversation continued. Not very impressed that corruption can be uprooted from India, she added: “Removing corruption from Indian system is like converting Americans to vegetarianism.”
I could not help laughing , but her observation has merit. Corruption has become a way of life for us. Undeniably, it has its pitfalls.
Hi Munish,
I strongly disagree with the statement “Removing corruption from Indian system is like converting Americans to vegetarianism.”
1. Corruption has not become a way of life . Corrupt officials and politicians are still punished and looked down in India.
2. Corruption is not some thing we got by choice, It was imposed on us due to policies of our political leaders in Post Gandhi era.
3. You will agree that Indians are struggling to get rid of corruption. In recent past they have expressed their intolerance to corruption and wrong doings of govt officials by protesting at India Gate or by supporting Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal.
4. While comparing Indian democracy with other countries , it should not be forgotten that Indian Democracy is just 65 years old while others have gone through evolution for hundreds of years. Even US democracy had to fight a civil war in starting era.
5. It is a well known fact that “We mistake in seconds but bear the consequences for ages.”
Regards