Topic 31:
All Indians are well aware of corruption and bribery to government officials (Babu). India, since independence has suffered on every front because of this bribery (chai-pani) custom. No matter which party you name they shout slogans about anti-corruption but the fact is that let it be any party which is in power has done little or nothing for this bribery system. We Indians once a while start activism for this and few days later we forget everything and start to relive in corrupt system.
I sincerely appeal to all governments from centre to all states and all corporations etc to bring in or either work on bringing a national law or states’ laws in latter’s case with just minor differences from one to another states’, against bribery and corruption. And the most prominent clause of such an act should be that Bribery should be made into a Non-Bailable offence. The burden of proof should be put on the government official accused in this. The punishment should be severe up to 14 years rigorous imprisonment.
All Indians and our legal bodies, right from Panchayat to parliament up to Hon. Supreme Court know this fact that somewhere and somehow common person has got no option but to give bribe. This may be an international problem but we, at least we, are responsible for our country: India. We can’t wait for an international accord on this issue, that too when, when there are countries with far lower corruption rate and thus least interested in this issue per say.
Corruption and bribery are such strictly followed in governmental agencies as if it is part of enshrined goals as stated in preamble to the constitution that is like: we the people of India having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a corrupt state or more like a fundamental duty! Shouting slogans, distributing zero notes will not end corruption, we all know this and we are just being sympathetic with our own dilemma.
On one hand government officials keep on getting increments and facilities and on other hand they more dearly follow the custom of demanding bribes. In India things like passports, election cards, ration cards, driving license, electric supply, water supply, factory license, birth certificate, death certificate, complaints at police stations, getting clarification certificates from government officials and what not, all these need bribe, your legal or fundamental rights go into dustbin, if you have bribe money you can get your work done else you are not even considered Indian citizen rather are seen as spy of an enemy nation.
Merely, suspension of officers and later lethargy of judicial procedure would never end corruption and thus plight of Indian citizens. I appeal to all ruling government in the interest of India, the central government, all the state governments and other local bodies to draft such bills and put those in houses. I also appeal to all oppositions in all houses to whole heartedly support such a bill.
When a citizen goes for some work to a government official it is his right to approach that government official, and what he demands (certificate, card etc) is his right to acquire. Thus when it is our right to acquire something nobody would want to pay for it except of legal fees. Why we give bribe is because we are not getting our rightful stuff, thus we pay bribe. Official on other hand demand bribe to provide that very stuff or to provide unlawful stuff, in first case the common citizen is forced. Just taking the first situation we should consider citizen as under compulsion and thus let him walk free of crime, no burden of crime should be put on him.
As for the second situation where a culprit tries to give bribe to government official to acquire some unlawful stuff then to Non-Bailable clause with severe rigorous imprisonment should apply only to government official because it’s his duty not to let crime happen. This does not mean that those who give bribe to acquire should walk free but should be dealt according to current laws. But anyhow a common citizen who is forced to give bribe to acquire a lawful stuff should walk free without any burden.
In Hindi: Bharat me rishwatkhori ko ghair zamanati jurm banaya jaaye!
No comments:
Post a Comment