Kashmir Times: Srinagar: Sunday, July 20, 2014.
People having
given mandate to form new government, expect strong will from it to tackle the
problem by teething present vigilance resources for eradication of corruption
menace in our country. Counting on accountable governance, the responsibility
of a common man in fighting corruption also cannot be undermined.
Although our
governance has lot many legislations to combat corrupt practices but mainly due
to lack of public awareness, its effect is not palpable at the ground level.
Right to Information Act (RTI), which is comparatively more known and
acceptable, is playing rather better role and is showing its importance in
tackling corruption menace to some extent.
Prevention of
corruption related departments and commissions in Jammu and Kashmir state,
although playing substantially active role in curbing such unlawful activities,
still lot needs to be done by them to create wave among masses against this
evil. They are less in surveillance causing little impact of awareness, so
generate little contribution in prevention of corruption. Making such bodies
more functional and accountable, statutory powers and human capital need to be
infused in them, so that they become more powerful and result oriented. Not
much has been done in creating awareness of vigilance and gaining confidence of
people in present system of governance.
In fact, we
normally conceive corruption in terms of economic crime having immediate
financial implications. Actually corruption is much broader term having wider
ambit and ramifications. It ranges from economic corruption to moral
corruption, to social corruption, to religious corruption, to ethnic corruption
and very many, all having negative implications on growth of the society. It is
only by greed and not by need that is conceived by human psychology.
Before we
deal with this evil, we need to understand the type and genesis of corruption
and tackle it more specifically rather than accordingly. We need to be
transparent and uniform in our practice, be it an office or business or for
that matter any work and worship place. The emerging concept is a proactive
vision as well as an action to make every individual and organization,
transparent in its working and a habitual follower of rules.
So change of
mindset in our society for fighting this problem tooth and nail is basically
the need of hour. Vigilance and related organisitions have to play an important
role in accomplishing this mission. Creating awareness on vigilance among the
people at all levels will certainly help us to achieve our goal in a time bound
manner with long lasting effects.
Vigilance has
primarily two aspects to deal with. One part is preventive vigilance, which is
aimed at to create awareness among the people so as to follow thumb rule of
"prevention is better than cure". It not only creates a fear in the
mindset due to end results of such crimes but also raises morale of an
individual not to indulge in unlawful immoral practices. Our actions are aimed
at to create deterrent effect in the mind of a common man. In fact, this aspect
needs special and extra attention in order to build self conscious and
ethically strong society free from such impure thoughts. This approach is
purely informative, educative and propulsive to efficiency in nature. It
creates a sense of discipline and responsibility in a set up where we have to
have system of checks and balances. Ultimately such efforts yield long term
effects on cleaning our system from corrupt practices.
Implement
"Pick them young" under school and college education programmes,
holding workshops and seminars at organization levels, conducting conferences
on business fronts, updation and training to concerned departmental staff,
proper utilization of print and electronic media, sensitise all sections of the
society towards the eradication of evils of corruption crimes. Implementation of
checks and balances through auditing, surprise vigilance raids, information
through RTI act and many more should be encouraged as a part of sustained
campaign against such evils to create mass awareness. Government efforts must
not be limited to a week or fortnight long vigilance customary celebrations.
The other
part of vigilance activity is Punitive vigilance, that aims at granting
punishment after committing crime or acts of omission or commission. It is more
a reformative type of action with subsequent multiple effects and as such not
considered as a powerful fool proof method of tackling corruption issue. It
corrects the human aberrations and serves as a lesson for others. Instead it is
sometimes used as a tool for victimisation and vindication, be it at personal
or political level or otherwise, so needs less encouragement compared to
preventive aspects of vigilance.
Together with
the government, we need to change our mind set, feel consciously responsible
and fight for our rights by creating much needed awareness on vigilance aspects
for ultimate removal of corruption menace prevalent in our society.
Compromising with our moral and ethical values and succumbing to this evil for
our petty gains, simply destroy us and our nation, which we cannot afford now.
(Author
is Divisional Manager with Government of India PSU at Jammu).
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