Thursday, October 20, 2011

Corruption - Varying degrees

There has been lot of noise about Kiran Bedi and her inflated ticket costs (Inflated travel cost) wrong as it might be or at the least debatable. See no reason why that by itself would discredit her and the larger anti corruption movement by team Anna (I have had points of disagreements articulated in an earlier post  Anna circus). Earlier there was news around Arvind Kejriwal (Arvind Kejriwal IT notice) There seems to be an an ongoing effort to tarnish the members of team Anna which have been petty to say the least.

Relatively and qualitatively, the scams such as the CWG, 2G, Adarsh housing and many others found, not found  and never to be found scams Vs misdeeds such as inflated travel expense, waived bonds could by no stretch of imagination be painted with the same brush. Flaws they both are, but the difference in quantum and magnitude must count for some. (even legally, when reprimanded the degree is considered)


Society can not operate in absolutes. Life is not black and white. There needs to be a sense of proportion and relativity. The case mentioned with regards to a Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal (in his case more debatable, if the advice to deduct dues is true) are by no means large ticket items. By that rule most of us would loose our voices and be silenced. Few would be the number among us who could say, never has a bill been fudged or an expenses overstated. Many a times it has been an unsaid and approved practice a perk that goes with the job, ask a traveling sales man, be it the oft inflated fuel bills or the entertainment expenses and sundry. Even graver would be the fudged medicine bills that most salaried class employees run after come Jan/Feb every year. The list would be endless. Should all of that justify corruption in high places at a macro level. In The Anna Circus have tried to articulate the two distinctly different types of corruption and the plausible solutions. For the afore mentioned kind of misdeeds automation and systems would encourage us to be more truthful and less corrupt.

The reason these deeds are getting amplified is in many ways to discredit the movement at large, which one needs to be weary off. One has every right and could differ with the movement's objective, modus operandi or maybe both. It would be sad if the reasons for that divergence were cases such these, for by that yard stick there would be few if not none who could cast the first stone.....

2 comments:

  1. the problem is that the people leading this movement have had too fiery a rhetoric when they began. when you declare that even parliament is not important enough in the fight against corruption, then such scrutiny is to be expected. I am not saying what is happening is right, but these people should be careful. As the Roman emperors knew so well - the mob is fickle.

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