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In democracy, we have four pillars which need to support it as per Indian constitution, namely legislative; executive, judiciary and of course, the press. All are important in their own places and they must work in their fields honestly. But unfortunately, do we see that all are actually working to the satisfaction of the common masses? For the redressal of the small administrative grievance, which the executive can do easily in many of the cases, one has to take recourse of expensive lawyering and judicial system out of sheer frustration or the last resort unfortunately. Master and slave relationship used to prevail between the English, the ruler and we, poor Indians, the ruled before independence. And this relationship has been carried forward since independence on account of the English legacy. We had the experience of having Hon’ble elected and back door entries members in our assemblies and parliament and now the third front_non elected knowledgeable and experienced public platform (from civil society representatives).
The fear of Lokpal as one independent body is totally unfounded. Example of Hong Kong is very evident. Hong Kong established an independent commission against corruption. The commission over the years has helped check the menace of corruption there and Hong Kong has now become one of the cleanest countries. Anna Hazare’s fast unto death and overwhelming response to it by the common man of India has presented a golden opportunity after 42 years to curb corruption. The bill as a first step can prove an important milestone in the way to achieve clean administration. It is not the end but the beginning of the process.

As a public health scientist, I strongly believe that a good governance is one of most important determinants in public health field. Let us hope for the best on constructive notes. When the countries like Hong Kong/Singapore can do it, why not this long deserving great change in our great country?
Dr. NikhilKranti

It is right time that we must all join the NATIONAL CORRUPTION ERADICATION PROGRAMME. It is not one man's job_Anna Hazare. This programme must be BY THE PEOPLE; OF THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE. When country like Singapore can stand first in clean and transparent governance and public accountability, why not the people of our great country_INDIA??
Dr. NikhilKranti

The time has come when there is a great wave of revolution flowing alround the globe. The people of the countries like Tunisia. Zordon, Egypt, Bahrein etc strongly yearn to heave a sign of relief in open, clean and unfettered environement. They want to free themselves from the cruel clutches of the undemocratic tyrannical rulers. The great country like India which is ours and we should be really be prould, is suffering from corruption from top to bottom.

Every alternate day, some scam or other of huge magnitude is surfacing out, be it CWGames, 2G spectrum, Adarash colony, F_spectrum and like wise staking of Rs. 1,76 lacs crores of money in Swiss bank are the greaest cause of concern. But bloody scamsters and dirty shameless politicians are so thick skinned that nothing affects their health.

It is right time that we should make all the people of the country quite aware and vigilant by joining the net work of National Corruption Eradication Programme.This is the movement by the prople, for the people and of the people. Every vigilant citizen of India must contribute. This is possible. We can make our country virtually great in real sense.
Dr. NikhilKranti

Madam,
It is a matter of common observation in the national news papers of Himachal Pradesh and great relief that on every alternate day, one or other corrupt person ranking from IAS/IPS officers to Tehsildar, Naib tehsildars, Kanungo, IFS (Indian Forest Service) connected officers, Patwaris, SDO of IPH, PWD, Electicity, BSNL departments, Food Inspectors, drug controllers of HP are got caught eithrer red handed or the public are putting them on the mat by way of RTI, 2005 and then fixing and contesting their accountabilities in the open. It is a great public awareness compaign indeed. I have also broken the notorious corrupt nexus of telecommuncation officials/officers by getting the red hand catch by the CBI sleuths. The people of of India must get up to get their due. Transparency and accountability in all sections of life must be there. It is birth right of the public to know every thing, since it is governement by the public, of the public and for the public. Let us awaken every person of India to cleanse the system. This is possible.
Dr. NikhilKranti

Nobody field is free from corruption and it starts from the top. What we feel is certain proved corrupt elements should be either crucified or hanged from the lamp post in full public view. No doubt, it is difficult to do in the beginning but not at all impossible by the vigilant public.

Hi Jaya, I am a govt. servant but I can't say whether I can share with like minded persons a lot of experiences of kicks and counter kicks for those indulging in corrupt practices. But here a point to be noted as to whether I can narrate those events as a govt. servant in this forum within the four walls of service rules. Please enlighten me providing me certain rulings on this. That's why I am a silent observer on this platform.

Dear Irani,
You are absolutely right for lobbying the need for Whistleblower Act. Now the time is fast changing and the people of modern era are more enlightened and more resouceful. We, the like minded can group together to make this as momentum a great success. But Whistleblower Act should has the powerful cutting teeth, not like the old lion with blinding eyes and losing teeth!
Thanks.

Hi All,

I am pretty sure everybody knows about this but India, especially the state of Maharashtra, is in the process of obtaining more loans from the World Bank. The state has initiated talks with the president of the World Bank to obtain loans for the MUTPII and III projects (mumbai) and for enhancing irrigation infrastructure in the state.

I am just throwing an idea here (even though the Supreme Court (SC) has already directed the Centre to establish a Whistleblower Act), but would it be beneficial for us to lobby with the World Bank the need for a Whistleblower Act (in India). With pressure from SC and World Bank I think that the development, implementation and enforcement of this Act would be hastened. If this is a good idea please let me know so that we as a group can make the lobbying effort more successful.

Hushang Irani

Gentleman,

The U.P. State Universities Act,1973 authorises the State Govt. to chargesheet a College
Management on the receipts of complaints and if the Government is not satisfied with the explanation, to suspend the College Management and appoint a controller for the maximum period of two years (sec 56 to 60). Here several things needs clarification.

1. The universities are autonomous bodies. The Govt. of U.P. does not take the concerned
University into confidence. Is this correct ?
2. The govt. chargesheets a college Management and also act as an Enquiry Officer and also
takes an action. Is it legal ?
3. The state Govt. often appoints the District Collector as Controller who is already an over
burdened officer. Then, the adminstration of a district and adminstration of a college needs
different qualities. Is appointment of a Dist. Magistrate as a Controller justifiable ?
4. No where the rights and duties of a Controller, who is only a working Managing Committee,
have been mentioned with the result that a temporary controller often takes far reaching
policy decision, such as
i) To transfer‘several accounts, amounting to lakhs of rupees, from a scheduled nationalised
bank to a district level Co-operative Bank.
ii) To purchase a luxury car which has no use for the college.
iii) To construct new buildings worth crores of rupees from the college funds without
completing formalities, as per rule of the U.G.C. Universities and colleges etc. Even
the laws pertaining to Urban development like ALIGARH VIKASH PRADHIKARAN
were also not followed o iv) To allow Principal to make his residence a super luxury house.in the college campus.
v) Due to over work of the District Magistrate cum controller. The Principal became
dictator and went as far as illegally with-holding payments and salaries of the teachers
and not sending pension papers of the staff to the Director of Higher Education and
recruit new employees fraudulantly.
vi) The Principal became bold not to provide informations under RIGHT TO
INFORMATION ACT inspite of half a dozen time appearances before the Hon’ble
STATE INFORMATION COMMISSION, LUCKNOW, with their clear instruction to
do so.
vii) The suspended Management had charge sheeted the Principal and appointed an
Enquiry committee. The report of the Enquiry committee and also the report of the
Director of Higher Education,U.P., which proved the very serious charges have
been shelved by the Controller for no legal and justifiable reasons.

Such instances can be multiplied. If required connected documents can be provided.
To hand over the charge of the college to the suspended Management after a period
of time, as if the culprit has completed the period of imprisonment, is it fair ? Why
the election could not be completed in 2-3 months and charges handed over to the
new Managing Committee?

Bimal Kumar Khemani
2/40 D,Janakpuri
Marris Road,
ALIGARH-202001
INDIA

to bring a major change in our political system, it is a must that
1) casting of vote be made mandatory for all the voters and if any voter do not cast his vote without any valid reason be penalised.
2) the upper age limit of contesting any election must be prescribed, like the retirement age of a govt. servant.
The age for retirement from active politics may be prescribed in between 70/75 years, so that we can get rid
power hungry people.
BIMAL KHEMANI

INDIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM by Bimal KhemaniBimal Khemani, 08 Sep 2007 06:36

Dear All,

Please read this article by giving 10 minutes from your busy life.

* The Former President of India DR. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam's Speech in Hyderabad *

Why is the media here so negative?
Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?

We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.

Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.
I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to.

The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.

In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we so NEGATIVE?

Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T. Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.

Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India .

For her, you and I will have to build this developed India . You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.

Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.

Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is yours.

YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke,
The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.

YOU say, say and say.

What do YOU do about it?

Take a person on his way to Singapore Give him a name - YOURS.

Give him a face - YOURS.

YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are.

You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity…

In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU?
YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan in Dubai
YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah .
YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.
YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, 'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son.
Take your two bucks and get lost.' YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand .
Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo ? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston ??? We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be as involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India ?

Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay Mr. Tinaikar , had a point to make. 'Rich people's dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,' he said. 'And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels?

In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.

We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the Government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms. We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity. This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public.

When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? 'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.'

So who's going to change the system?

What does a system consist of ?

Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and the Government.

But definitely not me and YOU.

When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away. Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system.

When New York becomes insecure we run to England When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country.

Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.

Dear Indians,

The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too….

I am echoing J. F. Kennedy 's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians…..

'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA
AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA
WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'

Lets do what India needs from us.

Thank you,

Dr. Abdul Kalaam

JAI HIND!!!!

A message from Dr. Kalam by msg4558msg4558, 15 Aug 2007 10:52

( Continuation from the previous ) We can not afford to take that attitude anymore as the cost of it would be too much more than in the Maurya's time. The extant and impact of today;s corruption is indeed devastating. According to Transparency International, an estimated sum of Rs. 26,768 crores is being extracted as bribe in India every year by the officials at various levels from citizens in the sectors like education, health, power, telephone, railways, land and building adminisration, judiciary and public distribution system. This is at a time when India today has 28 crores of people who go to bed everyday hungry and another 52 crores of people live on less than Rs. 40 a day. No wonder that the Transparency International Survey puts India in terms of transparency in administration in the 71st rank among 102 countries studied by them. Honesty of of officials in India is so low that it occupies 45th rank out of 49 countries surveyed. In Human Development Index the rank is down 127th among 177 countries. Most of our problems would have been solved if only the money going down the drain by corruption is checked.

Bribes in India is usually extracted while granting licenses and permits, as ' speed ' money to get the job done fast, in sale of jobs, postings and transfers,' pugree', black marketing, regularising unauthorised construction, in getting public goods and services, Banks fradulant deals, public contracts, leakages and ' party funds'.These are all crimes under law and every law existing in this regard such as Indian Penal Code 1860, Prevention of corruption Act 1947/1988, Representation of pepoles Act 1950, Commission of Enquiry Act 1952, and the Central Bureau of Investgation, Central Vigilance Commission, Anti Corruption Bureau in States, the Ombudsman are all been ineffective in checking this menace. On the contrary the incidence of corruption is on the increase.

Why do people become corrupt? We all have needs and we want them satisfied. Need for food, shelter, love and affection, status and recognition, self actualisation are all needs well recognised in us. When our needs are not met we feel frustrated and some may start taking devient means to satisfy somehow or other. Corrupt ways and means they may pick up by observing others, what the Psychologist call Modelling Effect.If others use devient means and get their needs satisfied easily and get away with it too makes them copy those behaviour. Parents, teachers, leaders in public, heroes in films all act as models for younger ones especially when their needs are unmet by honest means. ' yata raja tata praja ' As the king so is the citizen.Consumerism, which makes people want what they donot need, coupled with market economy and negative part of globalisation act as an additional impetus for corruption.

How do we tackle the problem? Alleviation of poverty can be a foundation for eradicating corruption as higher values in life can emerge when lower, 'belly ' needs, are satisfied. Education that emphasise the development of not only the Head but also Heart and Hands, a complete person, is yet another antidote for corruption. A holistic perspective on life will offer multiple levels of deriving happiness other than greeds alone. Hence, kindling spirituality ( not mere religiosity ) in people where in we experience connectedness of all beings enabling us to live in harmony by sharing and caring with feelings of equality ushering in a new paradigm of life for the good of self and others will not have any place for corruption.Further we must realise that corruption is not merely the reflection of general decline in standards and morality in public and civic life, that would be a too narrow view of the phenomenon. Instead, we must see it as a symptom reflecting something that has gone wrong in the management of the State, a development perspective. Corruption is perpetuated because there is a system where corruption pays and honesty never. aAsystem need to be built in which good is rewarded immediately and consistently and bad is punished immediately and consistently, both should go together. hand in hand.

Corruption in India

Corruption is eating away the vitals of our country.People at large appeared to resign to this fact. After all it has been there all along the times and nothing worthwhile could be done about it, they would say. In fact some may even quote Kautilya, Prime Minister in Chandra Gupta Maurya Empire, 4th BC. who had said "Just as it is impossible not to taste honey or poison that one may find at the tip of one's tongue, so it is impossible for one dealing with government funds not to taste, atleast a little bit, of the king's wealth. Just as fish moving under water cannot possibly foundout either as drinking or not drinking water, so government servants employed in the government work cannot be found out(while) taking money(for themselves).

( Continued next )

Psychology deals with origion and development of criminal behaviour in general and corruption in particular. Crime begins in the minds of people and the solutions to overcome it also should begin from the minds of people.On the positive side Psychology along with Philosophy, Sociology and Political Science can contribute to the building up of Value system which checks corruption and help build a welfare society for all.Management Science along with Psychology and Law can focus on a system where honest behavior is publicly rewarded and the corrupt detected early and punished immediately and severely. Models of 'good' behaviour at home,in society,in offices and public places as well as unacceptable behaviour there may be notified for every one to follow- a sort of public awareness and education to bring clarity and consistency in our practices.

Next: Corruption in India

The Indian common man's psyche is one up man ship. He wants preferential treatment in everything from getting attended in a counter to having darshan of God. Even people who are not corrupt are taught corruption and are made to accept bribes.

Don't we need some introspection??

Today, in India corruption is totally institutionalised. You get a seat in a professional college not based on merit, but based on either caste or money. Is this not corruption??

I am in Dubai now and there is corruption here also. But, money changes hands when someone does something for you out of turn, and not for doing something which he is supposed to do!!!

We Indians can start avoiding bribing where ever we can. Let this be a beginning.

LET US START INTROSPECTING.

BLAMMING IS EASY.

WHEN YOU POINT A FINGER AGAINST A PERSON, FOUR FINGERS POINT TOWARDS YOU.

I AM NOT SUPPORTING CORRUPT HERE.

WHAT I AM TRYING TO SAY IS WE ARE ALSO RESPOSIBLE FOR CREATING CORRUPTION.

MSG 4558

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