Honesty is the best policy

Honesty is the best policy. The proverb, a very well proven fact of life, is followed with scant regard these days. Perhaps, this might be the reason which prompted President Ram th Kovind to urge his countrymen to work honestly in their respective professions. President Kovind, while delivering a lecture at Guwahati University during his recent visit to the State, emphasised the need to be truthful in one’s work life. He said that the tion would benefit if every individual works with responsibility. India, still counted among young tions after having gained its independence nearly seven decades ago, is mired in vicious cycle of corruption both in private and public life. Instances are plenty, as the world’s largest and most vibrant democracy which guarantees its citizen freedom of speech and expression, that the malaise afflicting it most is corruption. The term has more or less become synonymous with work culture in the country.  The situation has reached such a pass, that bribing somebody has become an accepted norm of the Indian psyche. It is no longer regarded as a crime in many social circles. If this is not so, then what explains the fact that many Indians are holding wealth not matched to their known sources of income, and yet these very people in most cases are held in high esteem in society. Money and muscle power which are both manifestations of chronic corruption have taken a front seat in Indian democracy. Honesty, integrity, moral uprightness are forgotten chapters of Indian democracy in the 21st century. Ironically, the malady is so deep rooted that it has touched every sphere of our daily life. Starting from public to private sector, probity and integrity are no longer the hallmark of good living. Materialistic desire has overridden many true ideals of life. And corruption as a monster is eating into it with an alarming pace. 

Ram th Kovind who rose from a humble background to occupy the highest seat in the Indian republic is very well aware of the ills of our democracy and what harm it has already caused to the tion-building process. He has aptly urged all countrymen to contribute to the process just by discharging their duties honestly and diligently. It is also very interesting to note that President Kovind made these remarks in Assam where cases of corruption are coming out thick and fast in many important offices of public life. The cash-for-job scam in Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) which has shaken the conscience of general public, is one such case which throws spotlight on the raging issue of bribing to get selected for high public posts. Consider all those arrested on charges of forgery, cheating and bribing — who would otherwise be occupying administrative posts directly connected to the welfare of the common public. Corruption in high offices and in common day-to-day life run parallel in India. The APSC scam is testimony to that many public service aspirants in Assam belonging to the middle class strata of society, took the most commonly used method in India of getting work done by bribing their way. In the coming days, more skeletons will doubtless emerge in the case and will give credence to the fact that as a State, Assam is afflicted with the rot of corruption widely and deeply over the years. But it is also noteworthy that corruption in public as well in private life has done immeasurable damage to the tion. In a welfare country like ours, where the rich are getting richer and the poor getting poorer, the stark contrast magnifies the logic that rooting out corruption is the single biggest challenge facing Indian citizens. It will be too ive to expect that any government of the day will find a long lasting solution to the mece. Scams fall like ninepins everyday but the solution to put a brake to it is still elusive to the political masters of the country.  In such a scerio, it becomes binding for citizens of the country to rise up to the occasion and save the country from its number one enemy — Corruption.