Glorifying the corrupt

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday decried the tendency among a section of people as well organizations to publicly glorify persons who have been convicted of corruption by the court of law and described such acts as an insult to the executive, judiciary, and Constitution of India. The Prime Minister’s remarks on the “public glorification” of persons who have faced conviction in corruption cases have come amid a political crisis in Bihar during the past few days, where the RJD, led by Lalu Prasad, is a major constituent of the ruling alliance in the state. Lalu Prasad has faced conviction in fodder scam cases, has been to jail more than once, and is currently fighting these cases. The Prime Minister also recalled that there was a time not very long ago when people used to distance themselves from individuals who were accused of corruption, not to speak of conviction. But the recent trend, as has been rightly pointed out by the Prime Minister, is to glorify and grant public legitimacy to persons who are even convicted by courts of law on charges of corruption. This tendency, however, is not only happening in the political arena but has also trickled into society, where corrupt people, corrupt government officers in particular, find their way to various socio-cultural and religious organisations and try to earn legitimacy and social recognition. Organizers too have developed this habit of identifying corrupt officers for the purpose of getting fat donations for various functions and events, the outcome being that such known corrupt persons are given public felicitation for their so-called magnanimity. Public opinion is required in order to put a full stop to such acts of glorifying the corrupt, irrespective of whether such persons are convicted or not.