The World Bank defines Corruption as “use of public office for private profit”. Corruption in the Indian context has become a part and parcel of the social life, omnipotent and all pervasive. It has been successful in taking deep unethical rooting in our society. Its toxins has tainted all the sections. We cannot say that a particular section is invariably corrupt or uncorrupt.

Corruption in the ordinary parlance is regarded as the misuse of power and position to gain unlawful gains, which is not desirable. In a couple of words, it can also be defined as “illegal luck”. Some scholars remark it as “the use of public power for private profits in a way that constitute a breach of law or deviation from the norms of the society”.

Corruption cannot be defined with one single action. It has many subways. Waste of money, time and energy is corruption. Misuse of power, position, contacts and talent attribute to this social evil. It can be hidden and apparent, partial or total.

Under table corruption is widely known and unfortunately, popularly accepted in the Indian contacts. Corruption is malignant and it can also take form of physical and mental exploitation and demanding illegal favors.

Corruption which is observed in political and bureaucratic field is the epicenter or to be more precise, nucleus of the stigmatized cell. The not so recent exposure of a number of MPs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha has definitely exhibited corruption in the mindset of other hopeless politicians, who had played with the trust of Indian citizens for personal motives.

The MPs were exposed in the two consecutive sting operations namely, Operation Duryodhana and Operation Chakravyuha concerning the ill fated cash for query scam and tempering with MPLAD funds. Although these MPs were expelled, yet, these investigations were enough to bring reputation and efficacy of different ministers under cloud. It has deeply affected people’s trust on the efficacy of periodic free and fair elections.

Mention of politico-corruption, in the current status without mentioning “Office of Profit” drama would be equivalent to defining night without understanding the depth of darkness. The “Office of Profit” controversy started following the Election Commission recommendation for the disqualification of Jaya Bachchan from the Rajya Sabha for heading the UP Film Development Co-operation. This controversy was enough to evaporate furore in the Parliament for the MPs, to suck enough opportunity to blame each other.

Subsequently a number of MPs and senior leaders were found to be holding offices of profit who should have been disqualified under Article 102 and 103 of the constitution, much before this controversy mounted, for enjoying ‘double benefit’ during their tenure, which is unlawful. The list even included senior leaders who held offices of profit like congress president Sonia Gandhi, as an MP and chairperson of the National Advisory Council, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and also of Sriniketan Santi Niketan Development Authority.

he “Office of Profit” Drama has brutally displayed that our ministers and senior leaders are very much concerned with personal gains through unconstitutional means at the cost of national welfare. One of the major causes of corruption among politician and bureaucrats has been the vast discreationary power vested in them over the creation, proliferation and interpretation of counter productive regulation.

Accordingly, when Sonia Gandhi was attacked with aggressive reactions, she decided to resign in a martyr’s logic. To this resignation BJP Chief Rajnath Singh remarked, “She could not muster the courage to face Parliament and adopted diversionary tactic”. Lord Acton has rightly exclaimed that power corrupts, absolute power corrupt absolutely.

However, it may be mentioned that corruption is not a resident of ministerial complexes only, rather it has infected like an epidemic in the life of common men as well. It like a virus, which has not been treated by new age reformers and is therefore, multiplying at an alarming rate.

The causes of corruption are multidimensional. There is no fixed cause. Corruption is observed in the IV grade employee of an organization due to poverty and economic insecurity. However, it cannot be said that they are invariably corrupt. Among the middle class, high rates of income tax, non payment of salary, low salary, etc. instigates corruption. Sometimes desire to acquire high status also leads towards tendency of drawing “Illegal Luck”.

At the grass root level, corruption is also observed in the decentralised power units, like the Panchayati Raj system operating in the rural platform, due to misappropriation of funds, lack of communication between the rural people and the power users in the system, the Pradhans and Sarpanchas, irregular election procedures etc. Consequently, rural development projects are lagging behind.

When it comes to corruption, mention should always be made to the current illegal immigration problem facing by the country in general, North Eastern region in particular. Illegal immigration from Bangladesh has been possible because some people in power are using the immigrants to feed their election desires. As a result, the demographic quality of North Eastern region has been deteriorated to a significant level.

These illegal immigrants have also been nurtured by the hands of political patronage , with duplicate identities, which can be used as potential vote banks during election. The agitation against the students union need to be accelerated to reach success.The attempt of Chiring Chapori Dal is a protest against illegal immigrants at micro level .

But such agitation should also be stated in macro level, before it is suppressed by power politics. That corruption is self defeating has been aptly displayed by the unchecked growth of illegal immigrants.
The discussions on corruption have infinite proportions which cannot be ended swiftly. Now the question comes when first time instances of corruption were was observed in India. Corruption is considered as the negative legacy of British rule. Kautilya’s Arthasashtra also shows evidence of corruption during his period .The great epic ‘Mahabharata’ also shows misuse of power to fulfill personal interest.

Corruption during British officers were indulged in misusing of funds which were meant for development of Indian dependency .The East India Company has brought India on the verge of bankruptcy .The main departments involved in corruption were Police, Revenue and Excise. Moreover, there was excessive drainage of Indian wealth to Britain, through illegal means. Now, this legacy of British rule finds its fullest exposure in the hands of ‘native rulers’ and also the ‘ruled’. In the past two decade or so, several scandals and financial irregularities, including paying of massive commissions, pay off and kickbacks have been reported in our country. For example, the Bofors, Volcker oil for –food scam, Hawala scam.Fodder scam Kargil controversy, in particular and in other sectors, yellow journalism , piracy , etc. in general .

Corruption is also against human right. It destabilizes the maxim ‘……… to each according to his capacity’. In this context, we may refer to the recent reservation controversy, which received eyebrow raising treatment .The 50percent reservation scheme by the current Union Human Resource Development Minister, clearly indicated the politics behind the so called social welfare scheme. This scheme has encouraged admission into premiere institution like IITs, IIMs, and Central Universities, not on the basis of merit, but caste. This is clearly against human right and also injustice to talent and potential.

The main purpose of reservation is to grab OBC votes, who are in the lower rung of the caste ladder, but numerous in number. This is another instance of misuse of discreationary power. Again, the AIIMS ruckus in which high profile AIIMS Director, Dr. P. Venugopal, one of the world’s leading heart transplant surgeon was sacked because in our democratic country, he disagreed with the UPA government’s 27 percent quota policy in higher educational institution.

This simply displays corruption against human right to speak against injustice. When Verghese Kurien, father of India’s White Revolution resigned, as the chairman of the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) the parent body of the Amul brand, remarked, “I have served farmers’ interest are along am anguished at this development. It appears the Board members have become a power in a bigger game plan of some vested interests”.

However, a number of anti-corruption measures have been adopted by India since Independence, more than two dozen commissions have been appointed by the government of India to inquire into charges of corruption against politicians and public enemies. There are also various Acts, like the Preventation of Corruption Act, 1947, 1988, etc. Moreover a number of commissions have also been appointed to discredit corrupt intentions.

For example, Santhanana Committee, Bansal Committee, Central Commission, Lokpal, Lokayukta etc. But the controversy over defreezing of Bank Account of Italian businessman Ottavio Quatrrocchi in BSI AG Bank Account in London, a sum of Rs. 21 crores has brought credibility of CBI under cloud and obviously raised many interrogative conclusions.

But, the role of CBI in the war Room leak controversy and also registration of a care against three senior Army Officials and a US-based funeral service company in the ill-reputed ‘Coffin scam’ for allegedly supplying inferior quality aluminum after the Kargil War, during the tenure of George Fernandes as Defense Minister, has removed all doubts about the efficiency of the CBI.

Also,the Right to Information Act, 2005 empowers Indian Citizens, to know about different aspects of departments under State and Central Government, Panchayati Raj institution, Public Sector undertakings, NGOs receiving grants from Government. But, what could have been an epoch making legislation to revolutionize Indian democratic zeal, would become more or less both less tooth less because lack of awareness among common man. The aim of Right to Information Act can be materialized only when the maxim” Man is a thinking Animal” is given active treatment.

Thus, a general awareness among the people is the ultimate fuel for fighting against corruption. It may be pointed out that corruption is an anti-thesis for development. It requires few significant steps to eradicate it. Media awareness by encouraging people to pay their taxes is commendable. Active participation of the people in the decision making process is also necessary. It is not one single person or section or gender, which is corrupt, rather this has stigmatized the whole society.

We all remember S Manjunath, an IIM Lucknow Mumnous, all of 27 years, who worked as an officer of the Public Sector giant Indian Oil Co-operation who raised his voice against the ongoing adulteration is the Indian oil products . He also refused to accept tempting incentives from petrol pump owners and ultimately had to sacrifice his life for it. He raised his first voice against corruption similar to Mangal Pandey who was the first to raised his gun against the Britishers leading to the 1857, war of independence.

Now, Indian Soil demand more and more of S Manjunath, a true son of the soil . Generation should awake to fight. Sometimes pen becomes mightier than sword. Impossible is nothing.