PROBITY IN PUBLIC LIFE: WILL IT REMAIN A DREAM
The recent episode of horse-trading by various political leaders in relation to the Trust Vote including an open show of tainted money in Parliament has let down the Indian society and Indian public beyond tolerance. The total erosion in moral values in public life, it appears, is gaining grounds and Probity may be a far fetched dream.
A number of well known political leaders with misguided pride are openly declaring large income, gifts, and wealth arising out of political donations received by them in their individual capacity and are even paying Income-tax and other taxes on such income. It is also reported in media that certain prominent political leaders or their family members have been gifted with real estate by the job seekers or their relatives in lieu of jobs in government departments. The bureaucracy and a part of Judiciary are already crippled with serious dose of corruption. The entire structure of our mother land has been a victim of the termite of corruption and we have become hollow. The growth of Indian economy is on large scale impacted by corruption in public life and in the economic and political system of the country. How to achieve Probity is a crucial question.
A section of the political leaders justify political donations, gifts and corruption as their genuine requirement to meet their day-to-day needs. Also a substantial sum of money is required by them to meet the needs of their followers, party workers and supporters besides the cost incurred for organizing various political rallies, dharnas and other political programs. How to equitably achieve the aforesaid requirements on the one hand and keep the Probity in public life on the other is being argued by these political groups to justify their corrupt practices. The system needs to determine as to whether in a democratic set up, we need such leaders who wish to commercialize public life rather than treating themselves as public servants. At the same time, political contribution to political par-
ties in a transparent manner would be necessary to run the political system and the society needs to determine genuine ways and means through which such needs can be met, without which Probity in public life will only remain a distant dream. The civil society, the Government and the top political leadership need to take a pledge to eradicate corruption completely from politics, Judiciary, Bureaucracy and economic system of the country. Young educated and public-spirited citizens of this great nation have to take a plunge in politics and cleanse it. Probity in public life has to be established by all means and there is no alternate.
A number of well known political leaders with misguided pride are openly declaring large income, gifts, and wealth arising out of political donations received by them in their individual capacity and are even paying Income-tax and other taxes on such income. It is also reported in media that certain prominent political leaders or their family members have been gifted with real estate by the job seekers or their relatives in lieu of jobs in government departments. The bureaucracy and a part of Judiciary are already crippled with serious dose of corruption. The entire structure of our mother land has been a victim of the termite of corruption and we have become hollow. The growth of Indian economy is on large scale impacted by corruption in public life and in the economic and political system of the country. How to achieve Probity is a crucial question.
A section of the political leaders justify political donations, gifts and corruption as their genuine requirement to meet their day-to-day needs. Also a substantial sum of money is required by them to meet the needs of their followers, party workers and supporters besides the cost incurred for organizing various political rallies, dharnas and other political programs. How to equitably achieve the aforesaid requirements on the one hand and keep the Probity in public life on the other is being argued by these political groups to justify their corrupt practices. The system needs to determine as to whether in a democratic set up, we need such leaders who wish to commercialize public life rather than treating themselves as public servants. At the same time, political contribution to political par-
ties in a transparent manner would be necessary to run the political system and the society needs to determine genuine ways and means through which such needs can be met, without which Probity in public life will only remain a distant dream. The civil society, the Government and the top political leadership need to take a pledge to eradicate corruption completely from politics, Judiciary, Bureaucracy and economic system of the country. Young educated and public-spirited citizens of this great nation have to take a plunge in politics and cleanse it. Probity in public life has to be established by all means and there is no alternate.
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