Transparency International has once again rated India as one of the most corrupt counties. But, is that how we Indians see our selves? Ask any Indian and the answer you get is that we are the least corrupt. I have had innumerable arguments with many Indians, and clearly the perception is - the whole world is corrupt and west is even more corrupt than us. Everybody, and even those who have never set their foot on any soil outside India, strongly believe we are the perfect.
As VS Naipaul wrote, the world as seen by Indians is divided into India and Non-India and India could be proclaimed, without dis-ingenuousness or cruelty, as perfect. And if we don't even accept the fact that we are corrupt and we are one of most corrupt societies, how can we take that first step towards fighting corruption.
There is another point of view which is as bizarre as our view of corruption. For us, the change or reformation is always meant as returning to our old value system. We always see our future in our imagined and megalomaniac past. It is time we started living for today and plan for future.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Indian civic sense
A couple of days ago, home minister P Chidambaram called upon the Delhiites to behave as citizens of a big, good international city in view of the upcoming Commonwealth Games. Though the message from the minister was for Delhiites in particular, it leaves us (all Indians) with a few thought provoking questions.
First, does it mean Delhiites can revert back to regular typical Indian behavior once the games are over!? No such message has ever been handed out to Indians any time before, which should make us assume, it could be just a slight detour from our regular behavior for a short time.
And second, can they really change in a matter of few months? We are talking about habits developed over centuries. We have been going about for ages - pissing on streets, defecating railway tracks, spiting pan on walls, littering pretty much every public place, blocking the drains with garbage and generally spreading the squalor everywhere.
It is almost as if, we just don't have a damn clue as to what is good civic sense. Unfortunately even now, we are not making any effort to teach the same to our children at school. Without such long term sincere efforts, we will always end up having act or pretend good civilized behavior just for such occasions.
First, does it mean Delhiites can revert back to regular typical Indian behavior once the games are over!? No such message has ever been handed out to Indians any time before, which should make us assume, it could be just a slight detour from our regular behavior for a short time.
And second, can they really change in a matter of few months? We are talking about habits developed over centuries. We have been going about for ages - pissing on streets, defecating railway tracks, spiting pan on walls, littering pretty much every public place, blocking the drains with garbage and generally spreading the squalor everywhere.
It is almost as if, we just don't have a damn clue as to what is good civic sense. Unfortunately even now, we are not making any effort to teach the same to our children at school. Without such long term sincere efforts, we will always end up having act or pretend good civilized behavior just for such occasions.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Rationale behind austerity measures
There is a lot of discussion in media and newspapers about the austerity measures that the Govt of India is taking these days. As it always happens in India, it is just tokenism. It is highly unlikely that there will be a sizable impact on the finances of the country if leaders start traveling by economy class and trains, although it is an appreciable individual gesture. If nothing, it can be seen as leaders being sensitive to the despairing poverty prevailing in the country.
There are of course a whole lot of things that the Government can do if they are serious about cutting costs. For instance, I am sure there are a numbers ministries and departments that require trimming. There has been a long standing discussion about getting rid of Information and Broadcasting ministry. There are ministries of Agriculture at the center and as well as at the state levels and in addition, there are ministries/departments for major and minor irrigation! And each ministry will come with a rigmarole of secretaries and other staff. Likewise, there are many parts of the Government where there is enough scope for austerity measures. It does not need a microscope to identify overlap of functions and more than the excess staff at various levels.
We also need to look at our electoral laws and processes to cut unnecessary expenses. It makes a lot of economic sense, if elections are held in a synchronous way, on particular dates in a year irrespective of when the seat falls vacant. Also, it is very common to see our leaders contesting from multiple constituencies. And if they happen to win from multiple constituencies, what follows is a blot in the name of democracy, resulting in an unnecessary reelection and wastage of resources. If this is not wasteful expenditure of tax payers money, then what is!? This can be easily avoided by amending the electoral laws to declare the next immediate contestant, the runner up, as the winner in situations where an elected member resigns while choosing to represent one constituency over the other.
We are a country where 800 million people struggle to live on a daily basis. Token austerity measures don't make a difference to their lives. It requires drastic measures of cutting government expenses at both center and state, to serve the real purpose of the austerity drive. If not, it will remain yet another symbolic exercise which aims at garnering political mileage rather any meaningful benefit to common people.
There are of course a whole lot of things that the Government can do if they are serious about cutting costs. For instance, I am sure there are a numbers ministries and departments that require trimming. There has been a long standing discussion about getting rid of Information and Broadcasting ministry. There are ministries of Agriculture at the center and as well as at the state levels and in addition, there are ministries/departments for major and minor irrigation! And each ministry will come with a rigmarole of secretaries and other staff. Likewise, there are many parts of the Government where there is enough scope for austerity measures. It does not need a microscope to identify overlap of functions and more than the excess staff at various levels.
We also need to look at our electoral laws and processes to cut unnecessary expenses. It makes a lot of economic sense, if elections are held in a synchronous way, on particular dates in a year irrespective of when the seat falls vacant. Also, it is very common to see our leaders contesting from multiple constituencies. And if they happen to win from multiple constituencies, what follows is a blot in the name of democracy, resulting in an unnecessary reelection and wastage of resources. If this is not wasteful expenditure of tax payers money, then what is!? This can be easily avoided by amending the electoral laws to declare the next immediate contestant, the runner up, as the winner in situations where an elected member resigns while choosing to represent one constituency over the other.
We are a country where 800 million people struggle to live on a daily basis. Token austerity measures don't make a difference to their lives. It requires drastic measures of cutting government expenses at both center and state, to serve the real purpose of the austerity drive. If not, it will remain yet another symbolic exercise which aims at garnering political mileage rather any meaningful benefit to common people.
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