Dr N Janbemo Humtsoe
Wokha
India’s rank in the global corruption index is very low at 102 out of 198 countries in 2020. According to the transparency international, corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. Corruption undermines democratic institutions, retards economic development and contributes to civil and political unrest. It weakens democratic institutions by distorting electoral processes, erodes trust towards government and authority, and exacerbates inequality, poverty and social divisions.
The debate on corruption is unending in our society, but we don’t see an end to it any time soon. The people get the leaders they deserve, so goes the old adage. During elections, majority of the electorates are concerned about who can give them more money, jobs, positions or contract works. There are no serious debates on who can lead the people with integrity, dedication and efficiency. The conversations about governance, corruption, back door appointments and so on, begins after election. But at that time, we all know we are a bit too late.
There are different types of leaders; political, religious, civil servants, NGOs or village level leaders including the village council members, VDBs and so on. Who are these leaders? They are selected or elected from the members of the society only. So, if only a handful of them are corrupt, that can be remedied by changing the electoral or selection process. But if majority of them are corrupt, then nothing much can be done about it. Because if we pick an apple from a basket that contains only rotten apples, we would eventually pick a rotten apple.
This does not, however, meant to imply that all the members of the society are corrupt. The argument emanated from the fact that in Nagaland, every leader that hold public office is often viewed as a potentially corrupt person. If we observe the social media discourses, there are so much anger and frustrations vented out against our leaders. It is rare to find leaders who are being appreciated for their hard work, dedication and social service. In the end, politicians, bureaucrats, police, contractors, engineers, goan buras- everyone is considered corrupt or chor manu. The question is, who are they? Are they not members of our same society? Yes, they are. They are us and we are them. In a way, we can also say that they are the best product of our society, systems and institutions. It is not possible that all leaders are corrupt while the rest of the citizens are clean and innocent. Therefore, something must be wrong with the citizens too.
The web of corruption is so deeply entrenched in our society that everyone is directly or indirectly encircled by it. We talk about corrupt politicians, but we cannot push a simple file without offering the peons or clerks that little tips called chai pani. We complain about backdoor appointments, but we celebrate when our friends or relatives secure appointments through the windows, calling it God’s blessing. Some would even openly brag the amount they paid someone to get the job. But if someone got the job, who is not us, we suddenly become the crusader of justice. How ironic.
Whenever there is election, money is involved. All else are forgotten. Even students’ unions and pressure groups are not sparred. Later, when these pressure groups remain silent on important issues, the public will point fingers. But what do we expect? The less said, the better. Of course, there are some strong and spirited who speaks and acts on their conscience, but they are like rare species, outnumbered and diminishing each day.
Something must be wrong with our notion of leadership. The first efficiency criteria for leadership are the wealth of the person.“How wealthy is he?” would be the first question that would be raised when somebody vies for an elected office. Then comes family, muscle power, village and so on. This is not to say that the affluent are corrupt while the poor are not. But the basis on which we choose leaders are mostly focused on wealth and money power while the other aspects of leadership qualities and moralities are ignored and overlooked.
The selection or election process at the village level are again different. In many villages, majority of the employed and educated individuals migrates to the towns and cities. Among those that remain in the village, leadership positions such as GBs, village council members, VDB members etc. are offered to the less fortunate members of the society, with a consideration that holding such positions would help them get some government reliefs, rations or small perks. This may not be the case in all the villages, but prevalent in many. Whenever elections or nominations for such vacancy arise, “aah! you know his condition, he does not have any other source of income, so let him do it” kind of argument crops in. In the end, we all gets governed by them.
Fast forward, during elections, newspapers and social media are filled with unlawful declarations that this village supports this candidate, that candidate and so on. Democratic rights to contest elections or to cast votes freely are willfully violated. But not many people care, because the majority are blinded by money, wine and the illusion of a prosperous future. So, in a way, the society becomes a victim of our own decision. In the words of Thomas Jefferson “the government you elect is the government you deserve.”
Many might feel that changing politicians would solve the issues of corruption. But it is not that simple. Corruption cannot be eradicated simply by changing leaders. Every five years the people get an opportunity to elect new leaders. Some old ones are reelected and new faces are also elected. But we have seen that corruption does not vanish simply because we replace one with another leader. It is because the kind of corruption that we have is not just political; it is there in the business, bureaucracy, the justice system, civil societies and even in the religious institutions.
According to the world bank, corruption has an adverse impact on the poor, increasing costs and reducing access to services, including health, education and justice. Corruption perpetuates mediocracy and channelize economic resources and political power in favour of the social elites. It also impedes investment thereby restricting economic growth and job creation. Because of these reasons, it erodes people trust in government and undermines the social contract. What follows is lawlessness. On the other hand, societies that combats corruption more seriously are able to use their human, financial and natural resources more efficiently, thereby growing and advancing more rapidly.
Therefore, all citizens shares equal responsibility to combat corruption. But humans are by nature, profit seeking. Given an opportunity, majority would seek to maximize individual’s welfare and do things the easy way. For these reasons, human form societies, establish governments and institutions and enact laws to govern themselves. Therefore, even if all citizens have a role to play, leaders and law enforcers have greater role to play.
The culture and system will not change by itself. The people who control the system must change first. Then, gradually things will fall in line. For this we need role models, committed leaders and reformist who can act and walk the talk. Effective law enforcement is essential to ensure that the corrupt are penalized without exceptions. Nothing deters corruption more than a swift penalty. Anti-corruption agencies should be strengthened and allowed to work without interference. Countries that are successful at curbing corruption have a long tradition of transparency and openness in governance, freedom of the press and access to information. Perhaps, we can learn a lesson or two from them. Judicious use of government’s resources is also crucial. Given the will and direction, corruption can be contained, even if it takes time. But it is a matter of choice. Whether we have it is us or not will determine whether the future would be better or worse.
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