Whenever and wherever there is a discussion within a group of our people about the prevalence of corruption back home, most of us will generally end up blaming the politicians for this menace. While this might not be necessarily and completely true with all the politicians all the times, a good number of them have fallen so low in terms of their moral and ethical values, in social behavior as well as in their sense of patriotism, that to label them despicable or worthless would not be an exaggeration.. Yet, discussing these matters, we conveniently ignore the important underlying factors responsible for the behavior of our politicians.
A deeper and sincere perusal makes it obvious that, rather than the politicians, it is the public at large that should be held accountable for the sordid state of affairs in the country of our birth. First of all, the politicians have not suddenly fallen from the sky, nor were they thrust upon us by some unknown mystical force. In fact we, the people, are the ones responsible for electing them in the first place and then letting them loose to play havoc with our lives.
The day a politician is elected, it becomes obvious to him that to carry on, he will have to do what people electing him would want him to do. In other words, to fulfill those objectives, he is forced to choose a path that ends up leading to corruption. The unscrupulous advisers surrounding the candidate actually set the stage for corruption, way prior to the elections. The expense and time a candidate spends on elections is colossal and could never be within the reach of any candidate unless he or she happens to have so-called ‘royal blood’ which isn’t the case anymore nowadays.
It does not take long for these newly elected representatives to understand that honest means of living and running the office could never help them achieve their ultimate goals of not only restocking their emptied bank accounts, but also overstuffing them in the short shelf-life of their tenure they might have. So, the first step the politicians would often take after winning the elections is to explore other means, right or wrong, to extract money from the public. Otherwise, they know that the very intent of subjecting themselves to the painful and extended process of electioneering would have been of no use.
Once they have lined their own pockets, the next job is to pay back all the paraphernalia of yes men suddenly appearing on the scene from nowhere, waiting eagerly in line, to seek personal favors for helping the candidate in gaining the seat of power. After being awarded with the status of “the Special Men of the elected representative” or “the go-betweens,” they start unclosing their wings to take flight to the unsuspecting public, claiming to have close access to the elected politicians i.e. Minister Sahibs, and begin taking undeserved advantage. These individuals bring ill-gotten money, via less-than-honest means, to the bank accounts of their new masters i.e. recently-elected politicians, with a hidden share for themselves. This causes a loss to the government treasury and voters electing them to the office in the first place.
Had the public used some discretion in electing the right candidates with their whole-hearted efforts and extraordinary donations as well as other available resources, the outcome would have been different. With less than honest people at the helm, the cycle of corruption continues causing much damage to the public treasury that puts a halt to much-needed civic development. Tainted Raj begins which then perpetuates all that is bad. The economy of the country takes a deep plunge and keeps slipping down the drain slowly and steadily, both in terms of growth and development.
The matter simply boils down to the fact that the corrupt behavior of the elected representatives is indeed, a byproduct of our own lax behavior. First, we are responsible for electing such individuals injudiciously and then allowing them to stay glued to their seats of power. It is time for us, the general public, to stop believing in the false promises the candidates make during their pre-election campaigns. After all, isn’t it a fact that the clouds that thunder may often not bring rain?
And now a few words about our pseudo-baabaas, swamis and Saints.
These so-called pseudo-baabaas, swamis and Saints of different faiths are present at every nook and cranny of the country; they are dime a dozen. They do not even hesitate, if needed, to modify the fundamentals of their faith, provided it helps them in their own lives and self-growth. Most of the time, their empty sermons have no weight and they not only end up making a mockery of themselves and their knowledge, but they also fail to preach the message of their faith. Obviously they seem to forget that oft-repeated proverb, “actions always speak louder than words.” Somehow they ignore the fact that the very reason they enjoy honorable status in society is because of their perceived disregard for personal material wealth exactly opposite to what they are now indulging in. Unfortunately they also end up proving to be same as politicians discussed above and no better.
Ironically, these were the people supposed to teach and guide ordinary mankind, through their personal examples, to a life full of spirituality and truthfulness. On deep perusal, it becomes clear that the lost sense of direction these preachers or so-called “men of God” exhibit and preach is not due to their own behavior alone. Rather, we, the preached ones, who try to follow them blindly, are equally responsible for the twisted outcome. Through their lip service they may continue to advise their unsuspecting followers to tread a straight path of righteousness; yet when it comes to putting their own foot down the lance; it merely turns out to be an empty talk.
The practice of an unchecked personal immoral behavior of these pseudo-religious leaders contrary to their preaching and their efforts in keeping the public mesmerized by hollow sermons might well be the root cause of loss of public interest and downfall of true faith-based institutions. After having been continuously subjected to that kind of duality between their words and their actions, today’s young people get discouraged, dejected, and end up taking refuge in the realm of prevalent drug culture. It then results into a rapid degradation of socio-religious milieu of the country and public being governed as well as the government that rules, thanks to lack of a morally sound guidance not only from these men of religious hierarchy but also from the political set up.
If we could get our acts together and begin actively electing the right and honest individuals, and if we could discriminate between the true spirituality and that of these pseudo-self-declared religious men of deception, our country, our government and our fate would change for the better. The young people who are constantly losing sense of direction and slipping down the slippery slope could again be redirected to the glory that they rightfully deserve, and in fact, once commanded. The real culprits, therefore, are us and not them. The sooner we understand and stop supporting them blindly, the better it will be for our people and our country!
*From the author’s 4th Book Western Mirror, Eastern Reflections
