1. Corruption
(a).Corruption is the source of all evil in our society and polity. As Mahatma Gandhi observed long ago, there is enough in the world for everybody's need but not for everybody's greed. This has not been realised by the elite and the people. Once this fact is followed by the elite, it will be followed by the people. Leaders have to set an example. The bottle-neck is always at the top of the bottle and fish begins to rot from the head. As Gita says, people follow the leaders ( Yaddhacharate streshta ...)
Our ministers and governors live like erstwhile rajas - palaces, guards, stopping all vehicles when they move around started soon after independence. This moghul darbar should stop. People's representatives do not need all this. In many countries, ministers do not have this rediculous obsession with prestige and authority.
(b). High tax rates ( 97.75% marginal income tax), complex tax laws ( which allows discretion to tax enforceers), scarcity of goods ( cement, scooters,cars,telephones), prohibition, ban on import of gold started our saga of corruption. Now everything has been moderated. Still,corruption comtinues. Not a day passes without a report of some bureaucrat/businessman being caught red handed. However, we do not know what happens later. There is no monitoring of it by media or the concerned citizens. Red tape and loop-holes in the law prolongs procecution and people forget after some time.
We cannot go on with this.The first thing that the new government should do after assumeig office is to offer plea bargaining to all these culprits - 50% ( or more) of their wealth should be confiscated. Money hoarded in Swiss and other banks is enough to fund all our five-year plans.Those who do not do so should be persecuted. This requires speedy enquiry and speedy justice. The laws should be amended accordingly.
(c). One of the reasons for corruption is the low pay, especially that of police and many others in the government. Pay has been hiked recently. What about the havaldars, clerks and others of the bureaucracy ? They have to be paid well too but have to be removed/dismissed for any derelection of duty or bribary. The has to be trimmed, trained and disciplined. Excess staff has to be pensioned off generously. This one-time cost is worth it. A headline in DNA on Jan 2, 2009 is " 25% Mantralaya employees bunk office everyday". The trade unions have to be taken into confidence for this. Trade unions are as patriotic as others and have to be made aware of the need for efficiency and progress of the country.
(d).All political parties have to submit accounts to the Election Commission and is to be audited by the Auditer General of India who has to be appointed by a Committee of Three - P.M., Leader of the Oppsosition and CJ of India. Sarvodaya Leader Jaya Prakash Narayan has rightly said that black money in the election is the Gangotri of corruption.
All elceted representatives should not be involved in any trade and business. All their investment should be freezed once they get elected as they have to devote their time to the welfare of their constituency and country. They should be compensated adequately. The Parliament in UK meets 200 days a year. The MPs are members of various standing committees as well.
Serving the people through an NGO, accounts of which should be audited by Auditer General of India, should be made a condition for all candidates by the Election Commission to weed out non-serious candidates. If a candidate does not get more than 50% of the polled votes, there should be another election within 8 days with only two top candidates so that every MLA,MP or Corporator represents a majority. This will also bring down instability to a certain extent.
2.Accountability.
(a). Every government institution and every government department should have a commttee of five citizens to advise and supervise its activities with a two-year term which should submit a report every year or half-year on all aspects of the activities of the organisation/department to the public - though newspapers/meetings of the citizens. The committee should have a lawyer, professor, journalist, common citizen, NGO representatives.
(b). All government departments should be computerized and should be made accessable to all citizens. All tenders and applications for license, permits and information should be through the internet. Of course, the present system of giving in writing should be retained as most of our people are not in a position to use computer and internet. 'Open goernment openly operating' should be the aim.
3. Active citizenship.
(a). Voting is the minimum that a citizen has to do for the country, democracy and good governance. Active citizenshp involves taking active part in social and political affairs. There is no point in complaining all the time. Participation at various level is the most effective way to change things. Educated people have to join parties of their choice, not for power but to change the parties from within. They should be the conscience keepers who follow the straight and narrow path of ethics and general welfare. Now most of the people join politics for power and bow down to the vested interests to get power and pelf.
(b). There are three sections among us who need proper direction to bring about change in our society and politics. They are : young & students ; senior citizens ; housewives. All have some time on their hands and if organised properly, help in chnaging things in the country.
All students should be enrolled in Scout movement, social actvities such educating the poor, propagating the virtues of ecocology ( tree-planting, rain-water harvesting, wild-life preservation etc.) to actively involve young generation in social actvities and make them good citizens of tomorrow. Those students who actively participate in these social activities should be awarded additional marks and given some preference in higher studies. Those who get scholarship from the government should also be compulsarily involved in social service.
Longivity has increased and there are a large number of citizens who want to contribute to the society - their knowledge, their expertise and their wisdom.
Housewives are another source of power for change, especially empowering women. Nobody has tapped this vast power. Most of the economic issues affect them - rationing, water, electricity.
All these sections have to be organised for the betterment of society. Duniya zukti hai, zukhanawala chahiye ! Organising these sections could be taken up by Corporates as their social responsibility or by NGOs.
Of course, Karmayogis can add more to this tentative note or amend it. The main focus is how to utilise our sources of power to improve and change in our society and polity.
(A response to Karmayog's query on January 4,2008).
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