Corruption is the talk of the day. Anna Hazare’s movement against corruption has rocked the whole nation. We wonder why India, the land of many religions and deep rooted spiritual traditions and values is suddenly caught up with such a menace. It seems corruption has become part and parcel of the social life of the Indians – omnipotent and all pervasive. Deeply rooted, its toxins have tainted all the sections of the society. Could it be that corruption is the greatest single bane of our society today? Sixty four years and still in fetters!
Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, was indeed wise when he said there are seven things that will destroy us: Wealth without work; Pleasure without conscience; Knowledge without character; Religion without sacrifice; Politics without principle; Science without humanity; Business without ethics. Someone rightly said: corruption is authority plus monopoly minus transparency. The fight against corruption, I believe, is more a moral than a physical/material one. The Jan Lokpal Bill is not going to cure the cancer within. It is said that the more corrupt the state, the more laws will be enacted. India, the planet earth’s largest democratic nation, claims to have one of the best constitutions in the world.
Corruption: More Moral than a Material problem
Corruption, therefore, is not the result of poor or insufficient policing, and can’t be controlled by legislation or the sword of legal penalties. It is all about moral failings – the culture of greed and easy money. It is a question of the failure of the moral system. The strength of a nation is not derived from laws and regulations but the integrity of the home of the individual. Integrity has no need of rules and regulations. The fight, thus, is more for integrity of life which seems to perish in the summer months of success in one’s life.
Integrity is the state of being complete, undivided, intact and unbroken. It is the quality of being unimpaired, of sound moral principles, upright, honest and sincere. Integrity or impeccability necessarily demands that we honour our word and commitments. It is demanded of all, but especially of persons who hold positions of responsibilities. As the Latin proverb warns us, corruption of the best is the worst of all. If the moral system fails, everything fails.
It is not so much what we profess but what we practise that gives us integrity, reminds Francis Bacon. To reach a great height a person needs to have a great depth. And the depth is derived from moral principles. It is hard for an empty bag to stand upright! The true perfection of man lies not in what man has, but in what man is. The integrity of the nation is the natural consequence of the integrity of every citizen. It is the essence of everything successful. The greatest triumph in life is, therefore, to be truly who we are called to be.
Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, was indeed wise when he said there are seven things that will destroy us: Wealth without work; Pleasure without conscience; Knowledge without character; Religion without sacrifice; Politics without principle; Science without humanity; Business without ethics. Someone rightly said: corruption is authority plus monopoly minus transparency. The fight against corruption, I believe, is more a moral than a physical/material one. The Jan Lokpal Bill is not going to cure the cancer within. It is said that the more corrupt the state, the more laws will be enacted. India, the planet earth’s largest democratic nation, claims to have one of the best constitutions in the world.
Corruption: More Moral than a Material problem
Corruption, therefore, is not the result of poor or insufficient policing, and can’t be controlled by legislation or the sword of legal penalties. It is all about moral failings – the culture of greed and easy money. It is a question of the failure of the moral system. The strength of a nation is not derived from laws and regulations but the integrity of the home of the individual. Integrity has no need of rules and regulations. The fight, thus, is more for integrity of life which seems to perish in the summer months of success in one’s life.
Integrity is the state of being complete, undivided, intact and unbroken. It is the quality of being unimpaired, of sound moral principles, upright, honest and sincere. Integrity or impeccability necessarily demands that we honour our word and commitments. It is demanded of all, but especially of persons who hold positions of responsibilities. As the Latin proverb warns us, corruption of the best is the worst of all. If the moral system fails, everything fails.
It is not so much what we profess but what we practise that gives us integrity, reminds Francis Bacon. To reach a great height a person needs to have a great depth. And the depth is derived from moral principles. It is hard for an empty bag to stand upright! The true perfection of man lies not in what man has, but in what man is. The integrity of the nation is the natural consequence of the integrity of every citizen. It is the essence of everything successful. The greatest triumph in life is, therefore, to be truly who we are called to be.
Tarcisius Toppo
Bosco Communicationsm, Dimapur
