I was reminded of this famous saying of Jesus Christ as I read about the hue and cry being raised about Corruption in India.
Human beings are not perfect or else we would have been Divine.
Therefore, I would pause and reflect on all those who are raising their voice about Corruption and bribery, making statements such as “Corruption is part of doing business in India.”
Such extreme statements should be shunned. Corruption is certainly not the way of life in India. There are many companies of international reputation such as Infosys and Wipro, who are known for cleanliness in business. They would never subscribe to any form of graft to obtain Government contracts.
How many are like (former Police Officer) Kiran Bedi who are known for their moral conviction and truth, supporting the cause of Anna Hazare?
I salute Anna on his crusade but all his followers must be above board like Ms Bedi. I am not sure how many followers can say with honesty that they have never given or accepted bribes in their business or working life.
Corruption exists not just because there is someone to accept but also because there is someone to give; the latter to circumvent laws and practices and obtain favours. I wonder if anyone has been arrested for ‘giving bribes.’
While Anna’s movement is laudable, I also salute Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. He carried out economic reforms in 1991 as the Finance Minister, releasing the Indian economy from the shackles of License Raj and other unfriendly policies.
India’s private sector has been a true partner in progress, establishing joint ventures and agreements with almost all major companies of the world.
Another milestone is the Right to Information Act which allows any person to seek information on any aspect of government policy or practice.
The fact that no one is above the law and that the judiciary is free and independent is demonstrated by the number of former ministers, members of parliament and other high ranking officials languishing in jails for their misdemeanour.
These are the steps to cleanse the system of an age old issue of Corruption.
We must strengthen the hands of Dr Singh in his efforts to establish clean and good governance. We owe this as people of Indian origin, Overseas Citizens of India and as Non-Resident Indians.
Let us also strengthen the hands of Anna and encourage only people of honesty and integrity to be involved with his campaign.
Let us not play into the hands of vested interests. We should be the true ambassadors of our motherland.
Wenceslaus Anthony is Chairman, WAML Group based in Auckland, with offices in Australia, India and Sri Lanka and associates worldwide.
