Corruption

Indian Mindset has an inclination towards corruption, inaction. ‘Jantae Hoe Maein Kaun Houn’ and ‘Chalta Hae’ kind of attitude.

BUT Why CORRUPTION ???
What breeds corruption in India ?

It seems people fall into the trap of corruption because they:

-commit mistakes

-make lapses

-fail to meet the required deadlines

All this probably happens due to lack of proper communications of systems and procedures which in themselves are not customer friendly.

The time-lines/payment locations are not as per the customer’s convenience- 24hours online services are an answer to this kind of problems.

The people also should be bold and courageous enough to come forward and face the penalties and not to go in for short cuts/escape routes. In-fact such escape routes should be made difficult (by good policing/monitoring/plugging the gaps) & unviable-making them high risk and practically nil benefits).

Further the Community Culture to be developed in way that it encourages FIGHTERS than the FIXERS. The growing and the expanding Companies who hires FIXERS to cut through the RED TAPE ETC should rather HIRE FIGHTERS who anticipate these bottle necks and then plan /strategies’ within the legal rights. The companies should anticipate and build in the cost/time due to the FIGHT OUTS rather than going in for THE PAYOUTS. The real winners should be the achievers who get the results by fighting out, rather than the achievers who get the results by paying out/fix-ups.

The Problem Psychology of Being Beyond The Rules. If we promote the right and questioning attitude (RTI IS A STEP FORWARD) we may be able to check corruption. When one is wrong in his action, from there only the weakness starts and one tends to bend backwards. It is here that the corruption starts. The guy at the other end will milk you if he knows that you are vulnerable.

A momentum needs to be built “involving the Hearts & Minds” of the people, where people take pride in achieving without Paying up.

Next step is to MAKE THE LAW WORK. The systems and procedures should be redesigned in a way so as to make the role of any kind of middleman unattractive/un-remunerative. This is possible by bringing about effective e-governance, more n more online facilities. Proper Communication/awareness of the system, procedures, rules regulations will also help in avoiding the middlemen. Further the Rates and Taxes should be practical and convenient to understand and apply so that the public is not discouraged but encouraged to PAY-UP.

"JAGOE RAE " by TATA Tea was a good shot in the direction. Indian youth has to become questioning…but we can't expose them to atrocities of the Police/Politicians/bureaucrats & lawyer nexus. They have to act smartly without getting into their trap. An all level strategy rather a movement needs to be build up to fight corruption and inaction….. All most everybody wants pie without working full. People are on lookout for shortcuts & quick money. This attitude needs to be replaced by an attitude to bring quality approach in day today workings- no short changing others. Doing ones duty to the full, but this needs a favorable environment which supports such attitude & not mocks at such sincere & committed people. Rather the system should be efficient to pick up such people & reward them.

Starting & launching more and more projects which highlight such approach will help build up the momentum. RTI & unique id (Aadhaar) show that efforts are on. More such public projects & setups should come up which hale building the environment supporting the sincere & the committed on one side and penalising those going for shortcuts/shortchanging others or compromising on qualitative public deliveries

PS : Fight against corruption should be celebrated as a FESTIVAL all over the nation...this spirit needs to percolate to the all levels of society-Just like everybody celebrated the World Cup Victory. Even Mrs. Sonia Gandhi for a while could not hold herself and came out to join the crowds

CORRUPTION - FIGHTBACK

High corruption levels have gone well beyond the level of just being discussed/e-mailed or blogged. Need is for creative and impacting actions to make a dent in this direction.More implementable ideas need to be Brain stormed to instill some fear or sense of shame in the minds of the corrupt :
○ Presenting ROSES like in Munna Bhai….
○ Bombarding the identified corrupt with SMS/e-mails/snail mails…..
○ Generating support of the corporate to sponsors such forums which act/fight
against the corrupt e.g Jagoe Rae by TATA tea
○ Come out with public award acknowledging those who
- Have made achievements in life with out compromising
- Corporates/Managers who have worked-up by FIGHTING OUT
MAKE EFFORTS TO REMOVE SHORTAGES-If supply is sufficient supported by healthy competition-this in itself shall be a jolt to CORRUPTION.
AUTOMATION with TRANSPARENCY :Publicizing procedures and rights to empower
public
STUDENT POWER….inculcating values from the school level…teaching ways to fight corruption rather than giving in to corrupt.

MAKING THE REALITY SHOWS MORE MEANINGFUL

Can we have something more meaningful than the totally commercialized “indian idol” 1,2,3…dancers, singers, laughter’s and to name a few more in the similar league…big boss, khatrone kae khiladi or in short the currently repeated versions of the REALITY SHOWS.

The reality shows have not been able to explore into other positive options which besides being commercially viable may give direction to the public and the new generation. Two of such socially meaningful and challenging possibilities which are still unexplored are as under:

I. Wouldn’t it be more productive to prune for the achievers highlighting their achievements in face of fighting the corrupt. The media could cover the achiever who have achieved by fighting out the system rather than comprising or achieving by fixing (taking shortcuts). Today the corporate hire the facilitators or fixers who help achieve the targets by towing the line of the corrupt politician/police/bureaucratic nexus. But we should look for those individual/corporate achievers who anticipate the holdups from this vested nexus and strategize/fight successfully overcoming them….i.e. to highlight the FIGHTERS rather than the FIXERS, thereby bringing forth the idols which the new generation could learn from and follow, thus weakening the corrupt system. In-fact, today’s responsible corporate should actively sponsor such “Jagoe rae” MOVES.

II. Similarly we can highlight the grass root level selfless workers who are serving the masses/individuals: the genuine efforts. Not talking about the organized NGO’s, though nothing to beat the work done by the volunteers at Missionaries of Charity- Kalighat, Kolkota.

Have seen Khatrone kae Khiladi jump into dirt bubbling pits. But would they have guts to clean and bandage an oozing ulcer of an infirm recluse or help shift an ugly leper to a care centre supported by some NGO, so as to set a live example to the public and young/new generation.

The Greater Cause

Whenever taking a decision "THE GREATER CAUSE" should be kept in mind.
The benefit should flow to the masses and not just one or two - 'no tunnel vision'.
One can think of discounting or sacrificing a few when it comes to achievement of the greater good.

We are the via-media or the channels who try to implement the good/bad depending on the Karmas/Greater Cause. If we experience something bad, we should learn the lesson and move forward forgetting the pain or the negative experience. If something good is done to you- thank the god. If you do something good, still thank the recipient for allowing/honoring you to do the good........

Abundance

Every individual has varying needs. Some have more some have less. Though the nature has provided everything in abundance, but the earthlings tend to fight for what limited they have spotted. The rule of jungle seem to be working. The bigger ones pushing of the smaller ones for bigger share. The smaller ones appear to be sidelined or at the loosing end. But since the nature has provided everything in abundance….it is only the matter of timing and location, that smaller ones need to tao to get their rightful. The smaller ones need to be a little proactive - go for the opportunity by timing in such a manner that it does not clash with the bigger leagues. Either pick up early or go late. In case timing clash cannot be avoided then go for a different location/route.

When we shifted to new location, we started feeding birds in the morning. We found that the bigger birds used to push the smaller ones, which either kept trying or waited for the moment to pick and fly out & then tried again. To avoid this imbalance of the jungle, we put more feed on different location close-bye, which was more convenient & safer for the smaller birds. The new location of feeding is slowly picking up & the smaller birds are using the opportunity. It was also noticed that the smaller birds got the feed from the original location if they came early. The bigger birds seemed to be bit lazier & came a little late at convenience.

No doubt nature has provided everything in abundance for all, it’s the matter of only timing & location which need to be aligned…….

Invocation of energies

The various mantras in HINDU SYSTEM could be taken as specified breathing patterns which invoke or stimulate respective body energies in a balance with the surrounding environment. The air (breathing) seem to be the critical link between the body and the environment. A repeated breathing pattern or 'mantra uccharan' probably can be equated to breath related YOGA - "PRANA YOG", which stimulates or activates particular body energies. So regular & proper uchharan of mantras may relate to different purposes for which they are meant or can be used....

Story & a little more

Loss Efforts Despair More-efforts = +ve Results
There is learning from every incident. Just need an open mind ……

Recently I happened to drop my expensive medicine somewhere on the way back from the Chemist Shop, late in the evening. Naturally got a little upset but was reluctant to go back and retrace 2 X 2 Kms at that time. So tried to procrastinate by deferring the search to early morning next day in better light conditions.
My wife however, pushed me to try and search for the medicine then itself. I reluctantly gave in and moved out with her on the scoot. Before leaving I made a call to the store adjacent to the Chemist's shop from where I had stopped to buy some last minute purchases, but they drew a blank. In fact I had retraced my route up to the ice cream vendor round the corner before I initially decided to defer the hunt.
The whole retracing trip proved futile. Being late in the evening few of the colony gates had closed restricting the entry/exits for security reasons. As a result had to take a circuitous route for the search. On the last stretch closer home, for which we had to take detour due to restricted entry, my wife spotted something by the roadside in the dark. It was the overrun outer packing of the medicine purchased but minus the contents. We tried to look around as the medicine still could be safe being packed in the small blister packed plastic bottle, which was not yet found. Locating the outer paper box had given some hope, but it seemed that somebody had taken out the medicine and thrown away the outer wrapper. We gave up the search with the thought- ‘one more check at the spot early in the morning' as the darkness made the hunt difficult. In heart of heart I didn’t have much hope after finding the bashed up empty outer wrapper with the blister packed medicine gone.
Though was a bit late in getting up the following morning, still half heartedly took my little 7 year old son Khush for cycling to the same spot, thinking at least the little one would enjoy the cycling trip and the treasure hunt. After all, the medicine had costed almost a thousand bucks.

After about 15 minutes of scavenging we gave up and started back. Lo behold !!! About 70-100 meters away from where we found the outer wrapper last night, lay the burst blister pack with the little plastic eye drop bottle peeping out. The bottle was a little bruised but the contents were still safe. Definitely it had been run over by some vehicle and not picked up by somebody as the thoughts ran earlier last night.

A simple incident. But felt there had to be something more to it. It was not merely a question of Rs.622.00 to be precise….did this need all that fuss and the efforts made? It had to be something more than money which needed to be understood, dwelled upon and shared.

So simply started analyzing critically…….
Firstly, with small costly items we need to be a little more careful, rather than carelessly shove them in the pocket - else you would also end up foolishly loitering in the night-as I did.
Secondly, ONE seems to give up after a mild effort by saying -"maine koshish toe ki thee, magar" (at least I gave it a try, but…) – my first recce up to ice-cream vendor round the corner and a call to the store adjacent to the chemist shop gave me enough reasons to give up & digest the loss.

Thirdly, A little push and support from the team members (in this case my wife), helps. But we must heed to such advice which is generally over looked and not taken seriously. We should not give up without sincere and serious efforts.

Lastly, A relook after the first attempt under the changed environs (day light instead of darkness in my case) makes the difference.

Can we extrapolate the above experience in our other of day to day aspects in life?

Try this to the present AIR INDIA scenario…. Where the esteem, profits and image of the company, all seem to have been lost. It appears to be dark all around.

Half hearted efforts at this stage to turn round and get back our lost glory may not get the desired results. Half is never equal to one or full. Our such half hearted efforts in the DARKNESS of recession, political play, no responsibility, personal interest before the company 's interest and so on "may just help to find only the coffin" (the over run outer wrapper).

We should not give up in the difficult times. In-fact should keep on making serious & sincere efforts, with a relook when the environment changes……..

PS: With small costly items be a little more careful than carelessly shoving in the pocket - Our product 'the Space we sell' and "the aircraft" are expensive and are not for the general masses. So we should be not be careless while handling the aircraft (expensive medicine) and the space which is a perishable.