We Indians are so familiar with corruption that, nowadays, it does not surprise us even if any huge amount of corruption case is exposed. Every Indian is now habituated to it and very well knows that any work to be done needs a fair amount of money.
Eleven MPs were caught on camera for the ‘cash on question’ scandal. Another half a dozen were exposed while asking commission for the MP Local Area Development Scheme. We are quite used to bureaucrats demanding bribe but this madness has not even spared the judiciary. A former Chief Justice of India recently admitted that at least 20% of the higher judiciary is corrupt. This has proved that, be it judiciary, executive, legislative, every section of our constitution is addicted to this iniquity.
We cannot term that India alone or other developing/underdeveloped countries, which lag behind economically, are corrupt. The truth is corruption is a global phenomenon. Corruption has laid its hands on developed countries too. The major cause of corruption is ‘Greed’, the greed of humans to be rich and successful by easy ways avoiding hard work. In addition, when it is coupled up with poor conviction rate in any nation the fear of punishment vanishes and corruption flourishes. Developed countries like USA, UK etc are very well corrupt.
However, what makes India different from the other countries? In India, even official and routine work, which is very well within the limits of the judiciary, requires extra money. Employees working in any government based organizations, be it from a ‘D’ class employee to an ‘A’ class officer has to be bribed for the completion of work. Hardly any one in India fears the law. However, in the Western world, for getting a work done that is well within the framework of law does not require bribe. The work is done routinely. However, illegal work does require that extra money in western world too.
This points the major difference and that is, be it legal or illegal; in India no work is done without bribing the authority. For instance, the cash on question scandal, the MP’s were caught on camera for taking money to ask questions in the parliament. To ask questions in the parliament is very well the duty of an MP, which is to be done in the Question Hour. Moreover, requesting an MP to ask questions is a legal thing. However, by taking bribe, these politicians have proved the extent to which our government has descended.
However, the ministers alone cannot be blamed in this whole matter. Indian citizens, themselves, have accepted the fact that no work can be done without bribe. They have accepted corruption on a day-to-day basis. However, if the citizens become aware of the particular laws, a lot of difference can be made. Knowing the necessary details, as to the numbers or other details of the anti corruption bureau, at least a few corrupt officers can be put behind bars. Moreover, elections can also be the best weapon to fight against corruption. Citizens should stop electing corrupt politicians. Many times, we overlook the character of the politician to the work he has done. However, that should be prevented because; whatever work the politician must have done, a corrupt politician is always a criminal.
Moreover, the political head of our country should also take some initiative in putting an end to this practice. India has such taught politicians, which lead the country and represent it globally. These people should make strict laws, while appointing senior level officers, which in turn appoint the other lower level officers. Following stern rules and regulations from the senior levels will automatically bring about discipline and orderliness in the subordinate levels.
India has brought the Right to Information Act into action. This can also prove to be a tool to minimize corruption. However, barring a few thousands of the population, hardly any one knows about the Act and its advantages. Hence, it is the responsibility of the governments and NGOs to educate people about it. Moreover, the citizens should also come forward, get themselves educated about the Act and their rights, and bring them into application wherever necessary.
Technology also has a lot of potential. Modern technologies and information can also reduce the evil and end this long run practice. After all, it is the secret cameras that helped in bringing into light the corrupt practices of the MPs in the cash on question case.

Changing Attitude.

As usual, I was waiting at the station to catch a CST local to reach to my college. I missed my regular train and so with a aggravated look on my face, I was waiting for the next train to arrive. I went to the wheeler, bought a newspaper and started going through the headlines. After a 5 minutes wait, my train finally arrived at the station. I boarded it and sat near the window seat, and went back to my half-read newspaper.
Suddenly I heard a feeble voice calling me didi. I turned around in amazement to see a 5-6 year old boy, shabbily dressed, with his right palm stretching towards me, asking me to give him a penny. I looked at him for a few seconds and something about him fascinated me that I started conversing with him. I asked him the reason why he was begging. He said, ‘He was the only son in his family with four sisters and his father used to drink every night and beat his mother. His mother was a laborer in a construction site where she used to work on a temporary basis. So, he had to provide some financial help to his mother and that could be done only by begging.’ I gave him a penny and got up to get down at my station. I got down with a grave feeling in my heart, thinking about the poor kid, who at this tender age of joining school and playing around with kids of his age, had to beg and support his family financially.
The next day I had to catch the same train and I met the same kid again. We started conversing. This time the talk lasted for a long time. I found a smile on his face while he was talking hence I curiously asked him the reason why he was happy. He told me that a person was going to lend him some money and from that money, he was going to start selling litchi in the train. He was happy with the work he was going to do as he had to stop begging after he starts selling litchi. I encouraged him to do so but also advised him to study.
For a few days, I did not meet the boy as I could not board the same train.
After a few days, I saw the same kid on the platform with a basket full of litchi. I walked up to him and bought some litchis from him. Along with the litchi, he gave me a packet of bindis. I was stunned and asked him the reason for giving me a bindi packet. He said, girls look good in bindis and that he addresses me as didi so he would love to see me wearing a bindi. I was astonished and touched by the boy’s gesture. Such a small kid showing such maturity flabbergasted me.
I told some of my friends about the whole incident but they kind of ridiculed me and advised me not to talk to beggars as according to them they are wicked and awful people. And, that higher-class people like us should not talk to such people and lower our standards.
However, for me, such a small incident changed my whole perspective of looking towards people. A shabby looking kid, who had never attained school, had so much respect for his elders. In a society like ours, we discriminate people according to their financial status and their way of living. People are respected on the basis of the bank balance they have and their way of dressing. Nevertheless, we often tend to forget that a person is not judged by the way he dresses or the way he looks. In today’s world a person is evaluated by taking the exteriors of the person into consideration rather than his interior i.e., his heart and his nature. Now a days, even children going to school, where they learn morals and discipline hardly show so much respect towards their elders. However, a small illiterate kid had by his everyday experience of life had learnt to respect elders and talk politely with them.

YELLOW JOURNALISM

Sabse tez”- latest news from India,24 ghante 24 reporter,24/7 India news- this is what every news channels claim to broadcast.
Around n numbers of news channels watching every patch of area in the world round the clock. Any news creating sensation anywhere in the world is brought to us by these news channels in less than 30 minutes of the incident taken place.
Now a day we are connected to people living at any latitude or longitude on this earth just by a click of our television remote. Earlier people had to constrain themselves to watching a single news channel of a national level and that to for limited hours of the day. But at present, people can switch on to almost a dozen or more news channels, be it national,international,domestic. Local news channels with news reporters presenting news in the local language has become a very common thing now.
24 hours news channel is turning out to be a full fledged business. Every year almost 2-3 new news channels are launched claiming themselves to be the best and advanced than the others.
But due to this growing competition between so many news channels, the quality of news is slowly deteriorating. Earlier, events such as political speeches,meetings,international agendas, events creating social awareness, government policies etc. where conveyed through news channels. But now a days, events taking part in any remotest area which happen to influence only a few individuals of the society and which are far too irrelevant and unimportant become hard core breaking news.
India being a democratic country has constitutionally given every citizen or organization of Indian origin the right to express their feelings on a large platform using media. But these so called awareness creating news channel are misusing their biggest asset running behind competition and greed to be the best or the No.1.
For instance, news channel showing news on ban of A movies on television, highlighting their bad impact on children themselves tend to forget that while broadcasting such special issues, they themselves show vulgar or offensive clippings. Moreover such 1 hour special programmes are repeated the other day too.
Every news channel has a 1 hour special programme dedicated to Crime.
But while broadcasting such episodes they show rape,murder,theft,slaughter scenes. They forget to take into consideration the threatening impact on the citizens caused by televising such unnerving scenes. They might create awareness among the citizens, but showing such unhealthy scenes might also trigger the minds of the individuals causing psychological disorders, mental trauma etc.
People attempting suicides are captured ‘Live’ on TV by the channels, but no news channel reporter or cameramen present at that place takes the initiative to save him from committing such a blunder. They watch heartlessly every single move of the person till he looses his last breath in order to not to miss any single bit of the so called Breaking News of the day. And at the end of such an adventurous day they blame the Police or Government for not preventing him from doing so. They themselves forget their duties of being responsible citizens, running behind capturing such so called ‘epoch making’ news so that the TRPs of their channels increase.
An 80 year old villager getting married to a 17 year old girl becomes the NEWS OF THE DAY which is telecasted for almost 4-5 hours of the day. The repeat telecast taking another 3 hours of the left 19 hours. A prominent politician’s son or daughter’s marriage is broadcasted live from sangeet to mehndi to the D day showing every minutest details as to what dinner is served, the guest list, which colour dress the bride and the bridegroom would wear, where would they go for honey moon etc. Such irrational news sidelines the political or international issues.
This irrelevant and apathetic information should be stopped from being screened. A code of conduct or a rule book should be brought into action where rules and regulations of the form of news, duration of the news to be presented, depth upto which the reporter should go to get the necessary information can be decided.
Moreover, the news channel should be active just for 14-15 hours a day, so that they give maximum importance and exposure to social,political,economic issues.
The modi operandi of the news channels should be changed completely giving them a new touch, so that more weight is given to the people, their feelings and their development.
The problems faced by the people living in the remotest areas should be brought out in public so that the concerned authorities take the essential steps in solving the problems. Moreover the channels should keep a track of the progress taking place in that direction. Career counseling programmes should also be given more magnitude for the betterment of the future generation.
Documentaries or programmes showing success stories of prominent personalities or great leaders should be aired so that the future generation gets educated and cognizant of our past. As news channels are watched by every family member such 1 hour programmes can turn out to be a hit. Such contents should be shown which all family members could be able to see without feeling tongue-tied. News channel if take appropriate steps in the interests of the society can create a lot of awareness in the society making the future as well as the present generation responsible, indirectly leading India to a developed country. News channels having a lot of potential in them if used in a proper and responsible manner can change the position of India on the global chart. As per the old saying “PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN SWORD”, these news channels can go on the same path and bring about a better and mightier India.