CORRUPTION IS a lesson we learn very early in life. We have been brought up on philosophies like ‘the child is the father of the man’, ‘like father like son’, ‘having a blind maternal uncle is better than not having any maternal uncle’ and so on. From our cradle days, it has been imbibed in our brains that some kids are born more equal than others. We have seen our teachers who have a terribly soft corner for so-and-so because so-and-so’s aunt wields tremendous clout in the school administration.

 

In college, we learnt that Mr so-and-so would go all out to help so-and-so because the father of so-and-so can arrange his promotion or transfer, as the case may be. This culture has gradually spread to all walks of life. Once we enter the portals of employment, we take extra efforts to please our bosses because a satisfied boss means fewer problems at work. To do this effectively, we keep our ears to the ground, we even venture out to the boss’s house with gifts, simple gifts that one normally cannot refuse. In our mind’s eye would flash visions of our schooldays when some of our classmates would come to class with new calendars or a bunch of flowers or even a diary – those were the days when organizations printed calendars and diaries on a regular basis. We hone our skills of backbiting, of muska-fying, we try to pull down our subordinates so that, in comparison, we are invariably the better. Later, when we get married and have kids of our own, we continue on the path of corruption – slipping an extra hundred rupee note to the hospital nurse ensures better treatment for the patient; similarly, under-the-table generosities smoothen the passage of children school admission; when we purchase a flat, once again extra monetary benefits open up several doors that would normally remain closed.

 

The difference between what one signs for on the Government stamp paper and what one actually pays to the builder or the owner remains a mystery. Added to these are the miseries of paying that extra little bit for prompt and smiling service of the boys who bring the milk or the gas cylinder to your doorstep and the small changes that you have to forego in public transports and market places due to the excuse of ‘loose change not available.’

 

Whenever in trouble, we search around for contacts at even the lowest level: that is the only thing that makes sense in today’s scenario, this is what corruption is all about. If you are lucky to be in possession of contacts where they count the most, you can get away with blue murder, you can be glorified, and you can always remain on cloud nine.

 

In days of yore it was customary for the son to follow in the footsteps of his father. The cobbler passed on his expertise to his son just as the priest did. It was natural to keep the family tradition alive. It had enormous advantages because you were a known person, and your antecedents were no mystery. Hence, while you shared the affection of your clientele on the one hand, you simultaneously swallowed their abuses, when you earned their displeasure. Today we debunk similar thinking by calling it dynastic rule!