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Enforce laws to fight corruption

The news report “Post-CWG, India slips to 87th spot in global corruption rankings”, (Oct 27) and the editorial “Rampant corruption: Multiplicity of agencies fails to fight menace” (Oct 29) made an apt analysis that Transparency International’s annual exercise in releasing an ever-growing list of countries ranked on the ‘Corruption Perception Index’ tells us little that is not already known to us. Corruption has almost become a habit in India and citizens have learnt to live with it. Even the judiciary and the armed forces are not immune to it. It is not uncommon to find even godmen and religious institutions embroiled in corruption-related scandals.

As the country has gone down in the ranking, it is time for soul searching. It appears that the level of governance has not improved despite India having skilled administrators. 
The virus of corruption has invaded the whole of the Indian subcontinent. Apart from India, Pakistan is ranked at 143th in the list with an integrity score of 2.3, Bangladesh is at 134th with a score of 2.4, Sri Lanka is at 91st with an integrity score of 3.2, while Nepal is at 146th position with an integrity score of 2.3. Moreover, the Maldives is at the 143th place and Afghanistan, the newest SAARC member, is ranked 176th in the list with an integrity score of 1.4.
Can’t these countries take a leaf out of the books of Denmark, New Zealand and Singapore, which are perceived to be the least corrupt with scores of 9.3? The solution to this problem lies mainly in the hands of the Legislature and the government.

The best way to reduce corruption in government offices is by re- engineering government processes, minimising direct contacts, establishing appropriate controls and audit and maintaining transparency and accountability. Moreover, putting fear in the minds of officials involved in malpractice will also help in dealing with this menace. Enforcement of laws and exemplary punishment to the corrupt is the need of the hour. The editorial rightly concludes that since the country has an abysmal record of penalising senior officials, industrialists, politicians and businessmen for corruption and as no government in New Delhi seems to have either the inclination or the ability to crack the whip, one can, therefore, say safely that next year, too, the country will figure lower down on the list of honest nations. Are we ready to pocket more insults or will we try to mend ourselves?

DILBAG RAI, Chandgarh

G.D. GUPTA, Jagadhari

Respect women

Sexual harassment of women is a matter of concern. It prevails at almost every level (editorial “Protecting career women: Bill to prevent sexual harassment at offices”, Nov 8).. The hallmark of a healthy society is the respect shown to women. Sexual harassment may cause loss of confidence and even self-doubt among the fairer sex. The Bill if passed can go a long way in tackling the problem of sexual harassment.

KSHITIJ GUPTA, Narwana

Indo-US ties

I agree with the views expressed in the editorial “The Obama visit” (Nov 8). Indeed, both India and the US are gainers. There is reason to rejoice over US President Barack Obama’s visit as he has shown his concern for India by focusing on new trade deals worth billions, exports, expansion, a promise to provide more than several thousand jobs for Indians and above all his bold decision to fight terror together with India. It is hoped that President Obama‘s visit to India will surely help gain a better understanding with the US. It also goes without saying that Mr Obama has already placed a few Indians in his advisory team. Also remarkable is his reference to India as a rising economic hub.

 HARPREET SANDHU, Ludhiana

Analyse globalisation

I fully endorse the views expressed in the article “Globalisation: The juggernaut will roll on” (Nov 8). The concept of globalisation has not only affected the growing economies in a positive manner but has also brought irreparable loss to marginal sections of these countries. 

Indeed, the juggernaut has proved to be a beast in disguise for the Third World. Globalisation as a political ideology created uneven development in the Third World countries and has been based on multiple inequalities and consumerism. Therefore, one needs to be critical while evaluating the rhetoric of prosperity.

KALIKA MEHTA, Patiala

Fine encapsulation Of all the stories on recent US President Barack Obama’s India visit, the one by Raj Chengappa ( column Ground Zero, “Yeh dosti hum nahi todengey”, Nov 10) was the best. It had all the embellishments of a literary writing using similes and metaphors (like pard’ner) as in poetry. A reference to Mr Obama’s famous book “Audacity of Hope”’ was apt and well-knit in the text. However, the write-up was not all aesthetics alone. It touched every bit of what comprised and constituted the agenda in the itinerary of President Obama and that too in perfect sequence. Commerce in Mumbai, meeting young ones to raise a hope in the next generation of emerging India, acknowledging India’s clout by backing her for the prestigious UN Security Council permanent seat, making expected concessions in India’s civil nuclear programme, signing pacts in areas of health, education, agriculture, energy, etc, lifting high-tech curbs put on the ISRO and the DRDO; all these were deftly packed in the write-up. Even the mild chiding by the visiting VIP on Myanmar and Iran was not left out and fitted appropriately in the text, making it balanced reporting. In essence, it made an interesting as well as a highly informative and readable story. L R SHARMA, Sundernagar