L E T T E R S    T O    T H E    E D I T O R

People must unite to fight corruption

HK. DUA, in his front-page editorial “The stink of corruption” (April 29), dared to hold the bull by its horns, but it is now for the masses to offer solutions to destroy the monster of corruption. The response to the editorial is tremendous and various solutions have been put across.

Most politicians and civil servants fill up their coffers and amass money in foreign banks. Officers who please the politicians are “the chosen ones of the government.” The police has become inhuman and corrupt. So where does the common man go for protection? As for our judicial system, people are reluctant to go to courts.

Consequently, the solution rests with the will of the elected politicians themselves. The government has the power and machinery to root out corruption. The people should force the government to eradicate the virus.

MINNIE PREM SARWAL, Delhi

II

Five letters (May 3) and another seven letters (May 5) on Mr Dua’s front-page editorial are worth reading. Letters of Khazan Singh and Jagtar Singh Anandpuri provide solutions to control corruption. If the intelligentsia votes for clean persons, corruption can be checked. The voters have to vote for persons of honesty and high integrity who must set an example of leading a simple and austere life.

The number of those who vote by taking money and liquor is very small. The intelligentsia and other voters outnumber them. But they do not come out of their houses to caste votes. If the intelligentsia votes for clean persons, corruption will go and with this, the prices of all commodities will fall and the law and order will also improve.

Dr H. D. GUPTA, Chandigarh

III

Corruption is spreading everywhere because of our immoral character and non-adherence to ethical values. A corrupt person should be dubbed as a traitor under the law. According to Swami Vivekananda, while selfishness is a sin, unselfishness is a virtue, which is the only difference between a devil and a god.

Jawaharlal Nehru said: “If there is a selfish leadership, dishonest administration, economic distress and lack of a national purpose, such a society will always remain unstable. If we protect dharma, it will protect us; otherwise we will be neglected by it.” Mahatma Gandhi wanted ethical education to be imparted to people through academic institutions and the media to build national character.

S.K. DHEER, Khanna (Ludhiana)

IV

Party funds during elections breed corruption. A few people are fooling and looting the majority of Indians. We must break the politician- bureaucrat-criminal nexus. People do not seem to bother about scams and scandals because these are so common these days. Corrupt people are not afraid of the system. For, most of them are let off and go unpunished because of political pressure.

DINESH SINGH, Nangal Bihalan (Hoshiarpur)

V

Corruption has affected every wing of the government. There is no section or department which is free from corruption. It has its roots in the human mind out of greed and lust for money.

Today, access to money by foul means has become very easy. The executive, the judiciary and the legislature are all adversely affected by it. The political bosses are largely responsible in giving impetus to corruption.

DAYA NAND, Charkhi-Dadri

VI

Delay, the deadliest form of denial, breeds corruption. There are abnormal delays in the disposal of cases in the government offices, panchayats, blocks, district and secretariats. If you want to push a file from one table to another, you have to grease the palms of the clerks and officers. The government should take steps to expedite file clearance in its offices, boards, organisations, corporations and public sector undertakings.

O. P. SHARMA, Faridabad

VII

It is not difficult to restrain corruption because everyone wants a corruption-free society. No one wants anyone to demand bribe or supply him adulterated ration, petrol etc. Sincere, honest and influential people should come forward to lead and enrol likeminded people to win the real freedom for which our forefathers scarified their lives.

J. C. CHOPRA, Nabha

VIII

The writer has an unending quest to unravel the truth. In the present scenario, the most corrupt are the most powerful and vice versa. The credentials of the politicians and the bureaucrats are suspect.

They violate the ethical code of the conduct while ostensibly pretending to serve the people. Rampant corruption in every walk of life is an abuse of trust for private gain. This breeds at the top and slowly filters down to the lower levels eating into the vitals of our society.

RAVI DATTA, Dehra (Kangra)

IX

When corruption has become a way of life today, such editorials on a regular basis may inspire some right-thinking people to oppose this anti-social activity tooth and nail until it is eliminated from the country.

P. D. GARGISH, Chandigarh

Helping a noble cause India with over 260 million subscribers has the second largest number of mobile users in the world. Of these, youngsters form a large chunk. India also has one of the world’s cheapest tariffs. Taking advantage of this, many companies are minting money by producing a variety of reality shows, programmes and competitions with or without attractive prizes whereby the gullible customers have to answer an easy question or vote for something by sending an SMS. The service providers charge between Rs 2 and Rs 10 from the subscribers for an SMS. This short message service is being used basically for purposes of entertainment. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) should make it mandatory for the service providers and every entertainment company concerned to provide at least 10 per cent of the revenue so collected through SMSs to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. By this, the general public will also be indirectly helping a noble cause. NARESH KUMAR, Nurmahal