Why we need dreamers?

I have huge problems with those who say that the Lokapal Bill, however strong, cannot rid the country of corruption.

There could be two reasons for this pessimism. First, these people are practical, have seen life, know well the way our government and society work. They know only too well the enormous capacity and ingenuity of the Indian mind to improvise, to find ways to beat the system by discovering new loop holes in it. They, therefore, are somewhat justified in dismissing the Lokpal Bill as yet another law that will sooner than later become ineffective.

Second, then there are those who perhaps do not want corruption to be removed completely. As Shri Arun Shouri had said over two decades ago, “Every Indian wants corruption to end, but only after he or she had got his son/daughter admitted into a Medical College, only after his promotion/transfer or whatever was through. Such of our fellow citizens who really believe that it would soon be business as usual might be in for a shock. Some, no doubt, would try to wiggle their way out of laws and regulations but I strongly believe that if a truly deterrent law is brought on the statute and the Lokpal is indeed successful in expeditiously acting against corrupt individuals it is not too much to hope that corruption would be a thing of the past. The younger generation thinks it is cool to be honest and that is a huge catalyst. There are after all a few countries where corruption is almost non-existent. Why can India not join their ranks?

Here we must also acknowledge the role of the bribe giver. If we refuse to give bribe, lodge a complaint, and genuinely do not try to ‘jump the queue’ then it should be possible to eradicate corruption and weed out corrupt individuals. There is thus a huge responsibility on us ordinary citizens too. This would require immense patience because rail reservation queues, for example, will not diminish soon nor would all the touts. Ration Cards, Passports, Driving Licenses, Pollution Under Control certificates and a whole host of other ‘permits’ will need time and all of us will have to learn to patiently wait for the process to be over.

When we doubt the efficacy of the proposed bill we are in fact betraying a kind of disbelief in our own capacity to shun corrupt ways. It is exactly like beating an old habit or addiction. Only the fear of punishment might help us get rid of our addiction which in any case is more out of impatience than a genuine impulse to break the law.