Urgent need for fair play

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh must know that by merely exhorting the officers of Civil, Foreign, Police Services (IAS, IFS IPS) to act honestly and set an example before their juniors to follow them and never bow to pressure and temptation of political executives can not serve the purpose of fighting corruption boldly. There also is no doubt about the honesty and integrity of the PM in the country. No body even his opponents raise question on his honesty and integrity.

But there a notion developed among the people that the class he represents is thoroughly corrupt. And the first crying need before the nation is to clease that corrupt class.

They are few civil servants in bureaucracy who can show courage and refuse to bow to the wrong dictats of their political boss. Because in democracy, political executives head the bureaucracy. They make plans and programmes and bureaucrats have to implement them. They make law and police officers have to implement them. So, untill and unless political executives irrespective of their political affiliations start cleansing themselves, the system of corruption that has taken deep root in every department of the government can not be checked.

One development that has taken place among the civil socieity is praiseworthy. It is awareness and vigilance. The people have become conscious of rooting out corruption by lagislating new bill, and this is the result of Anna Hazare’s hunger strike and thereafter the formation of Joint Drafting Committee for the Lokpal Bill to be drafted in the monsoon session of the Parliament.

It has become very difficult now for corrupt persons in the government to escape from the prying eyes of media and civil society. But it will be better if the political class takees initiatives in fighting corruption. Because bureaucracy is a group of government servants and government is the members of political parties elected by the people.

Admitting that there is little public tolerance now for the prevailing state of affairs on the issue of corruption, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that his government is committed to face this challenge boldly as people expect swift and exemplary action. But the need of the hour is to translate high moralistic words into action.