Corruption violates human rights. Yes, much has been written about the ills of corruption, of how it is plaguing our land. Everybody knows corruption is all pervasive, yet it continues to remain deeply entrenched – so much so that it has now become a way of life. In fact, those who refuse to partake in it are branded as an ‘obstacle’, an unnecessary stumbling block that must be removed, and are often victimized by the system. How, then, can we uproot corruption or at least put a check on it? It will be very difficult to answer that because the issue is too complex and the causes of it are manifold. Fighting against corruption is like cutting off the Hydra’s head – you cut one off and two more would grow back in its place. It seems like any progress made against corruption is always counterbalanced by even bigger forces of corruption. One step forward and two steps back.
There is none, no not one, to stand up against corruption because nobody wants to be an outcast. The consequences of standing against corruption are too overwhelming and one would rather distance oneself from the little resistance there exists against corruption because the threat, whether perceived or real, is intimidating. One would rather see no evil, hear no evil and live a docile life willingly submitting to the powers that be than stand up and claim one’s rights. In the process, the common man becomes an equal partner and complicit in perpetuating the growth of corruption. Today, corruption has infected every stratum of our society, down to the grassroots level. It will not be farfetched to claim that corruption has permeated down to the village level. It is not just the political class or the bureaucrats but even the simple villagers have given in to the lure of easy money and corrupt practices.
But is there a way to turn the tide? It appears that checking corruption has now become an insurmountable task. There, however, is a last glimmer of hope and that is we should take the fight to the village level. The strengths as well as the weaknesses of our society spring from the villages. If we can check corruption at the village level, where our society is rooted, then perhaps the momentum will grow strong enough to take the fight to the block level and then to the district level and finally beyond that. It is not a magic formula but, given the situation we are in, this seems to be the most ideal way. If the conscientious citizens of a village would arm themselves with information, data and evidence, especially when it comes to government funding, corruption, if any, can be checked at the village level. Thereon, the law of ripple effect will take its own course of action.