Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Corruption

Gaurav writes about his IIML senior and IOC officer Manjunath who was killed for sealing a petrol bunk selling adulterated petrol. News like this jolts us, makes us stare vacantly for a few minutes and shrug and get on with life or whatever we call it.

On a tangential note, is it possible to be corruption free? From what I have seen in my grand working experience of 10 years, I doubt it. Any discussion on corruption generally focusses on Government / PSUs. I have worked through out my career in private companies and can confidently say that corruption is prevalent as much in private enterprises too. The degree of corruption varies, but it is prevalent. We as a society accept it. I personally have paid money to people in various positions. We call it by various names, the one I fancy is "cost of doing business". I have had opportunities to make money myself, but the middle class morality has kept me from taking money. Of course this holier than thou attitude doesn't absolve me. It is like saying I am only a pimp, not a prostitute.

12 comments:

Hawkeye said...

i like your direct style. you are my kinda guy :-)

Nilu said...

There is just one means of measuring ourselves - and that is handed down by evolution. Its called survival.

Ethics which go against this grain is just plain laughable.

Anonymous said...

"middle calls" mentality is hypocrisy. I guess you are quaoting from a tamil movie..(i feel i have heard this before)...It is a blatant lie. Tocuh your heart and say....of n number of ppl you bribed...how many were non-middle class ?

Chenthil said...

hawkeye :-).

Nilu, I am yet to get out of the ethics vs survival debate and evolve.

Anon, I hardly see movies. What are you driving at? Most of those whom I bribed are middle class.

Anonymous said...

The movie u guys are talking is probably Kuruthippunal where Badri (Nasser) claims Aadhi (Kamal) can't have him killed because of his middle-class manasatchi.
Just an excuse to talk about a movie I loved :p.

Bart said...

Bcoz everyone does, I do it.. yes, I too am a pimp!
But, lets look at the same issue in another angle. If I had been a customer in the same petrol bunk.. Lets say, the adulterated petrol say has spoiled my vehicle engine. Now, I go to the petrol bunk, make a hue and cry about this and the manager settles the issue by apologising or faking ignorance or in the worst case hush-hushing the matter paying me the loss. What I do - I accept whatever he offers and move on in life as if nothing happened. From thereon, I am careful not to step into that petrol pump and thats it. However, since people like me are one-off cases, the petrol bunk manages to survive. Had I taken it in a big way, probably taking it to the consumer court or so, I might have faced the same end as Manju did. But then, its not my role to correct the society... So what is wrong here? The fear in law, the keeping-up of law and abiding law... Actually, in-short, this is the problem area touched by Shankar in "anniyan".
You cannot correct all pimps who live free.. But is there a way of instilling fear through the pimp / prostitute if caught? Can the govt take some hard steps in achieving this based on degree of guilt? Like hanging the persons caught in Manju's case, publicly, for eg?
Manju was a good friend of mine, whose enthusiasm used to spark the place around. An atrocious end to a very nice human being.

Anonymous said...

chenthil, anon again....naming your consciousness (not to take bribe) as middle class morality is not true...many middle class take bribes ruthlessly...it is self consciousness and not middle class morality..

Nilu said...

Zero,
I thought it was "Dhil"

Anonymous said...

u r are on the right track. u dont have the "all in the game" "so what" attitude.be stuborn in your views.

D LordLabak said...

corruption exists at all levels everywhere. And its been so since Aam-Eve era. So don't hate yourself.:-)

Anonymous said...

Perhaps the the question is whether we can stop being a nation of hypocrites. We may not accept bribes but will willingly give them to get what we want. Its the hypocrisy that kills. All of us have ranted about bribery at some time. But what if any has been our contribution towards putting a stop to it. Its not like we are the victims you know. We actively aid and abet this system of bribery. Its far easier to pay the bribe and get on with it that it is to do so otherwise.

It tickles me pink to see the holier than thou pretensions of the middle class.In terms of the sheer numbers and volume they are perhaps the largest payers of bribes. And when it come to receiving them they are pretty much on par with everybody else.

And yes a pimp is more morally culpable than the prostitute. Because I feel w.r.t the bribery thing he has choice, its a difficult one but its a choice nonetheless.

And nilu, ethics are not laughable. Even if at times they require us to make sacrifces. It seems like your saying its ok to go to any lenghts to get what you want. Just because you commit a wrong for your convenience or because its forced on you dosent make it right.

And by the way where are you willing to draw the line.

Nilu said...

Arun,
I do not have a line. That line is meant for chicken hearted individuals like yourself who would like to sit in judgement of others.

There already exists a mechanism to measure these things up. Its called evolution. So save your patronizing attitude.