Chanakya’s famous statement in Arthasastra, many centuries ago, testifies to the durability of the phenomenon of corruption. He observed:
“ Just as it is impossible to not to taste the honey or the poison at the tip of the tongue, so it is impossible for a government servant not to eat up at least a bit of the King’s revenue. Just as a fish moving under water cannot possibly be found out either as drinking or not drinking water, so government servants employed in the government work cannot be found out taking money. It is possible to mark the movements of birds flying high up in the sky; but not so it is ascertain the movement of government servants of hidden purpose. ”
Corruption in all societies are as old as power itself. It is, therefore, common in all countries, irrespective of their stage of development. However, its nature, volume and dimensions differ largely from country to country and from one environment to another. India is not free from the evils of political and bureaucratic corruption. Many scams and scandals that took place in India are enough proof for this rampant and widespread corruption due to near total lack of effective vigilance. Corruption is rampant in the administration of welfare schemes, public distribution system, police, revenue, excise and taxation and irrigation department and several other sectors where people come into contact with daily administration. A matter of concern is the vertical integration at various levels of government between officials and politicians and the inability of top functionaries to check the prevalence of corruption. In fact, corruption has now institutionalized and has become a commonly accepted way in life.
Corruption has seeped into every system to such an extent that even if you try to bypass it, it won’t let you do it. The present day system where corruption is rampant, the amount of money lost from the public treasury is too enormous that a part of which can eradicate the poverty of the whole nation.
In this disastrous situation the widespread and vibrant question arises from the different sects of the society “WHAT IS THE REMEDY FOR THIS?” And an answer could be Gandhism. Gandhism is the most adequate weapon against this social cancer. By adopting Gandhian principles in our day to day life, we can achieve the goal of eradicating corruption which was considered a mountain unconquered till date.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the crusader of truth and non violence gave a broader definition for corruption. Gandhi advocated that corruption not only included monitory and material benefits but also anything and everything including personal favors or help. If a teacher gives her favorite student more credit than the other students, it also amounts to corruption under the Gandhian concept. If a parent cares for one child than the other children, that also amounts to corruption. Thus the Gandhian concept gave a broader definition of corruption.
Corruption was rampant in 1937 when the congress party got an opportunity for the first to form ministries at the state level. Mahatma Gandhi took a serious note of the growing corruption in the congress ranks and lashed out at it in the columns of corruption. In ma 1939, he told Gandhi Seva Sangh workers. “I would go to the length of giving the whole congress organization a decent burial than put up with the corruption that is rampant.” Gandhi was much relived when Congress ministers resigned in October 1939 on the political issues due to the arousal of World War II.
Gandhi advocated simplicity and humility. Luxury is something which has been amalgamated to the modern day society. Everyone wants to live in maximum luxury. But none of them are realizing the fact that it’s just a transient status in life. They must understand the truth and must try to lead a simple life. If they are ready to sacrifice the lust for luxury, all the unwanted expenses would be lost and everyone’s income would be adequate to meet the expense. If they are satisfied with what they are earning legally, then none of them would be ready to make money through illegal manner. Gandhi also advocated for self sacrifice. He wants us to care for our fellow ones too. According to Gandhi everyone should care for his fellow beings and do whatever possible by him, even sacrifice his own well being for good of others. If this principle is followed by our citizens, then we could see a better life for all and the society would no longer be corruptive. Gandhi wants everyone to be truthful and transparent. One of the main features which alienated Gandhi from his contemporary world leaders was the transparency in his life. His life was a open book. Similarly if everyone is ready to be transparent in life, then the world would automatically be truthful.
These principles advocated by Gandhi have great social relevance and political relevance too. Prima facie these principles appear to be some basic values that must be followed by all in their life. If we just think for a while, it becomes evident that these are not only certain values but something which can cultivate great social commitment in one’s life. If only one person is following this principle, its benefit would be for many. These principles can contribute a lot in providing better future for the country. By following the Gandhian principles in life one can leave the lust for luxury, both monetary and material. A person who doesn’t need any luxury and leading a simple life would be happy to sacrifice his well being for the betterment of the life of his fellow beings.
PATIENCE AND PERSEVERNACE
Another important principle highlighted by Gandhi patience. Patience is something which can be the keyhole success in life. But in this speedy world where the available time is inadequate for everyone, patience is something which is lacking in the society. Consider a situation where a person needs a driving license. In the right manner he need to stand in queue for two or three days. But if he is ready to give some amount to the officers in the transport department, he can earn the license without even attending the driving test. But if he shows the patience to stand in the queue and to attend all the procedures in the right manner, then there would not be any bribery occurs. The lack of patience, in a way, making us also the parties to corruption. Two other similar principles advocated by Gandhi are persuasion and perseverance. If we are ready to work hard to attain our goal, then we don’t require any shortcuts. We can move in the right manner and attain our goal. Thus persuasion and perseverance can also create a barrior to corruption in society.
END-MEANS RELATIONSHIP
In Gita, Lord Krishna advised Arjuna that it is not the means which matters but the end or the goal matters i.e. we can choose unjust means to attain a just goal i.e. in brief end justifies the mean. But Gandhi rejected this principle. According to Mahatma means justifies the end or in short both the means and the end should be just. He never accepted any unjust means to attain any goal. He wants everyone to work in the right manner, in the just means to attain your goal. Sometimes you may reach our goal earlier when we adopt some unjust methods. But the victory through falsehood is not permanent. You could earn a transient victory. It would be like “ill got ill spent”. Gandhi compared “the means to a seed, the end to a tree and there is just the same inviolable connection between the means and the end as there is between the seed and the tree”. Gandhi advocated that “if one takes care of the means, the end will take care of itself”. If we work hard in the right manner, through just means, you could earn a real victory, a victory which is forever. Gandhiji wants us to work hard upholding truth to attain our goal. Since Gandhiji believed in the moral pursuit and achievement of man, he always interlinked the means and the end. Most important example that showed Gandhi wanted both the means and the end should be just is the suspension of the Non cooperation movement due to the Chauri Chaura incident. The non cooperation movement was launched as a part of our nation’s freedom struggle. But Gandhi wanted all agitations and protests to peaceful and non violent. But when a violent incident occurred at Chauri Chaura, he suspended the whole movement. Gandhi believed that only a change brought about by pure means, which is by peaceful and legitimate means, can lead us to real progress”.
SPIRITUALISATION OF POLTICS
Gandhi also advocated the spiritualization of politics. Gandhiji’s doctrine of means justifying the end was manifested not only during the period of our freedom struggle but also in its application in the internal politics. He made a serious attempt to spiritualize politics and establish an organic link between religion and politics. But by spiritualization of religion he does not mean any religious dogmas or fundamentalism. What he implied was a synthesis of the values in all the religions. He regarded religion as self realization, suffering and sacrifice. According to him ‘Politics and Power’ must aim at social reform and service to mankind. In this sense politics become as essential as religion. If politics is divorced from religion, it is like a corpse, fit only for burning. Thus, religious value can guide the political actions in the right direction. But Gandhiji totally discarded the idea of ‘state religion’ or ‘subordination of politics to religion’.
SATYAGARAHA
Satyagraha as a doctrine and a weapon was undoubtedly rose into prominence due to the untiring effort of Mahatma Gandhi. Satyagraha at that time was in the form of ‘passive resistance’. In modern India the doctrine of passive resistance was chiefly expounded as a political technique rather than a spiritual therapy. Gandhi used Satyagraha as a technique of redressing social and political injustice. Gandhi has laid down several guidelines for Satyagraha and satyagrahis. According to him, constructive program is the novel mode of Satyagraha and satyagrahis should engage in silent, active and constructive work of reform and social service. He believed that simply taking over the political power does not make any meaning. Every Satyagrahi should spend his energy for constructive programme to rebuild the society and promote common good. But the present day politicians have interpreted the idea of Satyagraha and used it as political technique violating the true idea of the practice. We have seen the drama’s staged by Karunanidhi and Narendra Modi in the name of Satyagraha. Such political parasites should be erased from the society.
SWARAJ
The concept of swaraj is not doctrine emerged from Gandhiji’s idea. Swaraj or self rule is connected with securing self determination to all sections of the society. According to Gandhi the two things that together makes swaraj: no submission and no exploitation. Unfortunately when we gained the swaraj these two things are found terribly in our society. Swaraj means real participatory democracy must be established where very individual must be in a position to rule himself and participate in the functioning of political system. Gandhi, rightly said, “ Purna Swaraj denotes a condition when the dump and the lame millions will speak and walk”. But if such a situation occur now, then all the Corrupt politicians would be seeped into Arabian Sea. Swadeshi and use of khadi will also check exploitation, concentration of wealth in the hands of a few and unhealthy competition. Above all Gandhiji advocated swadeshi and khadi because he believed that an independent India could only discharge her duty towards a groaning world by adopting a simple ennobled life.
Always a question lurks in the mind of the modern man with regard to the relevance of gandhian thought. Modern man with all his accentricity, lust for power, science and technology for warfare laugh at the basic postulates of Gandhism. But for this, the present generation it is not to be blamed. Nathuram Godse no doubt killed Gandhi, but his successors killed Gandhism forever. Any concept of ideology if not reinterpreted becomes invalid for the present. But Gandhism can never die. Gandhian ideas and principle are too much relevant in the present day society of accentricity. It clearly depicts hoe to tackle the problems in various fields in the society.
His emphasis on political freedom of minority, decentralization of poltical power has been accepted in the form of protection of minority rights and pachayathi raj. Gandhiji’s concept of non-cooperation, satyagraha and civil disobedience even today have proved to be successful as non violent struggle against corruption and exploitation. The successful agitation of Gandhian Anna Hazare and other civil society members have proved that the nonviolent Gandhian methods of agitation are still a powerful weapon or shield against the exploitative measures of the ruling class.
Thus, ‘Gandhism’ though cannot be taken as a model in a strict sense, can be taken as a beacon. As present we have the task of revalidating gandhian ideas by new interpretation of his thought and action. The entire mankind will be entirely benefitted if gandhian thought is followed in the right perspective. Gandhi is dead, long live Gandhism
