There has been a mixed response whenever I spoke about corruption in the Indian Society. My short talk in CII and later my discussions at 5th Pillar Coimbatore evoked similar response.
People find it difficult to dismiss my thought sequence. But at the same time, they do not want to accept it either. May be, because it is too much of a thing to accept.
I have been telling them our fight should be more proactive rather than reactive. Whereas reactive methods of fighting corruption would only be postmortem; after the damage has happened. Law can be invoked only after a breach of law has taken place. Do we want to stop corruption or do we want to punish corrupt people?
If punishments alone could deter people from committing crimes, by now, we would possibly have all crimes stopped by now. If punishments is the way legal conditioning should go, then why is it that many countries have subscribed out of death penalties? Why is it that we do not subscribe to the view of punishing children? Why is it that India has signed out of 'spare the rod and spoil the child' syndrome?
Punishment is not the way to go. Being a non-violence driven society, we need to look at how to become a truly non-violent nation. We should look at how to 'make' laws that live with people and not 'make' people live with the laws.
If a small number of people violate the law, then there is something wrong with the people who are violating. If the majority of the people are violating a law, then there is something wrong with the law and not with the people!
It is time we take a relook at those laws that are violated by majority of the people and take a close look at why it is being violated.
People find it difficult to dismiss my thought sequence. But at the same time, they do not want to accept it either. May be, because it is too much of a thing to accept.
I have been telling them our fight should be more proactive rather than reactive. Whereas reactive methods of fighting corruption would only be postmortem; after the damage has happened. Law can be invoked only after a breach of law has taken place. Do we want to stop corruption or do we want to punish corrupt people?
If punishments alone could deter people from committing crimes, by now, we would possibly have all crimes stopped by now. If punishments is the way legal conditioning should go, then why is it that many countries have subscribed out of death penalties? Why is it that we do not subscribe to the view of punishing children? Why is it that India has signed out of 'spare the rod and spoil the child' syndrome?
Punishment is not the way to go. Being a non-violence driven society, we need to look at how to become a truly non-violent nation. We should look at how to 'make' laws that live with people and not 'make' people live with the laws.
If a small number of people violate the law, then there is something wrong with the people who are violating. If the majority of the people are violating a law, then there is something wrong with the law and not with the people!
It is time we take a relook at those laws that are violated by majority of the people and take a close look at why it is being violated.
