Corruption is a social virus that eats away the basic values of life. It not only impacts negatively on social dynamics but also erodes the value system established in a society. This virus has caught up with Nagaland state and the Naga society. It did not happen overnight but rather developed over the years and has now become more or less all pervasive. To put it bluntly, there is barely any sphere of social, political, economic and even religious activity that is free from graft or fraud of some kind today. Lack of transparency, morality, accountability, consistency and institutional weakness provide a fertile ground for the growth of corruption in the society. What is worrisome is that, most people accept it as an infuriating yet unavoidable way of life. Rather than fight a wrong, people prefer to follow it as a bad yet given norm, failing to realize that it is this passive behaviour which promotes the increasing growth of the social menace.
Corruption is found to be one of the most damaging consequences of poor governance system. Good governance ensures that public leaders, bureaucrats and officials are answerable to the citizens, and the citizens, on their part, need to be vigilant and proactive to ensure that the government provides clean and efficient governance. Being vigilant is all about being aware of one’s rights and duties as a citizen. Towards this, the Central Vigilance Commission organizes Vigilance Awareness Week every year to bring awareness and to reaffirm the commitment of public servants and public at large to the cause of promotion of integrity and eradication of corruption. This year, the observation began on Oct. 30 under the theme ‘My Vision – Corruption Free India’. In its message for the event, the Commission stresses that only through the active involvement of the citizens can corruption be eliminated. It is of the view that, “Unless the citizens are aware of the ill effects of corruption, the means to fight them and public opinion is generated as a mass movement against corruption and lack of integrity, far reaching changes cannot be brought.”
The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, in his message for the observation, conveyed that corruption impedes the rate of economic growth, distorts competition, adversely impacts the rate of investment and undermines the moral fibre of society. In order to eliminate corruption, the President underscores the need for all stakeholders to work together to develop and implement effective anti-corruption mechanisms. According to him, the active participation of individuals and civil society members, who pledge to abide by principles of honesty and integrity, is of utmost importance in the fight against corruption.
Joining the rest of the country, the State Vigilance Commission will also be launching the week-long awareness event. However, just observing the event and getting a handful of people sign readymade pledges against corruption will not make the society corruption-free. As with anything that has to do with values and integrity, individual reformation is the essence of change. The Commission must take the opportunity to TRULY create a social awareness over the ensuing week and try to reach maximum number of citizens of the state by making good use of modern technology as well as other communication tools available with it.
Corruption slows the growth of anything that is positive. It is time for us to introspect and also learn to encourage the few people out there who are trying to uphold positive values and integrity. They say ‘Rome was not built in a day’, so also we will not be able to crush corruption overnight. Every small effort counts.
