Most people are calling the attacks in Mumbai on the 26th of November, 2008 the last straw. Facebook is full of comments, so is Orkut, and the media is making a cliche of "Mumbai's resilience is a cliche". Everybody is angry, everybody wants change. Nobody knows how. Rage unless channelised is useless. This is an attempt to funnel that rage into building India.
Everybody says that the terror strikes could have been averted. Nobody yet has said how. Everybody says the police should be better equipped. Nobody questions why that hasn't happened yet.
Everybody feels corruption is what has made our system rotten. Everybody is right.
And if you think that corruption wasn't linked to the terror attacks, think again.
Corruption eats the money that would have stationed coastguard boats along our shores. Corruption takes away the life-saving vests that would have kept our bravest alive.
Corruption takes away the efficient edge of our police force.
If we believe that the Pakistani hand is all that made this attack possible, we are wrong.
We created an environment where these people could get themselves past security.
We created an environment where these people could get fake IDs.
We created an environment where these people could hide undetected for two weeks.
It isn't the politicians who are corrupt. If you say the system is corrupt, remember we ARE the system.
The next time you pay a traffic cop a bribe, remember the pool of blood at CST.
The next time a you bribe a policeman so that you can keep your party going longer, remember the fires at the Taj.
The next time you pay a bribe to get a tender signed, remember the three bullets that Hemant Karkare took to his chest.
If you think paying a traffic bribe isn't really a big deal, tell that to the government official who, for a bribe, issued the terrorists' trawler a license. He thought the same.
When you pay a bribe, you say corruption is okay. When you pay a bribe, you say it's okay that the terrorists' were allowed to get through.
So, the next time you see a picture of the carnage, don't feel angry, feel guilty.
The time to end this is now. Approaching problems through stop-gap solutions isn't going to help. We must end this now. We must do what it takes. And what it takes is much deeper than establishing a Maharashtra NSG. What it takes is a cleansing of our system. Which is nothing but a cleansing of our individual attitudes.
"In times of strife, we shall not remember the curses of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." Now is the time to speak up. Now is the time to take the pledge against corruption.
THE PLEDGE AGAINST CORRUPTION
"I hereby pledge to tear up all links to corruption that I have. I pledge to never again pay a bribe. I pledge to never again accept a bribe.
I realise my guilt in the carnage in Mumbai, and I realise that the least I can do is to work to prevent it from happening again. I pledge to think of our martyred heroes the next time I am tempted to pay a bribe. I pledge that I will encourage others to share in this fight against corruption. I pledge to do my bit to end corruption. I pledge to save India."
How to take the pledge:
Sit in front of your computer screen, and think about all that has happened in Mumbai. Think about the circumstances that have led to it. Think, with an open mind, what your role was, however indirect it may be. Then take the pledge.
When you take the pledge, don't read it in your mind. Read it aloud, place ur right hand over your heart, and mean each word you say. You may feel silly when you do this, but it's important that you do it. It will help you remember your words in times of temptation. Say it with solemnity, not as a joke. Else don't say it at all.
When you are done taking the pledge, live it. Nobody can enforce it, but your own conscience. Your conscience, which always knows what you do. Listen to it, and think of your pledge. Corruption will soon be a thing of the past.
If you do take the pledge, try to post a comment, just so I know how many people truly mean it when they say, "Things must change."
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4 comments:
just read it... i cannot agree more with you... day before yest when i was coming home by train... 2 girls were talking about how irresponsible our politicians are,...how they dont care about our country...and at the same time they were throwing unwanted things from their bags out of the window...(including plastics,chocolate rappers, ear bud)...!it might appear a very small issue...but it does show our carelessness and ignorance towards our country...directly or indirectly we all are involved in this vicious cycle of corruption...and as u said..v must break it
Hey, I took the pledge..u're right..every time we flout the rules, we're just making it easy for others to break them, too..its as good as if we'd collectively sentenced all those men we now mourn to death ourselves..sent them on a suicide mission, ill-prepared, barely equipped..it is our fault as much as it is that of those we now blame, those whom we allowed to seize such power, while we sat at home on election day, like we do on every national holiday..
yes, we had stopped listening to our collective conscience and to our individual conscience, too. so much so that maybe one day it'll stop speaking to us altogether, so before that day arrived, I am glad I took the pledge.
and yes, now when i say things must change, i know that they will, slowly but surely they will. :)
you've hit the nail on the head !! the problem here is that howmuchever righteousness there is in what uve written, corruption and nepotism have now become integrated in human nature. corruption is rooted in inequality, of status, of gender, of money earned, of how much one owns of whatever there is to own. corruption takes its roots also from human desire to be better off than others are, not better off than you have been, which would stem hard work. it stems from insecurity that tomorrow if you lose your job how would u support your family and yourself?how would you maintain your status in society? i have nothing else to comment on corruption itself.
but i would like to say that lack of transparency and the bureaucratic system in india has fuelled this fire which has burned the taj, as you so rightly say, on 26/11 . unless we have transparency and flexibility, little can be done !
i think its a wonderful article there, very well written.
i disagree shaun....i will give money for corruption and take too.if i am in that position.you cant change the system....it beats you..or you escape to the states...hopin corrupt will be punished there...but when in rome.....
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