I read somewhere a poignant statement.
'Non Corrupt is not the same as Anti-Corrupt'
There are many who are personally not corrupt. But they also turn a blind eye towards corruption around them.
When I was in Hindustan Petroleum Corporation as Sales Officer of Coimbatore Sales Officer, I was a hothead, both uncorrupt and strongly anti-corrupt. I had a colleague of mine, who was an operations officer, and my neighbour. A gentleman who was the son of a legendary Sales Officer of ESSO (which became HPCL). The father was not clean. But the son was honest to a fault. Unfortunately, he had to work in the Coimbatore Storage point which was a hotbed for corruption, headed by a Depot Manager who was corrupt to the boot. My colleague, though personally clean, would never raise his voice against the all round corruption in the Depot, while I was raising hell and shouting at the top of my voice. My voice finally reached the Regional Office and I was called up - my first instance of being a whistle blower. But soon I found out that the whole excercise of an enquiry into the issue was a sham, as even the people in the Regional office was involved. But the coup de grace was when my friend was called up by the Superiors and he refused to back me up, prefering to say 'he was not corrupt' and he doesnt know anything about others. With dealers and tank truck operators fearing the wrath of the Depot Manager if they spoke against him, the enquiry was closed for want of evidence. I felt disgusted and asked my friend (with whom I had discussed for hours about these issues) why he kept quiet. He refused to look me in my eyes and mumbled something incoherent. That was the beginning of the end of a good friendship, for I never forgave him. And not long after I quit HPCL.
My father's advice was "It is alright for you to take on corruption. But remember that you are extremely careful in every single action of yours. People whom you take on will wait for you to make one tiny little slip". And I was very very careful and the effort was a tremendous strain on me, though I relished it.
This strain is why people, though personally non corrupt, do not become anti corrupt. The corrupt lobby is too well entrenched and will go to any length to silence the whistle blowers and the anti corrupt activists. They take the easy route of 'I am clean, and if other are not, then it is for the society and the authorities to take action. I have nothing to do with it'.
The Prime Minister of India belongs to this category. But in his case the defence that he will be victimised dont hold water. He has reached the pinnacle of his life and he can afford to take on the corrupt.
And that is why the Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan is revered by the Malayalees, despite his faults as an Administrator. He is strongly anti corrupt and runs crusades against the corrupt, though many dont reach the logical end. Still he makes it a point to take on the corrupt. And it is why, despite his party not wanting him to contest elections in 2006 and now, popular pressure ensured he was given a seat. But he is 87, and his breed is vanishing fast. So much the pity.
