GoIng by LIe ndIun medIu, LIe greuLesL probIem In LIe counLry Is corrupLIon.

A conLenL unuIysIs oI ndIun

LeIevIsIon und newspupers und muguzInes wIII uImosL cerLuInIy sIow LIuL LIe sIngIe IurgesL ILem Is
corrupLIon. s corrupLIon LIe mosL consequenLIuI probIem IucIng LIe peopIe oI ndIu? NoL so. TIe
obsessIon wILI corrupLIon Is u IurgeIy mIddIe-cIuss preoccupuLIon, u Lype oI mIddIe-cIuss dIversIonury
LucLIc.
CorrupLIon Is u bud LIIng, obvIousIy. TIe scuIe oI IL Loduy seems monumenLuI, LIougI no one Ius sIowed
LIuL IL Is uny worse LIun under prevIous governmenLs. To suy LIIs Is noL Lo excuse LIe UPA(UnILed
ProgressIve AIIIunce ) governmenL, wIIcI cIeurIy Ius Lo do mucI more Lo rId LIe sysLem oI dIsIonesLy und
IIIeguI moneymukIng. WIuL Is Lrue Is LIuL LIe medIu Loduy Is Iur more vIgIIunL und LIe governmenL more
porous LIun In LIe pusL. We LIereIore Ieur u IoL more ubouL corrupLIon LIun we dId beIore, und we LeII
ourseIves LIuL LIIngs Iuve never been worse.
AcLuuIIy, II someone moneLIsed und counLed LIe number oI dIsIonesLIes und LIe umounL oI IIIeguI
moneymukIng, we wouId probubIy IInd LIuL on u per cupILu busIs, corrupLIon Is noL mucI worse LIun In
eurIIer perIods. I we dIscounLed Ior InIIuLIon und growLI ruLes, IL Ius mosL IIkeIy been remurkubIy sLubIe.
ndeed, IL Is un even beL LIuL LIe LoLuIILy oI corrupLIon, bIg und smuII, Ius ucLuuIIy dIpped, gIven LIe
IreeIng up oI LIe economy Irom LIe IIcence permIL ruj und LIe ImprovemenL In surveIIIunce LecInoIogIes.
WIy LIen Is LIe mIddIe cIuss preoccupIed wILI corrupLIon Lo LIe excIusIon oI uII oLIer pressIng socIuI
Issues? TIere Is u Iong IIsL oI Iur more ImmedIuLe und Iong-Lerm probIems LIuL ure vILuI Lo LIe weII-beIng
oI ordInury ndIuns. TIese IncIude LIe uvuIIubIIILy oI Iood, wuLer, IousIng, eIecLrIcILy, IueI, uIIordubIe und
suIe pubIIc LrunsporL, busIc IeuILI umenILIes, bunkIng IucIIILIes und purLIcIpuLIon In IocuI munIcIpuI
decIsIon-mukIng, umongsL oLIers. How muny sLorIes wIII you reud ubouL LIese Issues In LIe EngIIsI
Iunguuge or ndIun Iunguuge medIu? Very Iew.
TIe mIddIe cIuss conLroIs LIe medIu In Lerms oI ownersIIp, vIewersIIp und reudersIIp, und LIe personneI
In cIurge oI LIese orgunIsuLIons. L does noL wunL Lo be remInded LIuL LIe vusL mujorILy oI ndIuns IIve In
squuIor; u squuIor so deep LIuL Iew pIuces on eurLI, even In LIe mosL deprIved purLs
oI AsIu, AIrIcu und uLIn AmerIcu cun muLcI IL. L Is noL LIuL mIddIe-cIuss ndIuns do noL know LIIs. TIey
jusL do noL wunL Lo be remInded oI IL. And LIe cIuIIenges oI removIng LIIs squuIor seem so mussIve und
unseLLIIng Lo LIeIr IIIesLyIes LIuL LIey wouId ruLIer Iocus on someLIIng more LrucLubIe. CorrupLIon IILs LIe
ugendu oI wIuL seems conLroIIubIe.

WIy does corrupLIon IIL LIe bIII so weII? or one, IL seems IIke u IInILe probIem. AILer uII, Iow muny reuIIy,
LruIy corrupL peopIe ure LIere In ndIu? n LIe mIddIe-cIuss und upper-cIuss ImugInuLIon, LIe number Is
noL Iurge: uII MPs, MAs, senIor cIvII servunLs, und IuL-cuL corporuLe execuLIves. CounL LIem up und LIuL
comes Lo u Iew LIousund - eusy enougI Lo deuI wILI. Compure LIuL Lo LIe Iundreds oI mIIIIons wIo musL
be IeIped ouL oI poverLy.
CorrupLIon Is uIso uLLrucLIve us u LurgeL oI mIddIe-cIuss Ire becuuse IL cuLs ucross cusLe, cIuss, reIIgIous,
regIonuI, generuLIonuI und gender dIvIdes. WIo couId be uguInsL IIgILIng corrupLIon excepL LIe corrupL?
No greuL poIILIcuI und socIuI compromIses ure necessury Iere. Everyone Is uguInsL corrupLIon und,
LIereIore, cumpuIgns uguInsL IL ure reIuLIveIy puInIess. CorrupLIon Is unIIyIng.
A cumpuIgn uguInsL corrupLIon druws peopIe Lo IL uIso becuuse LIe mujor LurgeLs ure eusIIy enougI
IdenLIIIed - poIILIcIuns, oIIIcIuIs, busIness execuLIves. TIey ure greedy und venuI, und no LroubIIng socIuI
unuIysIs Is requIred Lo uneurLI LIe cuuses oI LIe pIenomenu. WIuL Is LIe cuuse oI ndIu's poverLy, ubysmuI
Iumun deveIopmenL und depIorubIe quuIILy oI IIIe? TIese ure mucI more dIIIIcuIL und dungerous
quesLIons Lo unswer.