Corruption: How can this vicious circle be broken?

              

Recently some 2 years back I planned to purchase a site thinking of settling in Bangalore. Obviously it is a dream of many people who come in search of work here. Little did I know of what are the procedures to do so. Firstly I got in touch with many sellers who are ready to sell their lands for lucrative demands. I am a normal middle class worker working in an organization. The cost of purchasing a land in my/my family’s desirable location was something around Rs. 20 lakh or more. Obviously I have to go in search of financial institutions who provide me loan for such huge amount. Little did I know the procedure of purchasing. This purchasing is a combined terminology for both Black money and Registering.

This is the first point where I faced with the term called Black money and of course Corruption. This means that among the amount of Rs. 20 lakh, only 9-10 lakhs will go in for Registering the land into your name. Remaining 10-11 lakhs will be hard cash which you will need to give to the seller of the land without any record of this transaction. Then came another situation. Just before registering in Municipal Corporation office I came to know that I need to pay a bribe of above Rs. 20,000/-. If I do not give this, I will not be allowed to register easily. I will have to run for months together back and forth completing all the formalities that the authorities tell me. Finally I registered and owned a beautiful site in my desired locality. But… some days back myself and my colleague were sitting in bus on the way from office to home. We had this discussion on bribe and corruption. We had this point…

When you are a baby and you are hungry you respond by crying. Here you only “need” milk. Mother gives milk. Your hunger is gone, you stop crying and sleep.

As you grow up, it is the same body which grows up. But see now how the grown up child of 2-5 years responds. If he is hungry he will not simply eat. Mother makes him to eat by telling him “Darling…, I will give you chocolate eat”. This is the first time the Mother says like this. Soon after it becomes a habit for the child to “demand” that he will eat only if he gets ice cream, chocolate. These can be ignored as child’s play.

Now the same child has grown into an adolescent. Till now he used to “demand” only during essential eating/drinking. Now the boy is studying in school. He one day “demands” if he does not get a bicycle, Smart phone etc… he will not eat/drink, he will not go to school, not study. Now the “demanding” has crossed into food, study (gyaanarjana).

The same boy grows into an adult and takes into a job where he is earning. Now his basic aim of life is to do his duty such that it satisfies his basic needs. Here the boy during his work sees that there are many people who come to him to get their work done. He soon creates a mindset that people cannot get their work done without his approval. He again starts the old habit of “demanding”. Now his desires have increased. He doesnot want chocolate, peppermint, icecream, bi-cycle. That is required by his children.

Now he has graduated his demands into “Always five star hotel food”, “High end Car”, Land, “Flat in High society area”( High society only in terms of money accumulation J  ), Jewellery for his wife etc. These desires grow so immensely that he is unable to control them. He starts thinking: “How do I achieve these things? I do not have that much money!!!” His mind fools him again into his thinking!

Now instead of his father he starts demanding “money” to all the people who come to him for their work to be done. Now his demanding behavior has cut down others pockets and peace. He never thinks that he is eating into others mental peace and financial capability. For him his objective is now not to do his work at hand, but to fulfill his desires. He flies like a leaf enjoying himself over the sea never knowing that he will fall down one day. Now to fulfill his desires he creates a system to effectively demand money using more authoritative people in his office.

Obviously when people in such high cadre start this behavior other people at lower cadre in the office also start taking/stealing this opportunity. Now normal human being who comes to the office to get his work done has to cross this vicious circle of desire created by the office. Then he has to undergo a procedure of getting his work done.

How can this vicious circle be broken?