Roots of corruption

Corruption, though ridiculed by everybody, has amazing property of high efficiency of execution and always outsmarts the honest efforts.

I had a peculiar eye opening experience in this regard. I was studying in IIT, Kanpur for my Ph.D. My project was on up-gradation of waterworks in Kanpur city. I used to go regularly to waterworks and was quite impressed by the cleanliness, regularity and honesty of workers and overall best management of the plant. I soon realized that the chief administrative officer of the plant was very tough, took personal interest in every work and did not tolerate any lapses from workers and kept everybody strictly under his direct control. Workers were afraid of him and tried to be punctual, obedient and honest to avoid any disciplinary action. Nobody dared to speak against him. He gave high respect to me and encouraged me for research. He used to invite many top level people to visit the plant, show them water treatment plant & my research project as his own achievement. I never objected to it and was quite happy. Everything was well.

As I came in close contact with workers, I heard rumors that the boss was most corrupt and showing the efficiency to only get favors from his bosses. I did not believe in those gossips and felt that it was result of their natural reaction to his tormenting supervision.

However, a complete change in the situation occurred when that officer was promoted and new officer took charge of the plant. He was soft spoken, with clean record, having full faith in high ideals both in thought and action. He soon became very popular in workers as a good compassionate manager. All workers praised him as the honest and kind man. I personally developed good relation with him and used to discuss with him on social and management issues apart from my technical work.

But the change I saw in the plant performance after some days made me restless. Workers became lazy or absconded the duties, Cleanliness was gone, lower officers became corrupt. At that time, I was a sort of 'rebelious child' as per the transactional analysis explained in book 'I am OK, You are OK'. I thought that something is terribaly wrong with the new management and I must express my opinion to him. One day, I went to his house which was in the same premises. He was reading Geeta. I waited till he finished reading and then abruptly asked him, whether he was aware of deteriorating condition of plant management and rampant corruption in lower cadres.

He told that he respects his workers sense of honesty and duty but does not want to enforce it externally. He also said that he is not aware of corruption and even if they are doing so, they would be responsible for their mistakes and will have to face the consequences and why he should worry. He expressed a view that one should be strict about oneself but leneant about others. He told his firm belief in working without any expectation of returns () and asked me whether I doubt his integrity or actions. I exclaimed in negative but told that he must intervene and become strict with the workers. He declined my suggestion. He was honest to the core and worked full time. He was praised as `Mr. Clean Man', nobody ever doubted his sincerity and he wanted to keep that image and good relations to lower staff. But what was the ultimate result. He was good man but bad manager. There was total failure in his management. It was like proverb, `operation is successful, but patient is dead'.

I remember the story of Dhrutarashtra in Mahabharata, where he could not control Kauravas. In today's politics, we come across similar examples, where honest people in authority overlook their subordinate's corruption and try to remain aloof and protect their own image. Unfortunately, these people become the protecting cover for the corrupt people to hide and continue their work.

One of my colleague, who was administering one private college, was quite open on this issue. He used to justify that as any machine requires oil or grease for smooth running, corruption is necessary for efficient management. It is a driving force for people in authority to act. The salary or legitimate remuneration can't do this job as that is not linked directly to efficiency in work.

Private businesses use this tactic to control their staff and keep them efficient by giving task targets, linking salary with efficiency and threat of getting fired from the service. Still the top bosses of these companies and corporates employ corrupt practices for personal or company gains even though they get high remuneration. Company if public limited can force the chairman to resign if shareholders reveal that his actions are against interests of company.

The political leaders, in our democratic system, have all authority to use public funds, they have to act as effective managers, but do not get any legitimate remuneration to the tune of company managers. Naturally, the leaders exploit their powers to collect wealth by resorting corrupt means. People have a chance to overthrow such leaders or political parties through elections, but it is observed that the new replaced leaders again start the same game of fund diversion for personal gains. People have accepted its inevitability and fall pray to it due to personal greed or genuine need.

I feel that if corruption is to be eradicated, serious discussion should be held to prevent it by investigating the reasons and situations which prompt such unhealthy practice. Mere fear of exposure is not enough, as the corruption is always double handed game and its exposure is remote possibility, unless one party exposes it. The roots of corruption are securely embedded and remain hidden in mistakes and negligence of some honest people.