Corruption

SABITA SAHU         : Indian civilization always prided in moral purity. But in Independent India we experience the opposite of it. People are corrupt, morally bankrupt and spiritually empty. Can there be any  explanation for this change?

PRAFULLA MOHANTY : I think you are too simplistic in your observation. Ofcourse you are right, there is corruption in all spheres of life. But do you think in the hoary past Indians were angelic?

S.S      :  No, not angelic but they were god fearing and law abiding. They never ran after power and pelf.

P.K.M   : Turn the pages of history.  In every page you will see a king or a strong man aspiring for things which are not legitimately his. The epics- Ramayana and Mahabharata are full of such illustrations. Greed leads to corruption-

S.S        :  But the epics demonstrate how evil is trounced by good. Corruption has no place in society. Ofcourse corruption is there but the epics teach us how  to eradicate it and how to have a just society.

P.K.M    :  Then why the Indians, the proud inheritors of the Vedic and Epic culture of our great past are today at number 89 in the corruption ranking of the world?

S.S         :  That’s why I asked. Why do you think corruption exists?

P.K.M   :  Because we wish it to exist. Man is not naturally self-sufficient in everything but he is full of desires. He would greed for power which naturally corrupts. He would desire for money which often leads to moral perversion. Lust is perhaps the worst form of corruption. It destroys Troys and Lankas-

S.S        : Let us confine ourselves to economic crimes like bribe-taking and giving-

P.K.M   : Yes, bribe giving is the beginning of corruption. I give a bribe to someone to get what I don’t deserve. Thereby I also deny the rightful person his due.

S.S       : Yes the third rate students bribe teachers to get the highest marks. But I blame the teachers who accept the bribe to do injustice to the meritorious students.

P.K.M    :  Yes you are right, But some people think money and power can buy prestige and social standing. They use that power on those who are greedy.

S.S      : But when I see the MP’s and MLA’s being bought my blood boils. They are people’s representatives. Why do they greed for money and power when they already have them?

P.K.M    : Because they have no soul force. They value these mundane things more than integrity, character and personality. Inside they are all paupers and sell themselves for false social pride.

S.S          :  But false social pride can never satisfy the soul-

P.K.M     :  Provided they have souls. The seat of the soul is at the centre of a multisensory person’s activities.

S.S         :  Yes Gary Zukav tells us that, But a normal person should accept his lot and be satisfied with what he has-

P.K.M    :  Why should he? When he sees people could be duped, fooled and cheated like Yudhistira, he plays Shakuni.

S.S         :  Yudhistira should not have played the dice game in the first place.

P.K.M     :  But the desire to gamble and get things which may come easily is difficult to resist. Desire asThe Buddha said is the root cause of man’s sorrow, everyone knows it but goes to put his finger in fire.

S.S        :  If you don’t put your finger in fire how will you know that fire burns? (laughing) Evil I think is more attractive than good.

P.K.M   :  Yes. Gurucharan Das’s treatment of the Mahabharata is called- The difficulty of being good- good compels hard work, discipline and basically renunciation which is difficult to practice.

S.S       :  But we have so many laws and law enforcing agencies yet corruption is, like a birth mark never leaves the body. In India the politicians are mostly corrupt-

P.K.M    :  Not only in India, all over the world. Politicians, bureaucrats and even the smallest man in society. Moral chastity,  one may say, is lack of opportunity.

S.S        :  O’ This is an extremist statement.

P.K.M    :  Nevertheless true.

S.S        :  Is there no cure? Can we not eradicate corruption from the society.

P.K.M    : We can, If we do not desire for ease, comfort,  luxury or power,but we have to settle for less. Are you prepared  to settle for less?

S.S         :  Maybe not but we can live within our means.

P.K.M    :  Look here Sabita, If there is a Seven Star Hotel you would like to go at least once.

S.S        :  So there should not be a Seven Star Hotel?

P.K.M    :  Yes, create them but make it accessible to everyone. If there is heaven we would like to go there. We create dreams, We imagine and create luxury and we want to have a share of that luxury.

S.S        :  So don’t dream, just live. Don’t you think that will be absolutely boring?

P.K.M    :  You have to choose between boredom and Seven Star Dreams.

S.S         :  (smilingly)  Yes I get the point. Thank You.