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A premier National Law School in West India is a wonderful place to see in action the hypocrisy of the Anti Corruption Crusaders in India. The overgrown babies of India’s ruling class who populate this and other like institutions whine and drone about Corruption in India by parroting the TV anchors while at the same time enjoying the comforts and shelter provided by their parents’ subtle corruption.

One student never has to worry about accommodation or conveyance at any place in India. There is always some car and some guest house that opens its doors on hearing the name of the high tax officer dad. Bigshot tax officer’s daughters also never have to worry about getting “some sarkari internship certificate” if they want to circumvent the college rules requiring 10 day internship in a government office.

However, all of this pales in comparison to the great official car abuse. On the first day of semester, the driveway to theofficial car college gives the impression that some cabinet meeting is about to take place as the princesses and princes of our IAS, IPS and military officers arrive in shiny white cars with red beacons. Granted that some officers have cars assigned for personal use but it is clear that most don’t. Chat with any driver and you shall know that the cars for official purposes aren’t just used once in a while but infact very often or always to cater to the personal needs of the officer’s family. The most shocking scene was to see the official car of a Union Territory Collector whizzing around in Mumbai at the beck and call of his son who was interning for a month in Mumbai. Needless to say the Ashok Stambh bearing cars pay no toll at any toll booth regardless of the fact that there is no rule saying they do not have to.

Lastly, the Great Indian Medical Representative Ripoff is all too familiar to most. All kids with doctor parents don’t need to worry about buying stationery or at times even expensive electronic devices and car rentals wherever they are. As long as their parents continue to peddle extremely expensive drugs to the poor, the pharma companies keep the kids flooded with goodies. None of them care if their parents might have prescribed cheap, generic drugs, if not for these pseudo bribes.

All the while these Law Students remain oblivious to the fact that every penny that they save through misuse of official connections or official cars is money obtained through corruption.  They see it as just entitlements oblivious to the possible quid pro quo that may be involved in a company opening its guest house for a tax boss’s daughter. The comfort that is enjoyed or money saved by misuse of official machinery is tax payer’s money that is being misappropriated. Just because the perception of the common man today does not classify it as corruption does not mean that it is not corruption. Perception change is needed to recognise that cars and offices given to officers are to be used only for taxpayers and not personal benefit.

While the privileged enjoy their corruption funded comfortable lifestyle, the poor and under privileged on the other hand have to lug their own luggage out of the train, over the tall staircases of the railway bridges, haggle for half an hour with the auto driver, still pay a steep fare and all this, only to later see his auto stopped to let the beaconed car of the corrupt, pass by.

It is time that this subtle corruption is recognised as corruption. I urge you to name and shame when you see this in action.

Tagged in: corruption
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