TWIN STRATEGY TO CURB CORRUPTION - (Published in the VSC Souvnier, Hyderabad - July 2011)
One of the impressive definitions of ‘strategy’ was perhaps given by John R Boyd, a military strategist. According to Boyd, strategy is a mental tapestry of changing intentions for harmonizing and focusing our efforts as a basis for realizing some aim or purpose in an unfolding and often unforeseen world of many bewildering events and many contending interests. He goes on to say that the aim of strategy is to improve our ability to shape and adapt to unfolding circumstances, so that we as individuals or as groups or as a culture or as a nation-state can survive on our own terms. How appropriate Boyd’s definition would be, in evolving a strategy to fight corruption!
In fact strategy differs from tactics. In the military parlance, instead of adopting a particular tactics, which necessitate a battle, by adopting an appropriate strategy, even the battle could be won without fighting it. The fact that the battle against corruption has become a permanent feature in our society is an indicator that perhaps, we are adopting only tactics every now and then and instead of strategies to curb corruption.
Nevertheless, in evolving a strategy and finding solutions, the challenge lies in identification of the problem. When the problem is identified, we generally tend to look for solution commensurate with the magnitude of the problem. Also we tend to look for the solution within the paraphernalia of the problem. This ought not to be the case always. There are apparently some exceptions. Levitt’s theory in Freakonomics is a case in point. Levitt came out with a revelation through his theory that by legalizing abortion years ago, the crime rate had come down.
Very interesting, indeed!
When it comes to curbing corruption, there are couple of simple strategies that could be adopted. They are:
(i)Don’t borrow fire. Light is within
There is an interesting story perhaps, told by Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. It was about a villager, who was a smoker. Once, during night time, he wanted to smoke a cigarette but could not locate the matches in his house. So he took the burning lamp in hand (there was no electricity those days), as it was dark outside, and went to his neighbour’s house asking for fire to light his cigarette. It was his neighbour who pointed out to him that he was already carrying the fire in his hand and there was no need for him to come asking for fire.
When we are trying to evolve a strategy to curb corruption, perhaps, we are trying to borrow the fire keeping the fire already within us.
Sometime back, the author was invited to address a group of sub-officers of a para military force. During the interaction, one of the officers asked a question. ‘Sir, there are so many agencies to fight corruption. In spite of this, why is corruption so rampant. What should be my contribution to curb it?’ A good question, very heartening too! The author had to give reply, in fact through a couple of questions. The first question to him was, ‘Are you corrupt?’ He swiftly replied, ‘No, Sir’. The second question to him was, ‘Are you corrupting others?’ Once again the reply came promptly, ‘No, Sir’. Then the sub-officer was told that he should be glad that he need not make any greater contribution than this to curb corruption.
Let us imagine, if every citizen is like this sub-officer, who is neither corrupt nor corrupts others, then there is no need for any strategy to evolve to curb corruption. But, that is not the case. The real challenge, therefore, is how to make every citizens become like this sub-officer. This will not happen over night. Not in a year. Not even a decade. May be few decades?
Here comes the need for a strategy. It is in this context, the introduction of a National Governance Corps (NGC) which was tried by the author in some Schools become relevant. NGC on the lines of NCC and NSS is an excellent anti-corruption strategy. In fact, NGC was visualised to become a Global Governance Corps(GGC).
The NGC has been visualized to work through six groups. These six groups were identified based on the major factors, which determine good governance in any society.
As per the scheme of NGC, every School will have a Mentor either from the School or from the immediate local society, who have strong feelings for the well being of humanity and also have serious concern for the society. There are good number of youngsters, particularly in the software industry who could be involved as Mentors. In addition, the Vigilance Professionals who are desirous to fight corruption could also be involved as Mentors to the NGC.
The NGC as visualised is a three-year program and each member would spend about six months in each group so that at the end of the program, they would have got exposed to all the factors that determine good governance. Fighting corruption becomes automatic as it is in built. If the NGC is adopted in all schools across the country, a far-reaching effect could be realised.
In fact, to start with, the Schools run by the corporate houses could adopt NGC immediately as a part of their Corporate Social Responsibility. Later on, this could be extended to other schools. In the long run, the NGC could be made part of the Curriculum and should be included in the social science so that the students develop better understanding on the factors which determine good governance and hence the curbing of corruption becomes automatic.
NGC is an ideal model for the Anti Corruption Strategy to adopt, as it is bound to make good human beings in the long run which automatically include good citizens and good professionals, good employees, and so on, the way Levitt’s theory in Freakonomics revealed.
Above all, the battle could be won without fighting it!
(ii)Let the fighters fight the fight
The second strategy that could be adopted to curb corruption is a much simpler one. It is required because the first one is a long term strategy and we cannot afford to wait till the first strategy start yielding results.
This strategy is about the fighters fighting the fight. Who is supposed to fight against corruption?
The bricklayers in the famous story of Sir Christopher Wren come handy. After the Great Fire of London in 1666, when the reconstruction work was going on, three bricklayers were asked, while on work, as to what they were doing. The first one replied, ‘I am carrying the bricks from here to the other side’. The second one replied, ‘I work here from morning to evening carrying the bricks and by doing this I get money at the end of the day to support my family’. The third bricklayer replied, ‘You know, the London city was destroyed by fire and we are rebuilding the Cathedral’. Well, while all the three bricklayers were carrying out exactly the same job, their approach and understanding towards their job was different.
Well, if we administer the same question of Sir Christopher Wren to the anti-corruption functionaries across the country, what would be the response? How many of the anti-corruption functionaries would reply, ‘Well, the country has been devastated because of the rampant corruption and I am fighting to curb corruption’. An exercise worth doing! Of course, the limitations of the anti-corruption functionaries are numerous.
Let us assume that the Indian cricket players are pushed in to the boxing ring and asked to do a serious boxing and grab the boxing championship. Unless the cricketers are boxers too, there are no chances of any boxing happening. Winning championship is too far away.
Therefore, what we need is a framework where every single person working in the anti-corruption agencies need to be a serious fighter against corruption rather than just working for the organisation. Unfortunately, the big fighters against corruption (i.e. the anti-corruption activists) are fighting from outside the system.
We need boxers to do the boxing standing inside the boxing ring and win the championship. Of course, these boxers need to be nurtured and empowered too to carry out the real fight and win. Otherwise, this strategy will remain only as a mental tapestry.
So, here are two strategies to win the battle, one without fight and the other with the fighters fighting the fight.
Ultimately, as Winston Churchill said, ‘However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results’. The proof of the pudding is in eating. The effectiveness of any anti-corruption strategy will depend on seriousness and commitment in implementing them. Perhaps, in addition to seriousness and commitment what we need is a paradigm shift from adopting tactics to strategy in curbing corruption.
