I am sure no one is going to deny the truth that fraud and corruption in India is a well accepted truth.  Corruption has become an integral part of Indian culture or should I say it has always been.
I myself being an Indian know this as a fact.  I have experienced the height of corruption in every part of the India, in every city and from a small police constable to any senior level government or private employee including but not limited to the chairman of Satyam Computers, Raju.
According to this Reuters and CNN news, 

“The deception came to light after Raju tried to plug the hole by getting Satyam to buy his son’s construction companies. The acquisition was “the last attempt to fill the fictitious assets with real ones,” he wrote in his letter.
Chairman Ramalinga Raju resigned on Wednesday in India’s biggest corporate scandal in memory, after saying that about $1 billion, or 94% of the cash and bank balances on the company’s books at end-September did not exist. The company’s shares plunged nearly 80%.
 The scandal, which some analysts dubbed “India’s Enron” after the collapsed U.S. energy firm, has cast a cloud over foreign investment in Asia’s third-largest economy and over its once-booming outsourcing sector.”

Till today before reading this news, I was in the impression that at least private multi-national companies are the boon for Indians.  Because no matter what others do, these companies and their employees are at least trying to make India a place to live.  But now, I am again confused and disappointed.
This latest scandal by Satyam has created chaos and doubt amongst foreign investors and every other IT company will be seen likewise, no matter how honest they are.
Just to give you guys an idea of at what level you can see corruption in India, please consider the following conditions:

  1. You are struggling to get a passport or waiting in passport office line, give Rs.100 to the peon in that office.  Your application is directly in the office.  Wanna move that file up the chain, give Rs.100 to that clerk.  And to get the address verification done by the officers, give them Rs.500-Rs.1000 and even if you are not home, your address is verified.  And before receiving the passport from the postman, tip him with another Rs.50-Rs.100.
  2. Want a driving license – you don’t have to go to the office.  Just give Rs.500 to the agents and you will get the license home.  No need to even go for a driving test.  Who cares if you don’t know driving and gonna get killed or kill someone.  At least you got the license.  And hey, if you tipped good, check if you got a four wheeler license.
  3. Are you driving without driving license or vehicle documents.  Don’t worry!  When you get caught, just give some Rs.100 or so to the policeman.  Make sure you bring the documents next time, he will say.
These are some examples of day to day life.  I am sure, everyone has got different experience and various situations to get a taste of corruption in India.
I am not saying fraud and corruption is there only in India, but it is more prominent, more visible and more deep.  It has become the truth of life and so no one seems to work against it.
Indian politicians – don’t wanna talk about them.  They are the least interested in making such policies, take corrective actions or do anything about it.  Because first of all they will have to correct themselves and stop fighting over small internal issues.  
DO SOMETHING GUYS.  There are better things to fight against.  Fight against poverty, unemployment, child labor, corruption, population.  And hey don’t forget TERRORISM that kills so many innocent people every now and then just because someone out there is not doing his JOB, just because someone is taking benefit of your internal issues, just because someone knows how to get benefited from corruption.
(Image source: Wikipedia)

I AM SHAMEFULLY DEJECTED.  I DON’T FEEL SO MUCH PROUD TODAY.


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