I was driving down memory lane today when the memory of a GD(group discussion) we had at the old DYC came to life. And it literally came to life, posing the same questions to me as it did then.

The discussion was about political corruption. And the Yaksha Prashna (read as: million dollar question) was that given the corrupt political system that we Indians have, should one vote or not?

I was very vehement in stating that since everybody is corrupt, it is a good idea not to vote. At least, at the end of the day you would have the satisfaction of saying that I was no way a part of something that will eventually do much wrong.

Most of us agreed that the only solution was a focus on ethics…a system of education wherein one can understand the significance of values. And the hope rests in our generation…seeing more integrity of character enter into politics rather than being absorbed by the IIMs and IITs.

But the question still held. The change can’t come overnight; and the returns can only come in the future. So what should one do now? Vote or stay away?

One of the perspectives that surfaced was that we should all support the mission of values, which will be a continuous process; and as of now, vote for somebody who’s less corrupt. It sounded like a reasonable solution to me. It seemed like an answer. End of the day, I forgot about the whole discussion.

But today, as I was riding to appear in my exam, the thought came up again. The question felt sharper. Now the question was: HOW CAN ONE FIND OUT WHO IS LESS CORRUPT ?

Apart from being  very politically aware, there is no other way to uncover reality. And even then, the doubts may still linger. Are the media reporting facts or are they opinionated & biased?

Often, the choice is not – whether to vote for Madhu Koda or not? Those are high profile cases. In general we have lesser known candidates to choose from. One way to make up your mind is go by the political party’s name, make the inference based on its image. Another important question is that what is the standing of the candidate within the party? He may be a mere instruction follower (I refrain from using the word “puppet”).

I mean I can go on & on about the questions that the situation poses.

Also, corruption has no absolutes. Finding out who is less corrupt is almost impossible, and it is a very relative concept. Who’s better…the guy who ate a pie worth Rs. XXX crore out of the funds allocated for public welfare…or the guy whose negligence led to a mishap which killed XXX number of people? Mind you, the Rs. XXX crore also kills relentlessly;one can check the statistics on the number of deaths due to poverty and hunger; a glimpse:

►According to the Central Government’s own estimate, around 1,83,000 farmers had killed themselves between 1997 and 2007.
►However, total cases of pesticide suicides (i.e., including the family member of the farmer who committed suicide on pesticides) in the same periods was 2,38,082 .
I won’t attribute corruption as the only cause of this massacre, but it certainly is a big contributor. Imagine,when this is the state of our country what are you doing with your Rs. XXX crore safely locked away in some bank?

I’m in a dilemma; I must admit. How do I carry out my responsibility and keep my conscience clear at the same time?  Hence, I beckon you all to come up with a solution.

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