Corruption is a menace-an evil that cannot be rooted out just by addressing the noble side of human nature—or by pleading the case for honesty and conscientiousness.
Corruption has its roots in a few strongly built, natural, and negative instincts of man. Translated into visible modern trends, these instincts mean ambition, exhibitionism, desire for an ostentatious and luxurious life, and greed. Almost all humans— in smaller on bigger degree— are vulnerable to these instinctive weaknesses.
Three words around which human behaviour has revolved are: Economics—Sex—Power. All morality whether originating from God or from man himself is designed to regulate the behaviour of humans in the areas that fall in the domains of these three words. All ‘DOs’ and all ‘DON’Ts are intended to determine the boundaries of morality in the manner a person or a society deals with Money, with sex and with Power.
Those who are able to practice maximum ‘DOs’ and ‘DON’Ts to a maximum degree earn the respect and the gratitude of the societies and the nations they belong to. And those whose lives are spent in defying these DOs and DON’Ts in one way or the other are regarded as the disciples of the devil.
Corruption, as I stated in the beginning cannot be rooted out just by sermons. A society’s system should have inbuilt defenses against it. Individuals should find it hard to carve their way through these defenses. One of the most effective defense against Corruption is a credible fear of being punished.
How to create such a fear? The Book of God (AlQuran) is quite explicit about it. Don’t show mercy to any willful sinner. Create an environment in which each member of a society is made to believe that he or she will have no escape from punishment if found guilty. There should be no exemption. No immunity.
Some one will have to be made an example in our ‘corruption-prone’ society to discourage others who may otherwise be willing to avail an opportunity or two—to defy the known ‘DOs’ and ‘DON’Ts’ in pursuit of the desired benefits.
One public hanging can reform the whole society.
