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| Kathmandu, Thursday December 19, 2002 Paush 04, 2059. |
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Tarnished image
Corruption is a global
phenomenon—we have been told many times before. Corruption is all pervasive in
developing countries of the world, researches have indicated. The South Asia Region, being
a developing region has to figure more prominently on the map of corruption. But who is
guilty in giving that image to a particular society, country or region? It would be
difficult to put the blame on one or the other component of the regime or society for the
prevailing level of corruption. But what can be said with certainty is that a country
where there are powerful movements against corruption will have a government with more
hardened attitude against corruption. Unfortunately, the South Asia Region as a whole does
not seem to be lucky enough to have this kind of government at the moment. How can
corruption be checked if the state’s investigating agency—the police—are
perceived to be more corrupt than any other wings?
A recent survey
conducted by the Transparency International (TI) across the region found that the public
institutions are grossly being eaten away by the cancer of corruption. But an overwhelming
majority of the people interviewed felt that police organisation topped the list, at least
in five of the seven SAARC member countries. And worst, the people in general did not
spare the judiciary as well. The hope of getting justice disappears in the thin air if
both the investigating agency and the judiciary are perceived to be corrupt.
Although the number of
respondents calling Nepali judiciary and police corrupt were far less compared to those
strictly indicting these institutions in other countries, the report calls for a serious
attention from the government and the would-be lawmakers. It is a coincidence that both
the judiciary and the police have just had new heads in Nepal, both publicly acknowledging
that the institutions need sweeping reforms. Injecting element of efficiency, refurbishing
their image, and being worthy of public trust alone will mean reforms. These pledges have
to be meaningful in terms of translating them into, instead of being a mere rhetoric. But
a government or democratic system can afford to ignore the serious indictment of the two
vital organs of the state only at the cost of its peril.
The police with its
morale low, given the escalating Maoist insurgency, needs operational autonomy and has to
be independent of political control and interference. A properly trained and equipped
force is needed, which can be helpful in securing firm faith of the people in the rule of
law. Autonomy, transparency and effective internal mechanism to deal with internal
corruption will totally change the image of the organisation. The TI report, therefore,
deserves serious attention and strict follow-up measures so that the judiciary and the
police can be rated as more credible institutions in public. |
