CIAA's Latest Action
A Good Beginning To Control Corruption

By Dr. Niranjan Prasad Upadhyay

CORRUPTION is rampant in Nepal. Even the donor agencies indicate in national and international seminars that politicians as well as bureaucrats are involved in corruption practices. Accordingly, the donor agencies are reportedly intending to give aid only in the presence of good governance. In the context of establishing good governance, CIAA introduces bold acts to counter corruption on August 16, 2002.

Noteworthy

In the course of this action, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority CIAA raided the houses of 22 officials related to the Revenue Administration Department of the Ministry of Finance. They comprise two joint secretaries, six under secretaries, three section officers and eleven non-gazetted employees. Various levels of employees of the CIAA with entire operation taking place under the direct supervision of the Chief Commissioner and other commissioners of the CIAA have undertaken the raids. Under the corruption control Act 2002 and the second amendment to the CIAA Act 2002, the Commission has the authority to seize the property found beyond the known sources of income, impose fine and imprison offending officials for up to two years. If they are found involved in such activities, action against such individuals would also be initiated based on the amount of the property earned illegally. In reality, CIAA acts to counter corruption seems to be noteworthy in the context of good governance.

On the issue of corruption, Surya Nath Upadhyay, Chief Commissioner of CIAA writes an article "A fight for corruption control in Nepal" in the Journal of the Nepal Administrative Staff College. In that article he remarks that in the case of Nepal although people may have the temptation to flout the law for their political gain, if the law is implemented rather sternly it may be difficult in the initial period but in the long run that gets settled and the politics gets its own course of action. Furthermore, there is necessicity to make a law that requires a person to declare the legal source of the wealth acquired by him. Such strategy will greatly contribute to the fight for controlling corruption.

The word corruption is universal. These days, social researchers are indulging to deal with corruption in their own way. Especially, psychologists urge that nice and clean man may change his or her behaviour on the basis of social and family pressures and circumstances. American psychologist, David G. Myers (1994) has stressed in his book entitled "Exploring Social Psychology" that nice people also become corrupted through excessive social pressures. Basically, in developing countries like Nepal, the people always try to collect money and want to be a rich by different means. In day-to-day practice, family members force the nice and clean bureaucrats to get money by any means. In reality, such types of daily pressures of the family may disturb the balance of the government and non-governmental personnel.

Psychologically, corruption is an unsociable activity, which is learnt through nastiest parenting. Sound parenting by implication, aims at the best type of family climate for a congenial socialisation of the individual, as well as, a healthy development of his or her personality and self. Corruption is a major obstacle to development. It undermines democracy and destroys the creditability of government. Effective democracy requires a comprehensive attack on corruption as a factor of social disintegration and distortion of the economic system that undermines the legitimacy of political institutions.

Corruption in Nepal is so widespread that in spite of many efforts to reduce it, it exists at all levels of public bureaucracy. This is really a great challenge to the campaign of national development (Administrative Reform Commission's Report, 1975-76). Social status remained only on the money and power irrespective of its source. People with black money gain power and place themselves as an elite of the nation.

Researchers have come up with a simple equation placing corruption (C) as a function of monopoly (M), discretion (D) and accountability (A): C=M+D-A. This demonstrates clearly how corruption exists in an environment where a state organisation has monopoly power over the distribution of goods discretion to decide who receives them and is not accountable for its actions.

The Nepalese people do not bother about the source and nature of income, they worship money and all are behind it. Essentially, to secure an efficient civil service, it is essential to protect it from political and personal influences. Effectual democracy requires an abundance attack on corruption as a factor of social disintegration and distortion of the economic system that undermines the legitimacy of political institutions.

Letely, the government of Nepal has formulated governance reforms policy. As the new programme of anti-corruption, government aims at strengthening the legal framework for combating corruption through the involvement of civil society.

Due to the uncontrolled corruption in Nepal, socio-economic, political system of the county is badly deteriorated. In controlling corruption, government must impart awareness-building educations to the general public. Chiefly, to secure an efficient civil service, it is essential to protect it from political an personal influences. Nepal Public Expenditure Review, Document of the World Bank (2000) stresses that though there is little statistical evidence to conclusively prove whether corruption in Nepal has increased or not, there are enough examples to indicate the frequency of its incidence and how widespread the problem is.

Threat

Corruptions possess a fundamental threat to the political, economic and social well being of the country in both the near and distant future. Even the economic growth of the country is severely handicapped by an inadequate, inefficient and ill maintained infrastructure whose functioning is hampered by indescribable malpractices.

Onam, The Harvest Festival Of Kerala

By P. Gopakumar

ONAM, the biggest festival of Kerala in south India is celebrated during August-September every year. For ten days prior to the final day admiringly called Thiru Onam, the entrance to every home in Kerala is festooned with flowers. Fresh from the monsoon and beautifully decorated with greenery, Kerala is ready to welcome the Malayalam New Year and the harvest festival. Onam, popularly known as harvest festival, is celebrated by people of all religions. Onam is a regional festival celebrated by Malayalam speaking people. This year it takes place in August 21st.

Attempt

No matter which part of the globe they are, Keralites will make an attempt to visit their ancestral homes on the final day, Thiru Onam, for a family congregation and take part in family lunch called Ona Sadya or Onam feast. Those who cannot make it, celebrate the day wherever they happen to be.
In the past years, Onam was the day to mark the renewal of landlord - tenancy relationships Tenants were supposed to respectfully present before the landlord any symbolic product of the land such as a bunch of bananas or melons and the landlord was expected to reward the tenant and his entire family members with rich gifts which included their clothing needs for a year. It is hard to see these sorts of practices nowadays. Due to the revolutionary land reforms in the late sixty's, the then tenants have become landlords and richer. Further the modern method of farming considerably reduced the number of labourers/tenants. And due to the rapid industrialisation, very few are engaged in agriculture in Kerala nowadays. Whatever it be still Onam is celebrated with all the pomp and ceremony and there is gaiety all around.

For the Keralites, Onam is not only a harvest festival. The annual visit of an asura or demon king, Mahabali happens on the auspicious Thiru Onam day, who ruled Kerala benevolently for several years. Also it is an auspicious day marking fifth in the series of ten reincarnations of Lord Mahavishnu - Vamana avtar. As per the epic the asura king Mahabali was kind, helpful and generous to his subjects. He benevolently ruled the state much to the envy of celestials. During his reign, he not only took Kerala to the heights all-round prosperity but also followed high ethical standards. A folk song aptly praises this golden era as follows.

"All men were equal during Mahabali's reign:

It was a period of pleasantry and free of danger of any sort;

No theft, no deceit,

Not even a worth of lies, no disease or epidemics

And unheard of infant mortality;

Measures and balances were kept in order

And absolutely there was no fraud of any sort."

This made devas jealous. The growing popularity of the emperor Mahabali soon became a matter of concern and worry for them. Perturbed by this, they approached Lord Vishnu and apprehended him that if things continued like the way Mahabali wished, the time was not far off when the Lord himself would lose his control over people and even over the celestials. Hence they sought his intervention. Agreeing to their pleas Lord Vishnu appeared as a dwarf-sized young Brahmin - Vamana and approached the emperor. Vamana begged of the emperor Mahabali for a favour - a bit of land in his domain, just three footsteps, to do penance.

Vamana was Mahavishnu's first incarnation of human form. He was born in the mind of the asura king Mahabali who despite being a rakshasa believed in truth and charity. That is why Mahabali readied himself to sacrifice everything. He not only gave away to Vamana all the three worlds. (As per Hindu mythology there were three worlds). With one footstep he covered heaven or swarga and the second footstep he measured both earth or bhumi and netherworld or pathala). As there was no space for third footstep, Mahabali allowed Vamana to place his foot on his head. Then Vamana sent the emperor to his appropriate place where he was supposed to be. Mahabali prayed to the lord that he should be allowed to visit his empire once a year to see his subjects and know about their well-being.

Visit

The Lord Vishnu agreed on the request and the annual visit of the emperor is in fulfillment of the boon granted to him by the Lord Vishnu. It is believed that on Thiru Onam day which coincides with Vamana avatar and the annual visit of emperor Mahabali to every home in Kerala.

Celebrating Gaijatra

By Dhurba K. Deep

FESTIVALS, feast and fun have always been the integral part of Nepali life style. This best highlighted in the month of Shrawan (July-Aug), which always comes with crowds of festivals. It is quite fascinating to see more than eight different festivals that take place in this month alone. The most fascinating one in the series is Gaijatra-meaning the festival of holy cows. It falls exactly on the first day of dark fornight of Shrawan (23 August this year 2002).

One of the main highlights of this festival is the parade of the people wearing the masks or hats with the portrait of a cow pinned up or painted. Wearing of the masks or the portrait of a cow for the festival parade is a "must". This custom is said to represent the holy cows on the way to heaven. Some people send the real live cows to grace the festival but the number of such people is very few. One of most enjoyable parts of this festival is the open air street comedy. The clowns and comedians who perform the show customarily wear the funny looking masks or have their faces painted very heavily. They take plenty of liberty to play pranks on many different characters. However, the main goal of these games is to entertain the people but this street show is also aimed at homourising or satirising the ills of the political, social and economical systems prevalent in the society.

It is quite interesting to note that the most active sponsors of this fascinating street show generally come from the families mourning the death of their respective relations who have died that very year. It has been a very old Newari custom that on this particular day the mourning family must send out somebody to join the festival parade. The people thus sent out to join the festival parade are believed to inspire the departed souls to go ahead on their way to the heaven whose ghostly spirits are suspected to be hanging around between the heaven and earth. The cows in this festival parade symbolise the divine guides to heaven. That is why cows are duly worshipped by the mourning families on this day with the belief that they would push open the doorway to heaven for their departed souls. The cow in Hindu religion is believed to be a divine guide that crosses the river Vaitarani (mythical river of agony) and leads to the religious souls to Vaikuntha, the abode of Lord Vishnu in heaven. This explains a lot about Hindu rite of giving away of a cow to a Brahman in charity. Another attraction of this festival is the masquerade. Some people on this day dress up themselves in the funniest possible style and go round the city. Some of them are clad in rags and some in straw and thus they try to look themselves like the funniest creatures on the earth. Quite a number of them have their face painted like devils. According to a Hindu tradition, they are all to represent the ghostly spirits, lost and lamented, wandering around on their way to the world of the deads. However, the Buddhist version of this masquerade is quite different. According to them all those masquereade people are the personifications of the Maras (the devils of temptations) set themselves to seduce Shakya Muni Gautama from his deep meditation.

Probably this is the reason why the orthodox Buddhists hate to see these masked people on this day. The main gate of the famous golden temple of Buddha in Patan on this day remains closed almost all day long for the fear that the devils (Maras) might walk into the temple and disturb Lord Buddha in meditation.

Another interesting aspect of this festival is to go dragging the broken pots and pans, empty drums and cans through the main throughfares of the city. In Patan dragging of such drums and empty cans is unique indeed. The main purpose of this noisy work is believed to scare away evil spirits from the town.

Gaijatra procession in Kathmandu starts from Hanuman Dhoka whereas in Patan and Bhadgaon it starts from their respective Durbar Squares. This festival begins early in the morning and goes on until it gets dark. However the masquerade part of this festival except the ritual representation of the cow lasts for the whole week.