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Anatomy Of Corruption Dr. Pandey's book
highlights various aspects of corruption and underscores the importance of greater
transparency By KESHAB POUDEL Corruption has always been a catchy slogan
to defame individuals, especially among those inside the political system. Almost all
"revolutions" in Third World countries like Nepal are the result of public
disgust over corruption. Corruption is a most powerful weapon
against any political system. As it is said, before hanging a political system, give it a
bad name. Nepalesehistory shows how four constitutions and three political systems were
overthrown by giving them a bad name. The issue of corruption was at the forefront of each
of those efforts. At a time when Nepal is traversing a
strenuous path toward modernity, it is very difficult to replace old values with new ones.
It is not easy to establish rule of law in a country that has been run for so long on the
basis of hukum (decrees). Nepal's problems related to corruption and misuse of authority
must be seen in this perspective. Changing collective behavior and cultural practices is a
long and evolutionary process that requires much patience. Where lawlessness is rampant and
responsibility to respect the rule of law is yet to develop, patience wears out fast. It
is not surprising to see violations of rule and regulations in transactions at every
level. For the opposition, however, corruption is a very useful tool to defame the
popularly government and the system as a whole. Nepal has paid a heavy price in the name
of eradicating corruption. Today's sense of anarchy and lawlessness is a direct result of
the crusade of populist slogans mounted by frustrated intellectuals. Despite restoring
multiparty democracy, Nepal has not seen any of the drastic changes the political
transformation should have brought. From the public pronouncements of
intellectuals and reports of publicbodies, it looks like corruption is the most visible
enemy of the country today. Whether under the discredited Panchayat system or today's
multiparty political system, intellectuals have been raising similar concerns about
financial irregularities, official arbitrariness and abuse of power. A large group of
disenchanted intellectuals are now questioning the very legitimacy and viability of
multiparty system in Nepal. From the tenor and depth of the debate, it
seems most intellectuals andpoliticians today are willing to consider replacing the system
if it is necessary to restore probity in society. Whether they can go to the extent of
introducing a new polity or even pressure the government to follow norms to curtail
corruption, however, remains to be seen. Corruption is no longer confined to the
bureaucracy, political parties and other sectors of the state. It is largely prevailing in
all domains, including civil society, non-governmental organizations and the media.
Virtually every institution is confronted with its own set of challenges in tackling
corruption. Amid this controversy - and confusion -
over the terms and modality required to describe corruption, Dr. Devendra Raj Panday
has brought out a book, mostly a collection of articles written during different phases of
his public life. Dr. Panday, who has the rare distinction of having served as both finance
secretary and finance minister, rightly describes the general situation of Nepal. "A discourse on corruption geared to
contributing to the movement against it has to touch the hearts of the people in addition
to their heads. By 'the people' I mean members of the chattering and ruling classes of
which myself may be a sinning member whose conscience may benefit from a little
massaging," says Dr Panday in his book. As he suggests, transparency is one of the
important components of an anti-corruption campaign. But how many individuals, NGO,
politicians and members of civil society have made their activities open to the people?
In the process of modernization, Nepalese society has developed a culture to
criticize others to gain personal benefit. It is no accident that most of today's
anti-corruption crusaders are the same people who were accused of corruption in the past. Corruption is eating into Nepalese society
in two ways. It is intimidating individuals who really want to do something for the
country and people and is encouraging those who want to make quick money without
doing anything. Dr. Panday, one of the renowned economists
of Nepal, is president of Transparency International's Nepal chapter. In the book, he
tries to highlight the maladies confronting the development process in Nepal and the
extent to which corruption is standing in the way. His unique insights, gathered from
different vantage points, can be expected to foster a greater understanding of the
venality of corruption and the urgency of remedial ction. Corruption, Governance and
International Cooperation |
Send your feedback to the
editor: spotligh@mos.com.np |
