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Journalism of Courage
Calling for an “administrative ecosystem” with “zero tolerance for corruption”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday that “abhaav” (lack) of amenities and unnecessary “dabaav” (pressure) from the government were the two main reasons holding back the progress of the people while promoting corruption in the country.
Addressing a programme on the Vigilance Awareness Week, organised by the Central Vigilance Commission, Modi said, “No matter how powerful the corrupt may be, they should not be spared… It is the responsibility of all organisations. No corrupt person should get political, social support. Every corrupt person should be put in the dock by society. It is necessary to create this environment.”
“Even today, some people argue in favour of the corrupt who have been found guilty. Nowadays, people are advocating that such corrupt people be given respect… We have never heard of such a thing in this country.”
Referring to his clarion call from the ramparts of the Red Fort for a decisive battle against corruption, Modi said there were two important reasons holding back the progress of the people of the country and promoting corruption: “abhaav” (lack) of amenities and “unnecessary dabaav” (pressure) from the government.
“For a very long time, this absence of amenities and opportunity was deliberately kept alive and the gap was allowed to widen, leading to an unhealthy competition of a zero-sum race. This race fed the ecosystem of corruption. Queues at the ration shop, queues for a gas connection, for a cylinder refill, queues for admission, licence, permission, queues everywhere,” he said.
“Corruption created by this scarcity affects the poor and middle classes the most. If the poor and middle class spend their energy arranging for basic amenities, then how will the country progress?” he said.
“We have been trying to change this system of scarcity and pressure for the last eight years. The government is trying to fill the gap between supply and demand… The three ways adopted to achieve this are through advancement in technology, taking basic services to saturation levels, and finally heading towards ‘atmanirbharta’ (self-reliance),” he said.
“Too much dependence on foreign goods has been a big cause of corruption. We know how the defence sector was kept dependent on foreign countries, which was a major reason for corruption. Our government’s push towards ‘atmanirbharta’ in the defence sector has ended the possibility of scams in India as the country will be manufacturing its own defence equipment, from rifles to fighter jets to transport aircraft,” he said.
The Prime Minister, who launched the new Complaint Management System portal of the CVC, said institutions like the CVC acting against corruption need not be defensive in any way.
“There is no requirement to work on any political agenda but to work towards making the lives of ordinary citizens simpler. Those who have vested interests will try to obstruct the proceedings and defame individuals associated with these institutions, but the ‘janata janardan’ is the form of God, they know and test the truth, and when the time comes, they stand with those in support of the truth,” he said.
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