Excerpts8230;

NUPUR KHANNA,
XI-D, VVDAV Public School, Vikas Puri

COPS AND ROBBERS
The door bell rang. My mother ushered in a police officer who was visiting our residence for verification as I had recently applied for a passport. Dressed in khaki with a stick under his arm and a walkie-talkie in the other, the officer walked in, looking quite disinterested. 8220;Show me the documents8221;, he ordered. One by one we showed him all documents 8212; the residence proof, telephone bills, school verification, birth certificate. His irritated and impatient behaviour added to the hush 8211; hush and the panic in my house. It was obvious that he was trying to find faults, unsatisfied with something 8212; that I didn8217;t know. Then I saw my father offering him two notes of hundred rupees. I later asked, 8220;When we had produced all the right documents, then why did we bribe him?8221; My father said, 8220;This is how things are done in India.8221;

ADITI SINGH,
XI 8211; C, Springdales School, Pusa Road

HINDU TERROR JUST AS BAD
Enough! Enough! Its turned the beautiful lagoon into a filthy gutter8230;. .Let8217;s take a look at the swamp that we live in. One of the most outrageous things that happened in recent times and that was a mighty blow to India8217;s secular credentials was the Gujarat Riots of 2002. Tehelka, the newspaper that provided the controversial expose rightfully called it 8216;not a spontaneous swell of anger but a genocide8217; planned and executed by top functionaries of the Sangh Parivar and state authorities 8216;with the sanction8217; of Chief Minister Narendra Modi. And to the shock of the entire nation, Modi was believed to have patted the backs of all these squalid criminals.

PRASANNA BALAKRISHNAN,
XI-B, Don Bosco School,

Alaknanda

POWER OF VOTERS
It is high time. The public must realize that their voice holds relevance in our democratic setup. In India, citizens have the right to choose their own leaders, but for this, they need to rightly assess the worth, efficiency and dedication of the Government towards their country. Each citizen must cast his vote. Public protests and discussions must take place to raise voice against corruption. Citizen Journalism should be practiced and encouraged to report personal views of a citizen through cell phones and Internet to the entire country. The Government must be made to realize that power lies in the hands of citizens.

ANKITA NAGPAL,
XI-D, St. Mark8217;s School, Meera Bagh

THE RICH AND THE UNSCRUPULOUS
Corruption. The one word that makes most people sit back and groan, and think about the ever increasing problems in today8217;s world. No politician worth his revered 8220;khadi8221; will ever admit to there being anything wrong with the political affairs of the country. No influential businessman or other powerful personalities will ever confess to any wrong means they might have used to attain the level of success that they have. Signs of corruption exist everywhere.They are everywhere 8212; be it the Mr. Moneybags who throws his money around just so that his name doesn8217;t get splashed on the next morning8217;s front page newspaper. or even Mr.slimy in nightclubs, who hints at 8220;certain favours8221; in exchange for jobs.

AISHWARYA BORGOHAIN,
VIII 8211; A, DPS Sushant Lok

TIME FOR INTROSPECTION
In Public Sector corruption generates economic distortions by diverting the public money into capital intensive projects where bribes and kickbacks are plentiful.In the private sector, corruption increases the cost of business through the illicit payments.

It is time to think about what is happening around us and look inwards.

SHEETAL SRIVASTAVA,
IX 8211; B, Cambridge Foundation School,
Rajouri Garden

IT8217;S ALL ABOUT MONEY
Fighting legal battles is a major headache these days. Witnesses don8217;t speak up. Judges are partial. Trials take forever and the 8216;policewallahs8217; are anything but helpful. In such a scenario, warming the pockets of authorities helps. But before we give in to the system, we must take a moment and think: Is it right for us to do that and have we lost our conscience. From netas to babus to the SHOs to peons to judges, everyone is corrupt. Money talks. 8230;..

AINA SINGH,
VIII 8211; C, Modern School, Barakhamba Road

A GROWING EPIDEMIC
Tai-Chan, Yoga and meditation may have taken many to the path of nirvana but watching a 8216;Babu8217; count hundreds of notes of Rs 50/-, may burn a person to the soul. Corruption has been spreading like an epidemic.

People like H D Shourie, may fight for the cause of honesty but then, corruption is a disease that has spread to the very core of our society.

Pooja arora,
XI 8211; F, Lancers Convent School Rohini