(Many people are writing on corruption and I feel the need to comment. So, I thought I should make a small essay and paste the relevant paragraphs whenever someone posts something on corruption. You may skip reading it for three reasons – one, it is just academic suiting only few who love English essays; two, you are likely to read it later on various comments, in parts though and third, it’s quite long and you risk falling asleep while going through it) Bribes are not, always, about citizens being harassed by officials to get legitimate and legal work done. It is more about people who are not entitled to few services or papers, trying to get those services and papers by paying bribes. Example, of this is can be found in people who try to get passports from addresses which they have not occupied for sufficient periods. And, it is, equally, about someone who had broken a law trying to get away by paying a bribe, like a driver paying bribe to traffic inspector to get rid of penalties.
Instances of successful bribes, however small these might be, create a habit in individuals to get their work done. When I say “get their work done” I don’t mean just legal and rightful ones, but unrightfully and undeserved one as well. It is very common for us to see people paying donations and bribes to get their kids into schools and colleges ahead of other meritorious students. It is equally common to see people trying to make fake medical certificates for various purposes or people resorting to pay bribes to skip the drive tests which usually are mandatory (from safety points) to get a license. How sad is a situation when people don’t wear Helmet and drive and then pay bribe not to be penalized. This system of bribe makes them so gullible and they feel elated to have escaped, without even realizing that the law was for their own good. But this I shall cover some other time.
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