A few days ago Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said about the corrupt officials of our country that 'Our government officials work fast where they get money (i.e. bribes) for work, but they don't get money. So they don't do that! Some officials in our system (i.e. government system) are fathers of scientist Newton. They prove Newton wrong. If you put more weight (i.e. rupees) on the file they have, the file moves very fast! Nitin Gadkari is an outspoken political leader, so he is known to blurt out anything without care. We have many naïve and unscrupulous government officials behaving as if they are the fathers of the people. That is why such laliawadis continue to run in our country. And no matter which party is in government, corrupt officials continue to get an umbrella. Political leaders have joined hands to protect the officials responsible for the horrific incidents like dozens of children being burnt alive in the TRP Gamezone in Rajkot or children drowning prematurely in Vadodara's lake. And that is why the officers continue to corrupt by becoming fearless. Chanakya has said 'Fear is not love.' Corrupt officials of our country have no fear, except for the fear of death or severe punishment for corruption, they may not go to the extreme. When corrupt officials are caught in countries including China, North Korea, they have to face the death penalty. In September 2022, Li Jianping, the head of the Special Economic Zone of the Chinese city of Hohhot, committed corruption, causing the government to lose 3 billion yuan (i.e. $421 million). He took the largest amount of bribe in the history of China. He was sentenced to death in August 2024. In the first week of September, 2024, news came from North Korea that four thousand persons died and sixteen thousand persons became homeless due to the corruption and negligence of government officials in North Korea. North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un sentenced 30 officials to death! Human rights activists have long called for North Korea to abolish the death penalty, but the reality is this: North Korea used to execute about ten people per year, but for the past few years it has been one per year. 100 persons are sentenced to death every year! In North Korea, thousands of people are gathered and forced to watch criminals be executed by firing squad. Such a wild punishment cannot be given in our member country, but after years of trial (even in the Supreme Court) against an officer whose negligence and corruption causes people to die, the officer is found 100% guilty of corruption and is innocent. But after there is no doubt, he should be taken on a stage in a stadium and forced to confess his crime in front of people and it should be telecasted live on all the TV channels and YouTube channels of the country. Most of the government officials there behave as if they are the son-in-law of the government and the owners of the people. Even after Income Tax Department, CBI or Enforcement Directorate raids the houses of many government officials in our country and five, ten, twenty five or fifty crore rupees cash is found in their house, that officer does not bend his hair. He is arrested, investigated and the case drags on for years. And if that official is useful, the governments show a favorable attitude towards him. Since our country is a democracy, corrupt officials cannot be given capital punishment, but the sword of fear must be kept burning on the government officials, otherwise, as Nitin Gadkari said, the files will continue to move forward by putting weight on the files. This is an open secret which is known to everyone from the common citizen to the highest authorities, but the corruption of our country seems to have fallen away. And that is why governments cheaply shelter corrupt officials and sometimes protect them as sons-in-law. Let's finish the article with a concrete and shocking example. In Uttarakhand, Indian Forest Service officer Rahul Jim Corbett was on duty in the National Park when he was sacked after being accused of cutting a large number of trees and making illegal constructions in the forest. Despite the fact that investigations are going on against him by government agencies like CBI and Enforcement Directorate, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkarsinh Dhami made him the director of Rajaji Tiger Reserve by promoting him some time ago! The issue sparked controversy and the Supreme Court had to lash out at Uttarakhand Chief Minister Dhami, saying: 'Instead of ensuring that legal action is taken against the officer who is facing the charges and that he is not acquitted in the case, the Chief Minister has already promoted him. It is surprising that he appoints him to the post of director. Such behavior does not work in a democracy. Such incidents are reminiscent of monarchy!' Finally Dhami had to cancel the appointment of that officer!
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
