Ashok K.JhaBollywood Effect !
November 23rd 2007 07:06
Bollywood films are politically correct, still they are censored and subjected to certification.It's fine if the Government wants the movies made within the set parameters, adhering to the broad societal norms.Bollywood too has no complaint as the type of movies churned out are mostly Dance-Drama-Fantasy and seldom digress from the beaten path.Only at the time of the announcement of National Awards we hear some noise,mostly from the left-leaning-intellectual-low budget-film makers.The point is neither Masala nor serious films leave any impression on the average Urban Indian.
Innumerable films have shown honest,upright police officers.Though they show the inspector living in a sea facing bungalow,visiting five star clubs,driving swankiest of cars,having affairs with the prettiest of girls yet,he is so honest that he prefers to break instead of bow ,even when offered tons of money. But,alas!These virtues have remained confined to the realm of movies only.
The situation is just the opposite in reality. It’s just sheer waste of time and energy to conduct any sort of sting operation, catching them accepting bribe, red handed. The real challenge would be to find any police personnel willingly refusing the bribe and discharging his duty as per the law. This way we will be able to pass the message to others as well that being honest sometimes pays.
It’s very difficult to pinpoint high ranking officers as they are law unto themselves and are protected by very strong firewalls. Only those who start matching the corporate honchos become eyesores and are suspected or someone jealous of them spills the beans secretly. Their integrity is doubtful because they simply do not do anything proactive. They are only jolted from slumber when something significant related to some power center happens. Visit any remote district and you will find the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police as inaccessible as Mrs. Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi. The mouffossil press present there are also dependent on these high-ups and seek their approval before dispatching any story related to the administration. Not accountable to anyone, these officers keep blaming the politicians and do nothing. Politicians have become like footballs, so people vent their feelings by kicking them. But, the replacement is seldom better.
Just step outside any Metro and there is complete lawlessness. No rules and regulations are followed by anyone. People are so habituated to this chaos that they don’t complain at all. And, if they complain, they invite the wrath of the mighty nexus! These officers need to be woken up and told in no uncertain terms that the power Civil Servants enjoyed during the British rule is history. Now, it’s a free country and they are public servants. If you can’t get the road repaired just in front of your mansion, you have no right to remain in service. Civil Servants very often complain about the salary difference with the corporate executives. But, they forget the king size perks enjoyed by them. If somehow some sense of duty is instilled into them and they are made accountable, there will be tremendous change at the ground level.
As for low ranking officers, they don’t consider accepting bribe as immoral or unethical. The social pressure to move up in the economic hierarchy is so strong that they just want money. The salary is inadequate so they bend the rules, perversely, to earn. They just cannot afford to be honest as there is no incentive for that! On the contrary, honest persons are singled out and shunted to such places that they regret being honest.
Will any enterprising journalist show the nerve to find out the honest persons in any Government Department? Merinews should constitute an Award in recognition of that person’s honesty, provided he / she is of a sound mental health.
Note:-There are some departments where there is no scope for taking bribes, so officers from those departments are not eligible for ‘Honesty Recognition Award’.
Innumerable films have shown honest,upright police officers.Though they show the inspector living in a sea facing bungalow,visiting five star clubs,driving swankiest of cars,having affairs with the prettiest of girls yet,he is so honest that he prefers to break instead of bow ,even when offered tons of money. But,alas!These virtues have remained confined to the realm of movies only.
The situation is just the opposite in reality. It’s just sheer waste of time and energy to conduct any sort of sting operation, catching them accepting bribe, red handed. The real challenge would be to find any police personnel willingly refusing the bribe and discharging his duty as per the law. This way we will be able to pass the message to others as well that being honest sometimes pays.
It’s very difficult to pinpoint high ranking officers as they are law unto themselves and are protected by very strong firewalls. Only those who start matching the corporate honchos become eyesores and are suspected or someone jealous of them spills the beans secretly. Their integrity is doubtful because they simply do not do anything proactive. They are only jolted from slumber when something significant related to some power center happens. Visit any remote district and you will find the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police as inaccessible as Mrs. Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi. The mouffossil press present there are also dependent on these high-ups and seek their approval before dispatching any story related to the administration. Not accountable to anyone, these officers keep blaming the politicians and do nothing. Politicians have become like footballs, so people vent their feelings by kicking them. But, the replacement is seldom better.
Just step outside any Metro and there is complete lawlessness. No rules and regulations are followed by anyone. People are so habituated to this chaos that they don’t complain at all. And, if they complain, they invite the wrath of the mighty nexus! These officers need to be woken up and told in no uncertain terms that the power Civil Servants enjoyed during the British rule is history. Now, it’s a free country and they are public servants. If you can’t get the road repaired just in front of your mansion, you have no right to remain in service. Civil Servants very often complain about the salary difference with the corporate executives. But, they forget the king size perks enjoyed by them. If somehow some sense of duty is instilled into them and they are made accountable, there will be tremendous change at the ground level.
As for low ranking officers, they don’t consider accepting bribe as immoral or unethical. The social pressure to move up in the economic hierarchy is so strong that they just want money. The salary is inadequate so they bend the rules, perversely, to earn. They just cannot afford to be honest as there is no incentive for that! On the contrary, honest persons are singled out and shunted to such places that they regret being honest.
Will any enterprising journalist show the nerve to find out the honest persons in any Government Department? Merinews should constitute an Award in recognition of that person’s honesty, provided he / she is of a sound mental health.
Note:-There are some departments where there is no scope for taking bribes, so officers from those departments are not eligible for ‘Honesty Recognition Award’.
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