Besting Desperation....

10 days does seem as a very long time to be down and out. I really admire the subtle reminders of nature not to get too carried away with the notion that humans are above all. I was grounded by very high fever and severe weakness for the past week and I have been itching to write about the 300% increment in the MPs’ salaries!

There has been certain amount of negative sentiment flowing regarding the issue and I suppose it will be great to address it and ponder on this recent development. Checking out the pro’s and con’s, obviously our dear representatives would earn a lot more. They will earn a decent amount of white money to run their houses!

The dark side on first viewing does intrigue me a bit. More public money will flow into the pockets of the MPs but is it really the dark side? Or is it just the prior shadow of the goal lit up from the light source at the end of the tunnel? I personally believe it to be a positive step for the greater good but it has a catch. The increment alone would surely cause great harm as far as the people are concerned but the law must be complimented by strict execution of disciplinary measures. Not earning enough money to run the house and provide one’s family with their basic needs does encourage a man to take to the path of evil, unethical and immoral behaviour. Take many of our security forces as example with the police as the prominent part of it. With hardly Rs. 5000/7000 /- salary it is next to impossible to sustain a life with their basic needs met! Add to that the constant risk of losing one’s life and no wonder we see great deal of skullduggery! It is human nature. To explain to the youth I would take an example of the eternal part of life - Exams! I am sure like me, many of you witness cheating during examinations. Why does cheating occur? There is a quote that "Desperate Times call for Desperate Measures." Not that I advocate it, but imagine that the examination authority announced that every student be awarded a distinction no matter what he/she writes on his answer sheet! I don't think we will see copying at the scale we do today. This thought is not a growth promoting one but it does shed light on the cause. If the cause is understood then can the effect be tackled with great accuracy. Desperation is exactly what happens in the case I am highlighting in this blog. If that "desperation" quotient is minimized then can there be a better chance of growth, a higher probability for development you can say. Desperation for greater life, a better one with all essential commodities or needs met satisfactorily. A living which can offer a life and not just existence. Even existence is quite improbable in the lowly salaries. I am aware of the great deal of perks offered to the MPs. Though, technically speaking I won't call them perks but the necessary measures to ensure functioning of the system. It might be a fact that one Lal Bahadur Shastri among many politicians refused usage of government property for personal use and payed the appropriate amount when his family used the government vehicle for personal entertainment. That is where better pay structures can reduce on the greedy usurping of the people's money. It is indeed unethical to cheat, or in the case of the government officials to compromise on their values for selfish gains but then it is imperative that the human psychology be understood and acted upon to construct a better foundation for perfection! Just blaming what is bad is a one sided easy affair. It is important that me and you think over it to learn from it and unearth possible solutions to the problem. This is what I see as a solution. There can be many and I am sure there will be. If the students who cheat just decide to study better then there would be no need to peek at the other person's answer sheet. Better teachers will encourage better education. Not to drift off and immerse in the example, I will conclude the example with the simple thought that all the involved factions need to look into the matter and ask what can he/she do. Ensure reasonable pay, that which discourages unethical means to sustain in life and we will have much better forces to defeat evil and maintain peace. Similarly, the increment in the MPs’ pay is the first of many more important steps to follow. It can initiate a change and build an environment which will counter corruption but to maintain it or rather fight the fort it needs to grow into every sector of public service and not the select few. With that the law then must be backed up with strict actions initiated against the unruly and corrupt and then can an atmosphere of low if not no corruption can be seen and felt. Take a simple example of opening a lock on the door. One hand has to support the lock while the other operates the key and turns it in if the operation of unlocking has to be completed to perfection. Thus, to solve the major problem of corruption just the decent pay structure to the MPs is not enough. If the process must see completion it has to be with the acts of ensuring fair pay scales to the entire public sector and most importantly the defence forces after which it has to be backed with rigid system for the law breakers. In the whole game, the defence forces deserve much higher pays. Rather I would say they deserve the maximum as compared to any sector. With such laws in effect and the chain well set up I am confident we are moving towards a better future for Bhaarat. The PM did say that this step will ensure lesser corruption in the entire system. This might be the economist in him saying so but that alone is a recipe for disaster and not growth. The economist has to be backed up by the leader, the enforcer then there can be a change and the statement of lesser corruption will carry high value. No Bhaaratiya can be a born traitor. He/She is made so through the upbringing in life. Just by ensuring a fair pay scale can there be an unprecedented change in the way matters turn out in the nation. Cut off the desperation which plays on the mind and I am sure we will have better policies made by better individuals and thus the country's progress towards being corruption free.

I appreciate the positive step from the central government and I hope it is backed up with the necessary steps which can unlock the door to the greater good. Everything the government does is not bad in my book. There are good things and laws too. It is just the fact that they lack political will to change the game scenario. I hope this is the first to many better measures to come in the future of this great nation.

Jai Hind!