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A Growing Pimple..!

By Robert Clements. Dated: 9/8/2014 11:11:34 PM

'Twas just the other day while traveling down south, I was in conversation with a couple who had raised three kids, when the mother chuckled and said, "I remember the time my daughter wanting to take leave in college, bluffed her principal she had to go for a wedding!"
"And the next day the principal asked for the wedding card!" continued the father laughing to himself.
"Then what happened?" I asked grinning.
"We quickly printed a fictitious wedding card and gave it to her," they both chortled, and burst out laughing.
I was stunned! What did the child learn? That it was okay to lie, to cover up when caught!
And the tales go on: A year ago while serving as a trustee in a religious organization which published books, I discovered that the chairman, a revered man in the community had broken every rule in the book to see he had continued as chairman for the past twenty four years, even overseeing a clause in the rules that said the chairman had to have a year's break every four years. In the course of continuing in office he had broken other rules of the trust and I brought this to the ears of the members at a board meeting.
"Don't make a noise about it!" said another religious leader, a chartered accountant, "It is only a pimple!"
This from an organization which was supposed to spread the truth!
Lately, in the months preceding the general elections, I watched the whole of India reacting to corruption.
First it was total; blind faith in the Aam Aadmi party where the movement was an anti-corruption one and in one sweep the party more or less swept Delhi, only to show later they had feet of clay.
In dismay, the voters turned to a bearded man who promised to clean up the system, and enmasse voted for him.
Today, they wait with baited breath as they hope that he with giant broom, and with the soap and water of truth will wipe India squeaky clean.
It is sad that we as a nation wait for such a miracle, sad that we actually think corruption can be got rid off from the outside. Sad, we think with stronger laws there will be less untruth.
Corruption feasts on that so called pimple that has grown permanent in all of us.
From traffic signals to balance sheets we lie.
Our prime minister may go from country to country peddling our wares, but it will take a huge change within ourselves for the world to trust us.
We need to change ourselves. Let a 'yea' be a yea and a 'nay' be a nay and no need for affidavits, registering, stamp paper and courts to say who is right and who is wrong.
Our word should reveal the truth. And till that happens Modi can wave his wand as ferociously as he tries, but corruption will stay, because that so called pimple is now a spreading mountain range..!
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