WEEKEND LIGHTER: Let's be honest about corruption!
WEEKEND LIGHTER: Let's be honest about corruption!
(January 7/8, 2017, No.1/2017)
Weekend Lighter is posted every Saturday
@mgwarrier.blogspot.in
Quote from The Hindu:Three
elements(See Section III)
I
Opening remarks
Lessons
in hindsight*
This refers to the report “Supply 40%
notes to villages: RBI to banks” (Business Standard, January 4). Though this is
not the time for blame-game, the January 3 instructions from RBI can be
interpreted as a tacit admission that in the whole process of implementation of
demonetization of Rs500 and Rs 1000 notes, government and banking system
(including the regulator) missed a couple of steps they could have taken much
earlier to November 8, 2016, the date on which the demonetization was
announced, had the system applied its mind.
These steps related to readying at
least majority of ATMs for dispensing the new design high denomination notes,
print order for which had been given long back and stocking low denomination
currency in semi-urban and rural areas where people were still using more hard
cash than ATMs or electronic payment systems for their day to day money
transactions. In hindsight, this could have been managed without affecting the
‘secrecy’ needed to be maintained while making the announcement. The
restatement is in the context of undue delay on the part of RBI in resolving
ground level issues that cropped up especially in semi-urban and rural areas,
post-November 8 announcement.
Till recently, banking did not make
its physical presence in India, much beyond ‘walkable’ distance from points
where a four-wheeler can reach. It didn’t make much difference when ATMs took
over the work of cash dispensation from banks, as ATMs crowded cities and towns
and Public Sector Banks which were forced to go
to rural areas and open branches or service rural clientele too, went by
and large by the ‘walkable’ distance rule. Those who are responsible for this
state of affairs are enjoying the fun of being in the opposition now. The
imported concepts of Banking Correspondents is yet to take roots in India.
A word of caution about new gadgets
and systems for money transfer. Even if it results in some delay, new instruments
and systems should be tested for universal acceptability and compatibility with
the technology and gadgets already in use. The successive changes in
instruments and procedures can affect public trust, besides the cost aspect
which will cause frustration in the minds of clientele.
One possible reason for the chaotic
position is outsourcing of work by institutions in piece-meal to agencies which
have no moral allegiance to the institutions which hire them. We need to invent
new strategies to build up reliable relationships between masters and servants,
in the modern era of hiring and firing at higher levels and contract/bonded
labour at lower levels.
M G Warrier,
Mumbai
*Business
Standard, January 5, 2017, Letters
II
Recent responses
Let’s
be honest about corruption!
This refers to the piece “Corruption
is in our DNA” (Business Line). While the anguish about corruption all around
is understandable, the wholesale surrender to the impression created by media
and vested interests about corruption in India and the statement ‘corruption is
in our DNA’ are unacceptable. Unacceptable, because corruption is not just
about bribes taken by ‘babus’ or a
BPL citizen exchanging his quota of sugar for rice!
Corrupt practices include
manipulation of national and international laws, unethical practices in governance
including human right violations and ‘creating’ poor people and nations to
protect the lifestyles of the rich and the powerful. Viewed from that angle,
there are many advanced nations ranking much higher in corruption and some of
them have legalized corruption in several ways.
M G Warrier,
Mumbai
State
elections and central budget
This refers to your editorial “No
State Poll Thrall for the Nation”(Economic Times, January 5). It is unfortunate
that Election Commission of India too has given an opportunity for media to
divert public attention from the main issues relating to elections in five
states announced now. The reference here is to the non-existent uncertainty
about the date of central budget in the context of state elections. According
to media reports, CEC Zaidi mentioned that a decision on budget will be taken
‘soon’.
As GOI had announced the date of
central budget as February 1, 2017, courtesy demanded that Election Commission
and GOI should have had consultations and come to a mutually agreed view on
their stance on presentation of central budget before announcement of Election
process. No doubt, issues raised by political parties now will be addressed and
‘decision will be taken by CEC in ‘due course’. GOI need to ensure that
institutions like RBI (in the context of demonetization) and CEC are not seen
taking instructions from above in their day-to-day affairs. They should be
allowed to retain their image built over long periods of time. Public trust in institutions is of paramount
significance in a democracy.
M G WARRIER,
Mumbai
III
Leisure, spirituality
The curse of cash
Use the above link to read about “Curse of Cash”
Three elements**
The Chandogya Upanishad explains how all
sentient and non-sentient objects came into existence. At first only Sat, the
One and Only, that is the Paramatman existed. Sat then decided to become many
and created tejas (fire). The fire then thought, “Let me become many,” and thus
Ap (water) was born. But how can water come from fire? When a person grieves,
tears are produced by the heat of the sorrow. In the same way did water come
from fire, explained M.K. Srinivasan in a discourse. When the waters decided to
become many, earth was created, from where anna (food) was produced, just as
there is bountiful crop when it rains. These three, Tejas, Ap and food, are the
three basic elements and entering into Tejas and Ap, the Supreme Brahman
continued with creation.
Since these elements are non-sentient, they could not have
become many on their own. It was the Supreme Brahman, who by entering Tejas and
Ap made their division into further entities possible. Portions from the three
— Tejas, Ap and anna — were combined when such a division took place. Half of
Agni for instance comes from Tejas, one quarter from water and one quarter from
earth. The red colour of Agni is attributable to Tejas, while its white colour
is attributable to water and its dark form to earth.
It was such a combination that resulted
in Aditya and the moon too, the red aspect of Aditya and the moon belonging to
Tejas, the white aspect to water and the dark aspect to earth. All things in
the Universe come from combinations of aspects of the three basic elements. All
indriyas, mind, pranas are also the results of combinations of the three basic
elements. Thus the Universe and the human body too owe their origin to these
elements.
**Source: The Hindu, Faith
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