Comment Pieces

Codes of Corruption

Posted on May 15, 2013

“I managed to explain to him how it was not about Rs.100. and it was about principles. Not sure what happens to my passport status.”

There are three types of bribers that exist in our society- one who consensually greases palms of officials to fulfil an ulterior motive and the second one who doesn’t mind paying ‘fees’ under the table to skip the delay in a public process. The third type of briber takes into account not only the injustice of having to bribe for services we are entitled to, for free, but also holds his principles in high regard. The question is, do principles always dictate the act of bribing someone even if the driving force behind such an act is desperation and not principles?  

Are principles merely a defence mechanism that we often use to elude the possibility of becoming party to a crime. Or is it a feeble attempt to wake the conscience of a corrupt official who is devoid of sensitivity towards values and principles, let alone possess any himself?