freedom from corruption

From being perceived as a country of snake charmers to becoming a hub of IT and rediscovered spirituality, the image of India has had a makeover in recent years. Only the power of spirituality can help resolve the problems we face today. M K Gandhi used this power to help India secure independence.

While India has been fortunate to have an entire generation that dedicated itself to the cause of freedom, there is another that has driven the country into the morass of corruption and crime.

We need people of character and honesty to check corruption. Corruption begins where a sense of belonging ends. Corruption is present at many levels of society; the first level is in the minds of the general public. We tell God that if You do this work of mine then i will offer something to You. Let alone our bosses, we don't even spare God. Secondly, there are bribe givers and takers at the official level. The third level of corruption is at the ministerial level. The Lokpal Bill seeks to address this problem.

Lack of faith, belongingness, human values, sacrifice and service attitude are all causes of corruption, as also selfish motives and a sense of insecurity. It is when you feel so insecure and think that money is the only power or strength, then you become corrupt to the core. There is a lack of role models and inspiring examples at the highest levels. Also lack of stringent laws and effective enforcement of existing laws engender corruption at all levels.

Corruption starts where belongingness ends. Nobody will ever ask for a bribe from his family and dear ones. The means through which we can spread belongingness is spirituality. Work hard, be self-sufficient and stand on your own feet. We have to instil the belief that whatever is yours, you will get. Inner strength and awareness needs to be awakened. Only then, constructive change is possible.

The younger generation has to resolve to save the country and its people from corruption and crime. They have to take responsibility on their own and strive for sustainable development and realise that they have a huge potential and strength to achieve whatever they want. The youth need to believe that it is possible to be creative and productive without losing the humanness that is intrinsic in us. Spirituality kindles, sustains and enhances enthusiasm and enthusiasm is what drives us towards achieving our goals.

We need to see ourselves as universal people to attain a holistic personality, where there is appreciation for all ways of life and culture. We could learn the right things from everyone - be it teamwork from the Japanese, precision from the Germans, decency from the British and marketing skills from the Americans. And above all, human values from our rich tradition and spiritual heritage.

With one-sixth of the world's population, India now needs to take its rightful place on the world stage. We need to become more confident and take more pride in our cultural and spiritual roots; to harness spiritual values to fight terrorism and other social evils. Inter-faith harmony on the basis of an all-inclusive spiritual movement is needed to prevent young minds from turning to violence.

The government must focus more on "gross domestic happiness" rather than "gross domestic product". Prosperity has meaning when there is happiness and common welfare built into the system. Let's work towards building a corruption-free society by cultivating a spiritual outlook that helps us evolve on the right path.