Stress of Taking Bribe

 

Stress of Taking Bribe

(Individual Level)

 

Though the bribe be small,

yet the fault is great.

Edward Coke

 

Man realized the Supreme, millions of years after he had lived on this planet and had become civilized in the modern sense, but he became slave of the concept of eating without doing any labour much earlier, perhaps as soon as his belly felt hunger and the urge to eat for the first time. Fact is, he learnt stealing and snatching, may be without modern day guilt feeling at very earlier stages of his existence and is still carrying on in a more sophisticated manner now. Even today the jungle concept of, ‘Buffalo belongs to the man who has the stick’ prevails at the time when a crime is committed may be theft, rape, robbery, murder, snatching, looting, bribe, corruption, scam or something else as mentioned in the various sections of the Indian Penal Code or similar codes of the respective countries. Man uses his mental faculties to cheat, deceive, bluff, to be dishonest and to get the bribe, gratification, unearned money or any other name one likes to give. Even during Lord Krishna’s time this evil existed and he did wrote about this in  the Bhagvad Gita, in Chapter III dealing with Karam Yog and mentioned that it is the great men who have to set the standards for the society and have to lead ordinary men on the right path. He also preached that the common men should never be encouraged not to work, they should be led to do work as duty to Devine with dedication and devotion. This is more relevant in the present context where we have many among those supposed to lead the society, setting standards negatively, unethical, immoral and illegal in the present context. In fact, the desire to eat without doing any labour, has been a permanent feature of human nature, as such will always remain present may be in small measure, it cannot be eliminated perhaps can be kept low and controlled to some extent.

 

How to force other person to give bribe - the extra money for the work, one is otherwise required to do for the compensation already being received. People continue to think about ways and means, right and wrong, use penal provisions of acts uncalled for, use coercion, show is most moral but immorality is veiled, scale is altered and titled on the wrong side,  mental pressure built, how to get, where to get, how much to ask for, how much the victim can afford, how to carry cash, nobody should know or see, the other person may  report to anti-corruption Department, may not be caught red-handed by CBI,  if caught how to handle whether as a loan or recovery of loan or price of something got purchased or sold, how some other person can be got entangled, what would be defence, disciplinary authority may place him under suspension,  image should remain that of most honest man and so many other things continue to flash the mind of person demanding bribe before the victim is addressed and he is under stress much before the victim is and his degree of stress is much higher than the giver.

 

Prior to approaching his victim, the person demanding bribe loses

his self-esteem, his ego, he places himself in the garb of a bagger, fixes a price tag for him to be dishonest to do or not do an act, becomes a man of doubtful integrity, becomes a person being talked about in sleeves, he stops mixing with others, becomes isolated, lest something gets leaked out by him inadvertently, his activities are always suspicious and so many other things. He is already under lot of stress but talks boldly much about ethics and honesty. Seniors with experience of life are too quick to form an opinion, may not make it public but do use it at appropriate occasion in favour of the system.

 

When taking bribe he is so afraid and ensures he does not touch currency, may get placed somewhere, may have directly paid into the bank, may ask of payment of bills, insurance premium, purchase of air tickets, payment of hotel package, cash purchases for home, credit in some other’s account, always apprehensive of something wrong and unholy etc. Just see the amount of stress the bribe taker is passing through.

 

In addition to cash or kind, the bribe giver also gives his hate, stress, curse, negativity, the pain of giving what is not due to the receiver, uncertainty with a guarantee that He-the Lord would settle the score and keep the scale straight, and always in a corner of his heart the giver has a grudge against the receiver, always ready for a revolt against the receiver. All this is received knowing well the consequences in this world and thereafter.

 

Giver always keeps with him the proof, if any, against the receiver. In one of the cases the person concerned demanded pure ghee five kilo as gratification and as the giver pleaded being illiterate he got it written from the receiver and the receiver wrote it on the inner card board flap of pack of cigarette he used to smoke and gave it to the giver who subsequently supplied the pure ghee to the receiver and also made complaint against the receiver: his handwriting on the cigarette flap and its possession with the giver was the most potent evidence to prove the charges against the officer  and finally the receiver was removed from the service.

 

The money received as gratification is spent, loosely for not so required things, to perpetuate bad habits, goes to settle bad bills, spent on not so happy occasions and carries with it ethical negativity, always with soul so true repenting. It even leads to change the thought process of the receiver. It gives short time happiness and long term stress and unnecessary nagging worry.

 

When caught red handed by some anti-corruption agency, it is extreme of the circumstances, obviously case registered at the instance of the giver, receiver is man-handled if he resists, tries to run away or does not cooperate with the agency, demoralized, made to sit on the ground, not offered a chair, stained clothes even if these are trousers and under wears taken out, money recovered from the person of the accused, finger prints etc. taken, independent and departmental witnesses are called to attest the proceedings, summary of events is prepared, arrest warrants are taken in advance, arrest made even in odd hours, bail takes time till evidence is collected and secured by the agency, one has to remain in prison among others under-trails or sentenced people, it is a big news in the press and media, now even names are disclosed, so is the act. Sometimes homes of the suspected person are raided by the law enforcement agencies with the intent to collect evidence that put the family in social bad light and person concerned avoids being face to face with such agencies so hides himself; person is at his lowest level of general confidence etc. Now the departmental action is simultaneous, suspension is almost definite, departmental charge sheet for major penalty is quick, in proceedings conducted, disciplinary authority is presented by the anti-corruption agency. Social disgrace and embarrassment, financial hit both for the legal as well as departmental proceedings are the other consequences, in addition to stress and sense of inaction and helplessness are certain. Departmentally people avoid to see such suspected persons when one is caught red handed, even after the proceedings are over, a watch is kept by the internal vigilance wing of the Department, also by Central Government agencies in some cases and the person is not given sensitive and important duties, in fact he is given the most routine duties without any financial powers. The legal proceedings, nobody knows, when they would end and so is the case with the departmental proceedings: sometimes they drag for decades together. A person should think it as end of the career and it would be better to look for avenues elsewhere and never consider department or the employer as the career place. This is the end of the innings with the employer as promotion is delayed on account of suspension, period of conduct of the proceedings and its finalization. Then starts the period of currency of punishment thereafter minimum five years of disciplinary case free period with hard work to earn best of the annual reports. In most conservative manner total period adds up to about 15-20 years then where the career is. In such conditions nobody can be stress free, family also suffers.

 

Such persons, in addition, may face cases relating of possession of assets more than the known sources of income, which drag for years together.

 

Many a times cases are investigated on complaints being received by the competent authority and these are normally investigated by the internal vigilance wing wherein recording of the statement of the suspected officer is beginning of the investigation proceedings, in fact, it places a person in a doubtful integrity list and if regular proceedings are initiated and end with a statutory punishment, it is almost end of a career: one can never catch with his colleagues.

 

What is biggest cause of bribe or corruption: Transparency International defines, “Corruption as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain”. Thus the power entrusted to a person is the most potent cause of bribe. In fact it is an old saying that power corrupts a man and absolute power absolutely: when power that goes to one’s head nobody can imagine what it would do. 

 

Love for easy money, the greed, nature and character of the person concerned are the other two main causes that sum up the story.

 

Many a times the scale of bribe prompts even the strongest person; to jump into the dirty pond of bribe and so is the assurance given by the giver that we would not disclose to anybody else.

 

What is the biggest cover against Taking Bribe? Nobody can give fool proof and exact answer. However it is the integrity coupled with strengthen of one’s character that is bulwark against corruption.

 

Integrity is doing the right thing even when nobody is watching: it is telling one own self the truth: it is blunt refusal to compromise: it is the light that guides your way to the truth: it is action without fear, no guilt, transparent and open, nothing to hide and always right: it is action as per your soul: it is the pride one has in doing his job right: it is the pat one receives from his boss for the job well done: it is choosing your thoughts and actions based on values rather than personal gain. I think it is only a man who understands emotions can understand what integrity is.

 

Strength of one’s character is another rock steel wall against bribe: it can’t be built over night nor it is off on phenomena. It is a combination of so many factors over years like one’s genes, values ingrained in him by parents, teacher and the society coupled with fear of law, faith in spirituality and self-esteem supreme.

 

Judicial system and penal codes force integrity on the citizens. Stringent penalties and quick delivery of justice keeps at least the fence sitters away from the bribe system and social malign. Economic intelligence in the system and society can also strengthen forced integrity whereas too much of procedures both judicial and administrative contribute to corruption: we must draw a line somewhere and enforce it ruthlessly. 

 

“When you are able to maintain your own highest standards of integrity – regardless of what others may do – you are destined for greatness”

Napoleon Hill

 

Let nobody bribe you away from being yourself.

Napoleon Hill