That corruption has seeped deep into the marrow of the state polity is no secret.  Corruption and public life in the state have become synonymous; there in fact is hardly a politician, tall or dwarf, or a political party, big or small,  having been in power or in the opposition, that does not have a murky tract record.  It cannot be denied that since mid-fifties corruption in the state has received official patronage for achieving political gains and during past two decades it has almost assumed scope and sanctity of a political doctrine for running the affairs of the state.  It is equally no secret that a section of political leaders have been fattening under the canopy of this doctrine. They have been, denuding the state of its natural resources, bartering away interests of the state for personal interests, amassing wealth and looting state exchequer with impunity under full public gaze.  It would not be an exaggeration to say that the state has virtually drowned in the sea of corruption. On Sunday this statement was very tacitly endorsed by the state governor at the oath ceremony of members for the Jammu and Kashmir State Accountability Commission by stating that ‘corruption in the state was a matter of concern.’ As very rightly put by governor such commissions are watch dogs of democracy and governance. If such commissions work independent of influences from the corridors of power, politicians and political parties, they can be largely instrumental in cleaning public life of corruption.   It is an established fact that the toxin of corruption at the top percolates to the lowest functionary. Now when the State Accountability Commission, with Justice Yash Pal Nargotra as Chairman and Justice Hakeem Imtiyaz Hussain as its member, has been made functional there should be no reason for the commission not to initiate action against public figures whose cases are pending there for six years.  The litmus test of the  Commission starts from today only.  

Lastupdate on : Mon, 22 Aug 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 22 Aug 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:00:00 IST