In 2011, the Transparency International (TI), a Berlin based international corruption watchdog , rated J&K State  as the second most corrupt state after Bihar. There are people who believe that performance and involvement of corruption among employees is almost in every department of the Government. But however, I strongly believe that it is not only the employees but almost the whole Society, particularly the Kashmiri society which is steeped in the disease of corruption. The problem of corruption is not confined to one sector in Kashmir but it has spread everywhere here and awfully it has become a dominant aspect of our social, political, and economic life and amazingly, we boast of pursuing a noble aspiration of emancipating ourselves from a system which we believe that it has uprooted us morally and socially. 
We forget that we need to asses our deeds at our personal level before blaming others for aggressing us culturally and emotionally. The corruption is found everywhere in Kashmir, it is in education, administration, police, Government and private services, trade and commerce. Usually corruption is linked with the Government employees and offices but in fact it is linked to every field of life. Bribe is not the only form of corruption. Yes, if an employee goes to his office late deliberately, it is corruption. If a teacher goes to school or college regularly but does not teach his students the way he should, it is corruption. If an officer does not take bribes or money but delays the disposal of files and bows to please somebody in the higher echelons, it is corruption. If a private passenger lorry does not abide by the traffic rules and regularly goes for over loading it is corruption. And also, if a police officer arrests somebody who has no access and frees the other who is important and connected, it is corruption.
      Nowadays in Kashmir, there is no department of life which is not affected or sullied by corruption. The more one studies the conditions of life around; more instances of corruption are witnessed. There are examples of people who are honest and firm on their principles but unfortunately there are less people in Kashmir to appreciate them. In Kashmir, corruption is rampant in politics, trade and in other social areas of life. We are the people who promote immoral activities in the society in the guise of cultural programmes. It is known to everybody that the National Highway has been a source of worry for the people of Kashmir due to landslides and other climatic disturbances during winter season and particularly, this year its condition deteriorated and waned due to the harsh and chilly winter. The supplies to Kashmir remain stopped and people die every year in road accidents. The discontinuation of essential commodities like gas, vegetable, milk, rice and other eatables creates a war like situation in the valley and the simple and poor people find themselves helpless and in a perilous situation.  The people belonging to different sections of the society should normally help each other in times of such crises but there is reverse of such sense of values and ethics and since there is shortage of items, the dishonest traders, shopkeepers and other business classes increase the rates and are bent upon looting the suffering masses.
       We have deceitfully cultivated the notion that only money can make us happy. It is true that we cannot live without bread but it is regrettable that we have learnt to live for bread alone in today’s society which is induced by avarice, cupidity and materialistic values. This tendency has brought moral decadence and mental corruption in the life of Kashmiris and consequently, we have lost love for others and have no sympathy with relatives, neighbors and fellow countrymen. If we wish to live like pure human beings, we will have to rebuild in ourselves the moral sense and outlook which would be the specialty of our culture. The problem of moral degeneration and corruption is obnoxious and abhorrent and warrants immediate and thorough remedies, but all efforts will be useless until and unless Kashmiris as a whole become conscious of their responsibilities and duties and do not dupe their own people. There is an urgent need to develop in ourselves personal moral values and set high standards of conduct and bahaviour and judge ourselves accordingly.
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Lastupdate on : Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:00:00 IST