Who is corrupt in India? YOU, ME and EVERYONE else

As I write this blog, there is a second revolution of sorts sweeping India and Indians globally but for me its the hypocrisy around it that is really puzzling and even funny at times!!

At last count, a few hundred thousands had joined Anna Hazare and his team of leaders to support their movement against corruption in India.

But just pause for a minute and answer this question to yourself - who is the corrupt person we are targeting through this movement? The politicians, the rich businessmen, the film stars,.... who are these corrupt people?? I am sorry to say this but the corruption that we seem to be cribbing about is our own child. WE the 'common people' have made it rampant and made it a monster. YOU, ME and EVERYONE else we know of, are the people who are corrupt and the hypocrisy I am referring to is when its the same set of people voicing their support for the movement - on camera, within friends and colleagues; they want to show solidarity and thus would like to go on a fast as well - ironically they are ready to bribe a traffic cop when stopped for violation of a rule or to pay hefty donation amounts to get their children admitted in schools!!

From getting the birth certificates to the death certificates, we want to 'pay a bit extra' and get the job done quickly so that we don't have to wait and chase. Let us see what is our score on corruption. In the last one year:
1) have you produced a fake bill to claim expenses?
2) have you paid bribe to a government official (police, municipal corporation, utilities representatives, etc.) to get any favour done or avoid hefty fines/bills?
3) faked a signature for a friend, sibling, colleague!! done that?
4) you have not declared the interest that you received from your bank deposits, as part of your income while filing taxes. Is that correct?
5) your buying decision was not influenced by the ethical principles of the product/service company. Yes or No?

Give 20 points for every 'yes' and 0 for every 'no'. The sum total reflects OUR individual corruption score and the most important change required is to get this to 'zero'. Its there in our DNA and so called 'culture' - we need to get rid of it.

Do not blame the politicians alone, everyone is corrupt at their own level and unless we remove this problem from the root, this problem cannot be eradicated.

While I appreciate Anna Hazare and thousands of others who have initiated this mass movement, the revolution in our own minds is more critical to ensure that this movement brings that change and does not stop at just being an event!!

I promise to bring my corruption score to 'zero'; how about you?