STATUS AND POSITION versus MORAL VALUES AND ETHICAL STANDARDS

STATUS AND POSITION versus MORAL VALUES AND ETHICAL STANDARDS

Musings

By

VIKRAM KARVE

When I joined the Navy, many of us confused rank, position and status with ethical and moral standards.

We young officers were naive and idealistic.

We assumed that just because an officer had been promoted to high rank it could be ipso facto presumed that he had high moral values and ethical standards.

Soon, after seeing a number of senior military officers embroiled in scams and indulging in unethical activities, we realized that our presumption, linking ethics and rank, was wrong, and status and position should not be confused for standards of morality.

This is true in the civilian world as well.

The honesty and integrity of a person is in no way correlated with his intellectual development or his position in the hierarchy or material factors like wealth, rank, seniority, status, success. 

Almost every day we see news about high ranking politicians, bureaucrats, military officers and other “distinguished” persons with high status and in top positions getting embroiled in Scams and indulging in unethical activities.

Have you not read news about even the most intellectually gifted persons (like Vice Chancellors of Universities) getting embroiled in corrupt activities? 

A quote by Alexander Orlov sums it up in a nutshell:

“Honesty and Loyalty may be often more deeply ingrained in the make-up of simple and humble people than in men of high position. 

A man who was taking bribes when he was a constable does not turn honest when he becomes the Chief of Police; the only thing that changes is the size of the bribe. 

Weakness of character and inability to withstand temptation remains with the man no matter how high he climbs.” 

It is true isn’t it? 

A person’s Values and Ethical traits accompany a man to the highest rungs of his career.

You see so many poor persons who are honest and so many rich persons who are corrupt. 

This is because whether a person becomes corrupt or not depends on his values and not on his needs.

Also, in today’s world corruption has no social stigma. 

A corrupt man who is rich gets more respect in society than a poor man who is honest.

That is why you must not confuse status and position for standards of morality and ethics.

An individual’s outward status has got nothing to do with his inner values.

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. 

© vikram karve., all rights reserved. 

Disclaimer:

All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

NB

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (All Rights Reserved)

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Did you like this story?  

I am sure you will like the 27 short stories from my recently published anthology of Short Fiction COCKTAIL
To order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
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http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm
http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-karve.html

COCKTAIL ebook

If you prefer reading ebooks on Kindle or your ebook reader, please order Cocktail E-book by clicking the links below:
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGERZ6
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87925

Foodie Book:  Appetite for a Stroll
If your are a Foodie I am sure that you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer and blogger. Educated at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and an anthology of short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional  and academic research papers in journals and edited in-house journals and magazines for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing and blogging. Vikram Karve lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramkarve@hotmail.com

Twitter: @vikramkarve

      

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

 

LESSON IN CORRUPTION

LESSON IN CORRUPTION
An Apocryphal Mulla Nasrudin Story
By
VIKRAM KARVE

Constantly seeing news about corruption and scams hogging the headlines on TV, like the recent building scam, I recalled this apocryphal Mulla Nasrudin Story:

While walking on the road, a shabbily dressed Mulla Nasrudin, who was struggling to make both ends meet, ran into an old friend, his school classmate.

The friend was driving an SUV and was smartly dressed in expensive clothes and wore a gold watch. It was clear that he had made it rich.

The friend took Nasrudin to an expensive five star hotel for sumptuous meal.

         

Looking around with awe, as it was his first visit to such a luxurious and opulent hotel, Nasrudin asked his wealthy friend: “How did you make so much money?” 

“I became a builder and made my money in the building business. It is a very lucrative business. See that tall building over there. Half the cost of that building went into my pocket,” the friend said boastfully.

A few years later the friend met Nasrudin in the same five star hotel, wearing the best of clothes and dining opulently, enjoying the best of food.

Surprised at the fantastic metamorphosis, the friend asked Nasrudin the secret of his tremendous success and how he had made so much money in so short a time.

“Shipbuilding...!” Nasrudin answered.

Seeing the confused look on his friend’s face, Nasrudin took his friend to the magnificent seaside lounge of the hotel, pointed towards the sea and said: “Do you see that magnificent ship?”

His friend looked carefully towards the sea, scanned the horizon.

But he did not see any ship.

So he asked Nasrudin, “Which Ship? Where is the Ship? There is no Ship out there. I can only see the calm blue sea. I don’t see any ship...!”

Mulla Nasrudin gave his friend a canny smile and said: “The shipbuilding business is even more lucrative than your building business. The entire cost of the ship went into my pocket.”

MORAL OF THE STORY (for Scamsters Only)

Building a Ship may be more lucrative than building a Building on land. 

You can disappear a ship, but you cannot disappear a building on land.

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. 

© vikram karve., all rights reserved. 

Disclaimer:

All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

NB

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (All Rights Reserved)

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Did you like this story?  

I am sure you will like the 27 short stories from my recently published anthology of Short Fiction COCKTAIL
To order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-8191091844?affid=nme
http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm
http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-karve.html

COCKTAIL ebook

If you prefer reading ebooks on Kindle or your ebook reader, please order Cocktail E-book by clicking the links below:
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGERZ6
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87925

Foodie Book:  Appetite for a Stroll
If your are a Foodie I am sure that you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer and blogger. Educated at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and an anthology of short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional  and academic research papers in journals and edited in-house journals and magazines for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing and blogging. Vikram Karve lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramkarve@hotmail.com

Twitter: @vikramkarve

      

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

 

THE FUNNY SIDE OF CORRUPTION

SWALLOWING A BRIBE – EATING MONEY - A CORRUPTION STORY

This morning there was a hilarious story in the newspapers about corruption. 

A Revenue Official in a village in Pune District swallowed two 1000 Rupee currency notes at his office when he was caught red handed accepting a bribe by officials of the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB). Despite his eating up the currency notes and swallowing the “evidence” the ACB sleuths nabbed him, took him to a local hospital where an endoscopy was done on him and the endoscopy report revealed that there are two currency notes in his stomach. Later an X-Ray showed that the two notes had moved down inside his intestines.

Since they needed the two currency notes as evidence the cops gave the corrupt official some strong laxatives and are patiently waiting for the two thousand rupee notes to come out from his other end.

It seems that Anna Hazare’s Anti Corruption Crusade has had no effect on the lower bureaucracy who continue to literally eat money (Paise Khana...)

This story highlights the need to bring lower bureaucracy under the purview of the Lokpal Act or some strict Anti-Corruption Law.

Here is a link to the news story:

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Talathi-who-swallowed-bribe-notes-remanded-in-police-custody/838272/

Have a laugh Dear Reader – there is funny side to corruption too.

FORMULA FOR CORRUPTION : C = M + D – A

FORMULA FOR CORRUPTION

This morning while browsing through my old diaries I chanced upon something interesting – a formula for corruption told to me by one of my colleagues which I had jotted down.

Corruption = Monopoly + Discretion – Accountability

Or simply put:

C = M + D – A

where

Corruption (C) equals Monopoly Power (M) plus Discretionary Power (D) minus Accountability (A).

Do have a look around and see whether this formula is accurate or do you see that there are other factors too.

AM I A VICTIM OF DEEMED CORRUPTION ?

AM I A VICTIM OF DEEMED CORRUPTION ?


This morning while discussing recent events pertaining to Anna Hazare’s Anti-Corruption Movement, the Lokpal Bill and current events, someone mentioned the term “Deemed Corruption”. He said that if a government servant delays the work of a citizen beyond a reasonable time then that government servant will be deemed to be corrupt and it will be a case of deemed corruption. After hearing this, I thought of a recent problem which is happening to me and I wonder whether I am unwittingly a victim of deemed corruption. 


When I was in the navy we were required to be prompt in the performance of our duties, but unfortunately the same promptness was not shown towards us by various civilian “babus” especially those in accounts offices. And now, for no fault of mine, I am facing a problem after my retirement too, owing to the indifferent attitude of the lower bureaucracy. I retired almost one year ago but even till today a part of my retirement benefits have been withheld because of gross inefficiency on the part of a nameless faceless clerk. Let me tell you about it.


Our Accounts Office withheld a substantial amount from my retirement benefits for adjustments towards house rent since my original rent bills were not received by them from the MES (Military Engineering Service) from the year 2008 onwards despite reminders. (I had no role to play in this - the MES is required to directly send the bills to our Accounts Office promptly in a time bound manner). Of course, my pay office had been deducting provisional house rent every month from my salary but they said they had to reconcile with the original rent bills, adjust plus or minus, get it audited, and only then could they release the money due to me.


I occupied those government quarters in 2008 and vacated them in 2010. Monthly provisional rent has been regularly recovered from me. The biggest joke is that the MES has issued me a Final Clearance Certificate and a Final No Demand Certificate when I vacated the house. These certificates have been sent to the Accounts Office. But all this is of no use as they want the original rent bills from the MES and there is nothing I can do about it except write reminders and wait patiently.


Someone told me that as per norms the MES is required to send rent bills to the accounts office every quarter (within three months) but in this case the work has been delayed by over four years by some clerk in the MES and I am the loser for no fault of mine. There is no effective grievance redressal machinery to whom I can complain. All that is happening is that there is ever-increasing correspondence as letters and reminders are being exchanged between various agencies but nothing seems to move the mighty clerks of the MES.


I wonder whether this inordinate delay is due to inefficiency or is it a case of deemed corruption?


Is it possible that my work is being purposely delayed because I did not pay the required “mamool” or speed money? Frankly I don’t know whether I have to pay a bribe to the MES clerks in order to get this routine work done – I have never done so before and I am not going to do so now.


This case shows that how the clerks of the lower bureaucracy are supreme. They have no accountability and seem to be invulnerable. No one is held responsible for such delays and for non-performance of their duties. I am sure many such cases of “deemed corruption” are happening everywhere and common citizens are suffering for no fault of theirs as their work is inordinately delayed by lower bureaucracy.


Anna Hazare is right. Whereas Grand Corruption and Multi-Crore Scams grab the headlines and this may be important at the macro level as it affects the nation, at the micro level, it is petty corruption by the lower bureaucracy which is troubling the common citizen. It will be a great relief to the common man if the chronic problem of omnipresent all-pervading petty corruption can be addressed effectively.


I wish the government enacts a strong and effective Lokpal Bill which brings the lower bureaucracy under its purview, specifies a time bound Citizens Charter, implements and puts in place an effective, prompt, easy to use, e-governance style IT Based online Grievance Redressal Mechanism and, most importantly, incorporates the concept of deemed corruption and stipulates severe punishment and heavy penalties for those indulging in deemed corruption and harassing the common citizen. This will surely help alleviate the distress caused to the common citizen.


PS - As far as my case is concerned, I don't know what to do. Any suggestions on how to solve my problem?