In the case of Nepal and also that of India, corruption was rather low in the early stages of the year 1947 for India and 1990 for Nepal. But it started rising, and it reached its pinnacle in 1990 in India and now in Nepal
Nepal has recently witnessed a procession of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats one after another parading on the way between the court and the prison. There was, firstly, the Bhutanese Refugee Scam that put high-level politicians behind barswith the likes of former deputy prime minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi and former home minister Bal Krishna Khand among the politicians, followed by highplaced bureaucrats like Tek Narayan Pandey, the former Secretary.
This was followed by the Lalita Housing Scam, which triggered the arrest of the former election commissioner Sudhir Kumar Shaha, business tycoon Meen Bahadur Gurung of the Bhat Bhateni Supermarket chain and several others. The latest to join in this procession is Gopal Bahadur Khadka for amassing huge amounts of property disproportionate to his income during his stint as the chief executive director of Nepal Oil Corporation.
Corruption goes back a long time whether it be in the East or the West. Correspondingly, Chanakya, a multi-dimensional intellectual in 4th century BC, had said that it is as difficult to spot a bureaucrat taking bribes as it is to determine when the fish drinks water or the bee eats honey. In Nepal, Prithivi Narayan Shaha who integrated the small states into what is today Nepal, said that the bribe taker and giver are both equally despicable, and it will not amount to sin even if they are handed over capital punishment.
In India, late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi said that only 15 per cent of the investment reaches the intended beneficiary. It was, however, his guess and not something based on evidence.
Later, it was said that 40 per cent of it went into administration costs and 45 per cent was engulfed by corruption. In the time of Man Mohan Singh, it was said that 50 per cent reached the people.
At the present, with the implementation of Adhar, the direct benefit transfer initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it is widely believed that the people get as allocated.
In England, known as the mother of parliamentary democracy, corruption had spread its roots deep into the society. Accordingly, people often regarded their posts as private property.
One architect, Francis Howard Greenway, forged a document and he was sentenced to death, but later it was commuted to 14 years' imprisonment. He was then sent to Sydney, Australia in 1814 to serve his jail term where he later became the first government architect.
What is the factor that is responsible for this depressing state of affairs in Nepal? Some ascribe it to the democracy era, which the country entered into after the People's Movement launched in 1990. It restored parliamentary multi-party democracy which was otherwise banned in the country after it flashed in the open for a brief period in the fifties.
Those raising pitched voices in this regard are members of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, who are seeking to restore the Hindu state, the monarchy and the annulment of the federal system even though this party is also alleged to hide corrupt leaders in its fold.
Its chairman Rajendra Lingden recently said that political leaders like Prime Minister Prachanda are preaching for a corruption-free society standing on the heap of corruption like the proverbial cat going on a Haj pilgrimage.
He was hinting at the trinity of Nepali politics – Sher Bahadur Deuba, K P Oli and Prachanda – who are allegedly implicated in the Wide Body, Omni and cantonment scams. Another senior politician Arjun Narsingh K C of the Nepali Congress said that the NC is being looked upon as the protector of corrupt politicians in the society. He has also suggested that the NC should soon change in the way it operates if it wishes to continue as a political force in the country. It is an oblique request made to Deuba to give up the leadership.
Democracy is often considered as a harbinger of good governance, which sends corruption receding into the pages of history even though it rises for the first few years. A study by Michael T. Rock entitled Corruption and Democracy has shown that corruption comes down with the flowering of democracy in a country eventually.
Examples are cited of Thailand and Indonesia where corruption plummeted to an appreciable level with the exercise of democracy.
Rock has found that corruption may show an upward trend in the beginning, but the turning point occurs after 10 to 12 years.
In the case of Nepal and also that of India, corruption was rather low in the early stages of democracy, the year 1947 for India and 1990 for Nepal. But it started rising, and it reached its pinnacle in 1990 in India and now in Nepal after a period of four and three decades, respectively.
The turning point in India appears to be a high of six decades. Nepal may also have to wait for another three decades for the slump in corruption in the country.
Why is it such a long period then? Perhaps, it has to do with the religion and culture of India and Nepal where we offer presents even to the Gods and seek their blessing. Krishna says in the Bhagwat Gita that he will be content with whatever the devotee offers. It may be a leaf, flower, fruit or milk.
The presents used to be rather modest in the past like butter, milk cake and the like. But now they are being dealt in huge amounts of cash as could be seen in the Bhutanese Refugee Scam.
The punishment against the corrupt officials as being administered now certainly dissuades others from engaging in corruption and should be dealt with a firm hand.
The government should be hailed for the present initiative.
But its total departure from the social scene is likely to take long as can be seen in the other countries.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 4, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
