No, Everything cannot have a price

As much as we enjoy being in a position of power and exercising control over others, it shouldn't make us greedy individuals. In a world where "greasing the wheels" to get work done has become the norm, it is us, who must make a change, because corruption is not something that should stay.

This year, break the chain of corruption. Image source: United Cities and Local Governments.

Can you count the evils that exist in our society? Even if we tried, we wouldn't be able to count them all. Moving on, do you think you're a corrupt person? All of us, including the duplicitous people, would answer no.

But here's a quick question that must be answered honestly. Ready? How many times have you found yourself to be in a position of power where you could help the other person? Even if you were a class monitor, it counts. And how many times did you make a conditional offer- that you'd do the other person a favour only if the favour was returned? I bet you ten to one the answer is going to be a lot of times.

Extortion, duplicity, fraud, deceit, they're synonyms of one word- corruption. If we were to pick an uncorrupted person, then there would hardly be any. Corruption is so deeply embedded in our society that even young people find themselves in this sticky mess.

Haven't we found ourselves stuck in desperate situations where the corrupt officials won't get the work done unless they receive some 'fee' or 'commission' for it? Doesn't it feel annoying to see accused individuals go scot-free because they bribed the officials? But most importantly, how do you sleep at night knowing that you were the corrupted individual in a situation?

We've been trying to become a polished society, a place where individuals aren't exploited or extorted. It's almost like imagining a utopian world where people won't indulge in corrupt practices. While some of us may think that corruption is harmless, many suffer due to it.

A corrupt society is an unsustainable and unequal one. A lot of talented individuals are deprived of select opportunities because someone else had stronger connections and more resources to 'contribute'.

In times of crisis, the vulnerable and poor suffer the most. Money gets siphoned to officials' pockets instead of being used for accomplishing the task at hand.

Some adults often say that corruption isn't a bad thing if you're only using it to teach a lesson to the wicked. But that's just the thing. Using evil to defeat evil only breeds more wickedness. And for what it's worth, if everyone keeps the same mindset, the crooked will only become crueller, and the innocently corrupted individuals will be the very sharks preying on vulnerable people.

Understanding that corruption is a threat to modern democratic societies, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention against Corruption on 31st October 2003 and designated 9th December as the International Anti-Corruption Day.

To beat corruption and eradicate it from our world, citizens from all walks of life will have to come together.

The pandemic highlighted the inequality and exploitative practices in all sectors of our society. Due to the malpractices and greed of corrupt officials, many innocents lost their lives. Corruption may seem harmless at first, but the loss, grief, and humiliation it brings to the aggrieved are unparalleled.

On this anti-corruption day, pledge that you won't engage in extortion, give bribes, or accept bribes no matter how tempting it may seem. Raise awareness all around, let journalists do their job and uncover the truth, but most importantly, support the honest voice that rings against the screams of corruption.