A group of four young men- Abdul Mujeeb
Khan, Vivek Reddy, Faiz Rai and Jawad Ali- from Hyderabad has embarked upon on
a special tour of india. It is a Padyatra, walking on foot, which they have
named as ‘Honest Steps’. The young men started their foot-journey on December
18, 2011 from kanyakumari, will traverse through Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil
Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal and reach New Delhi on April 7, 2012 to
observe what they call Zero Corruption Day.
By this time when these lines are being
penned, the young men are expected to be walking through Tamil Nadu. In the
beginning they faced problems, the Kerala police even arrested them but the
common people have enthusiastically welcomed them everywhere. This proves
beyond doubt that the people at large want a corruption-free India.
The purpose of the ‘Honest Steps’ is
unique. The group believes that first we need to carry out reform within, for
only honest and upright individuals can create a corruption - free India. The
group believes that a corruption-free India is “Mission Possible”, hence all
efforts should be made to achieve the goal or make it happen. However, they
believe that the journey to a corruption-free India should start from within.
That everyone needs to be honest and good at his/her personal level. As
individuals make the nation, their purity and honesty will surely free the
country of corruption. It is a unique thinking or philosophy indeed.
Initially the Anna movement against
corruption was a right step in the right direction. The movement needed to
remain apolitical and confined to achieving the Lokpal Bill through mass
awareness and mobilization. Unfortunately it got carried away due to immense
media attention and gradually became an anti-politician movement. This was a
blunder on the part of Anna team as it gave an opportunity to the political
class to strike back.
On the contrary the ‘Honest Steps’ is a
small movement aimed at individual reform. Media reports suggest that the
people including school children and youth are welcoming the group, Honest
Steps” everywhere. It proves that the young India wants a corruption-free
country where they can flourish.
The political class and the bureaucracy
need to learn a lesson, and learn it quickly. They must realize where the young
population is headed to. This segment of our population wants a better future,
a future full of hope, promise and opportunity. Unfortunately the corrupt
politicians and bureaucrats have joined hands to frustrate this positive youth
movement.
Most people are clean till they attain
power. The skeptics argue that power would ultimately corrupt the so called
clean youth. This is a sweeping remark and like all generalizations has its
flows. There are positions which do not carry any power with them. How then
such positions will corrupt anybody, young or old?
‘Honest Steps’, therefore, has adopted the
right approach. Instead of launching a full-fledged, all embracing social
reform movement they aim at reforming the youth from within. The idea is to
awaken the youth, make him/her fully conscious of his/her potentials and
channelize their enormous talents to bring about a positive, constructive and
fruitful change in the country.
To achieve such a lofty goal we need not
focus on college going youth only but should also try to catch them in schools.
Our educational system must change for good. We need not only highlight the
sacrifices of our great leaders and seers but should also try to make our
students realize that corruption is ultimately unearthed, prosecuted and
punished. They must also learn that the path of truth is difficult but
ultimately it pays in the long term. Educating the young ones in schools about
high moral values as well as the dangerous consequences of corruption alone can
work. This is the best way to make India corruption-free.
(December
2011)
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