In our democratic system we have
the role of three important organs i.e. Legislature, Judiciary and Executive.
These organs of state are assigned with different roles viz. making laws,
deciding legality or illegality and Implementation of laws respectively. These
three arms of the democracy are given their respective areas to work on and
with the sole objective of service of people or welfare of the common masses.
The relative dependence or independence of these organs are always considered a
matter of discussion. In some countries there is total separation of these
three organs and there are countries like India where the executive is part of
the legislature. The constitution has clearly defined the roles of these units
and there seems to be no overlapping even in their functioning. But yet we
can’t say in our nation all these three organs are performing even to their
average capacity. Corruption i.e. using
official postion for personal gain is widespread in these institutions. It
is difficult to find good and honest people in these institutions but yet there
are people who are making our country stronger every coming day.
Can we say that these organs of state democracy are working to the
benefit of common masses? We may be sad to know that our answer may be BIG NO.
Legislature is given the task of making laws but we all know the quality of
debates in Parliament and State Legislature. The number of days parliament
functions is even less than 60, however several committies have suggested at
least more than 100 days. Judiciary in practical sense is very far away from
common man, imagine an institution that is working for the people finding
people afraid of it. We all can’t deny that in our heart. Executive who is
expected to touch the common man seems to be very high class strata of people
who are finding common man untouchables. Untouchability which our constitution
ended through article 17 has taken a new form everywhere. Solutions are
emerging and problems are changing but the pace is really vary.
What is the solution? Do we need any other organ? Any new pillar of
democracy to strengthen it? We all know that a structure can be strongly
supported by four legs then any other combination. So we need the fourth pillar
in democracy. Right, with the help of technology and intellectual capacity of
individual we have it i.e Media.
Media
We all know what is Media. Media is
actually refer to medium which help us to know the unknown thing which
otherwise would have remain archaic and hidden. We have different media
performing their different stated objectives e.g. Print Media, Television,
Social Media through Internet, Mobile Phone and so many new which may be coming
in the time to come.
Role of Print Media
The oldest of the modern media is
Print Media which comprises of Newspapers, Books, Journals etc. The most common
is Newspaper which has the maximum reach to the common man. We are almost
imcomplete without our daily newspaper. We should remember that during our
freedom struggle the role of newspapers like Gadhiji’s Young India and Harijan,
Tilak’s Kesari, and Payam E Azadi, Maulana Abulkalam Azad's Alhilal and many
others. They raise people to took part in freedom struggle of India. Print
media’s coverage is enormous. Even in the rural end when no other facility is
available newspapers reach and they apprise the common man of the happenings in
the nation and the world. Because of
extensive reach, Print media has the power of making or breaking the government
not satisfying the will of the people and it can help in overthrowing any
government due to its negative engagements like corruption.
Role of Television
24 X 7 News channels are currently very effective in reaching to the
common man. The people can watch their leaders working and can judge themselves
what is happening. It really becoming a standard to judge the strenghth and
weakness of Political parties. Recently
we have seen in the election of USA President how the debates between the
contestants for President can be detrimental in winning or losing. Even a
megre act of failure or lapse on the part of the government is reaching to the
common man and they will be judging them on the basis of that. Elections compaign is done through TV. So
open and unbiased Television Coverage can help the nation in shaping the
effective public opinion and will help in improving the lapses in our social
institutions. Several Exposes by the media these days have become a regular
feature and in fact part and parcel of reporting. The scams like CWG, 2G,
Coalgate, Vadra-DLF, Poorti-Gadkari etc. may be silent had the Television may
not be there.
Role of Social Media : Internet
Social media is latest in the
invention of media. The internet has really brought a revolution in reaching
and forming independent and authoritative public expression and opinion.
Individuals through Facebook, Orkut, Twitter, You Tube etc can express their
concern and can bring huge changes in
social setup. We all have seen the Jasmine
Revolution in Middle East. This was articulately arranged through Social
Networking Websites only. Social Media has toppled the Governments and
can do that in future also. Many Politicians and Government Offices are
reaching directly to common public through Facebook and Twitter these days. The
news of your good or bad deeds can reach at a viral speed thanks to social
media. It really makes many authorities cautious while performing their duties.
Role of Individual imbibed with Technology
Mobile phone today has become an
internal organ of Human Body. The most direct and convenient way possible to
reach to a person is through Mobile Phone. We all have seen several exposes on
Television being brought about by the video recording of the corrupt practices
of Government authorities by individual common man. Now corrupt officials fear
every mobile phone. Mobile has really
become a deterrent in combating Corruption. We can conveniently record the
voice while talking to somebody over phone. I don’t think there could be any
facility better than this to expel out corruption from the current system. An
individual can not be armed better then a mobile in our fight against
corruption.
Can be rely on technology or media in our Endeavour against Corruption?
This is really a very serious issue
to discuss. We are better with technology in media but is that sufficient. We
really need something else. We know that these media institution are doing
their job sincerely at large but some serious structural as well behavioral
changes are needed. We need to constantly update the various mechanism which can affect common man and we
have to find new ways of dealing with menaces like corruption. Static and Rigid Solutions will not help us
in weeding out the corruption. There is no particular remedy for that but a
collective fight from different ends has to come in. Since the means of
corruption keeps on changing likewise our ammunition has to be updated, media
can be used for that.
Behavioural Changes
Public servants are always in
limelight thanks to the media. Any wrong deed or misdeed can be lethal to the
image of the concerned department or ministry. On many occasions we have seen
Ministers clarifying articles printed in the Newspaper. Recently in THE HINDU our Finance Minister Sh. P.
Chidamabaram clarified the matter printed in the article of that Newspaper and
gave his version of story. This is a
regular issue these days. Many politicians who are appointed Spokesperson are
judged on the basis of their handling of Media. Bureaucrats are very formal and
cautious while responding to media queries. Political Leaders are also cautious
of their image in the media. They know that this medium only can take them to
address so many potential voters.
Structural Changes
Internet is a very powerful tool and it has changed the
mechanism of service delivery. We needn’t
stand in the queues or find favour to get our work done instead one can
simple log in to respective website and can enjoy the services whatever one
wants e.g. there are public sector banks
like SBI which are asking their customers to apply for personal or car loan or
any business loan online. The eligibility will be decided based on the
information given by the customer and finally after submitting the documents in
support of the information loan can be sanctioned within minutes, an assessee
can file his RoI online and check his refund status without visiting Income Tax
Office. This is happening in India and we can really learn lot more from
other organization which are working in this regard and making the life of
people easy.
Internet can be used
-in disseminating information to the public
-providing online services as delivery chanel
- taking feedback from the
public through social media
-Judging the performance of
the Officers and Official based on the social survey
like on Facebook or twitter.
Even Right to Information, 2005 mandate that maximum information must
be provided by the various department online in order to reduce the request of
information via paper.So it all depend on the will of the authorities how to
harness the resources available to us in the form of media.
We have to rope in more and new methodology to bring in more structural
changes that can suit the convenience of people.
Media : Sharp tool to be
handle with care
The best advantage of media is that it can help a person to connect to
many and develop public opinion. But
what happen when media start taking decisions? This can be dangerous to the
society. Many honest people can find it
tough to take good initiative if the outcome would not be as desired. Media
trial i.e. the judgement process and then decide the culprit has become a
regular feature of media these days.
Innovative mind people who want to take good initiative may find it difficult to work under such
circumstances. Media may on the basis of few preliminary reports may culprit
the honest authorities and can make them corrupt in the eyes of common man.
Policy paralysis is a very
common term in the government sector these days. Higher officers are not
willing to take decisions as it may in future be termed as the wrong one and
they may be labeled as CORRUPT, first by damp media and then by common man.
Whether 2G was SCAM or NOT?
Recently after the CAG
report of 1.76 lac crore 2G scam the auction as per the Supreme court order was
done. But to the astonishment that open auction had fetched Rs. 9400 crore
only. Ofcourse there are some operational mistakes in allotting the 2G licenses
but media had made it the total lost. Care must be taken in reporting such
issues and all aspects must be judged properly.
Conclusion:
We all know that corruption is not a new phenomenon it was there during
ancient time and it is now also. Kautilya in Arthashastra described forty types
of corruption and our Central Vigilance Commission describes some 27 types of
corruption. We can all talk about that but the solution lies in the new things
that are coming like Internet, Mobile. We have to use the media for the
betterment of the people and Media has the capcity to weed out any new
malpractices including any form of corruption but our endeavour must be
dynamic. We need to develop new solution to the new problems with all the new
things and support available. To fight corruption we need a mental revolution
rather Moral revolution as well. People have to understand that a nation cannot
progress if people will not work for the betterment of it. And corruption can
never make our nation strong. Unawareness is the biggest cause of corruption
and can play a very important role in spreading awareness about rights and
duties of Government officers and officials and public as well. Thus can help
in combating corruption.
May we all realize this.
Anwar Ali
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