International Anti-corruption Day

Recently Gujarat’s Legislative Assembly Election of 2022 concluded on December 5 as voting day and December 8 as results day due to this political air is still hot in India. On top of that today, December 9, is celebrated as International Anti-corruption Day. For the awareness purpose and to spot out this topic on the occasion of forming new government in the state, it is necessity to discuss it.

The United Nations Convention Against Corruption launched International Anti-corruption Day to spread awareness on October 31, 2003. Corruption creates direct problems to the values of democracy, reliability in societies and threatening values and rule of the law. That is why UN launched December 9 as International Anti-corruption Day to spread awareness about corruption and to strengthen the measures efficiently and effectively taken against corruption

In India, anti-corruption movement gained thrust after hunger strike of Anna Hazare on April 5, 2011 at Jantar Mantar monument in New Delhi. Due to this Indian anti-corruption movement is also known as “Anna Andolan”. This movement’s main aim was to reduce the corruption in Indian Government by introducing Jan Lokpal Bill. The movement was non-violent, mostly focusing on political corruptions and issues and legal issues. But later political parties started to use the popularity of Anna Hazare and the movement to strengthen their own political agenda. Anna Hazare wanted to joint committee of members of the government and civil society to create more strict anti-corruption legislation. But after failing to pass the Lokpal Bill by Indian Government, many protesters from the movement wanted to form political party. But many of the protestors don’t want to enter in politics so they backed their way while the remaining in the favor of forming political party, joined the group “India Against Corruption” in the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal. Later on, November 26, 2012, Arvind Kejriwal formed the political party Aam Aadmi Party.

After independence in 1947, it is known that License Raj was core for domestic and recurring corruption in India. Because until 1980 our country was dependent on socialist inspired economic policies which led to unemployment, poverty and slow economic growth.

On March 12, 2011, Dandi March II was organized against corruption in India by group of non-resident Indians walking 240 miles in the United States. This march was conducted in 45 cities of USA, 40 cities in India and 8 other countries in world. This march was organized in the demand of Lokpal Bill and returning of black money. These movements and many other were counted as the rise of anti-corruption protests in India which are later covered by media in the form of the documentary.

Corruption is like the leech who sucks out every good thing out of the individual and the society. Impairing ethics, values and reputations of the organizations or the individuals. The decision is in your hands to break the chain or to support it. On this International anti-corruptions day lets get aware of our surroundings and bring positive change in our country and future.

– An article by Shivani Gadre