By Albert Thyrniang
“The editor of this paper in her program “Upfront” often asks her guests, mainly politicians, including MLAs, on unemployment and its causes. In the show with Mayralborn Syiem, the Nongpoh legislator clearly agrees that many deserving candidates don’t get government jobs because of nepotism, favouritism and corruption. We know which categories of people are involved in nepotism, favouritism and corruption.”
The ‘hearsay’ letter on November 11 deserves a rejoinder, not because it is anonymous and slanderous in nature but parts of its content need expansion. First things first, whether a newspaper worth its salt should publish unnamed letters, is for the editor to decide. The letters to the editor column is very popular because they are brief and readers love to read them. It should be a Town Hall where all kinds of points and counter-points are put forward, but whether incognito speakers are permitted in such a platform is debatable.
A clarification is necessary here. If readers get the impression that my statement in the article, which the letter writer has problems with, is a generalisation, I correct myself unconditionally. It was not my intention to make a sweeping statement that all those who get into government jobs do so via bribes. Surely there are many who succeed purely on merit. Full credit to them! Whether the nameless author is one of them is anybody’s guess. If so, he or she should say so openly by revealing his or her identity. In a seminar a speaker boldly proclaimed, “I got this job without paying any bribe.” Well said but there was a lot of giggling in the room. Why the giggling? No comments. It is open to interpretation. If there are individuals who manage to secure their jobs through the fair way there are also many more who use unfair means including paying handsome amounts. To allege that government job seekers shell out a few lakhs is not based on hearsay. It is not the statement of a ‘riff-raff’ or of disreputable people or ‘slanderous talk of the hoi polloi’ as the writer assesses. It is a widespread public perception. People talk openly that in order to get government jobs you have to pay bribes. There are general allegations of this sort in the public domain. Leaders of pressure groups make these allegations in their public speeches. Activists often complaint about it. Is there smoke without fire? But to provide proof is difficult. It will be foolish to expect bribers and bribe beneficiaries to acknowledge the malpractice. It could be too much to have a Rudolf Elmer in the state. We may never have a whistle-blower among us.
A person, even after many years, often laments, “I should have been an MCS officer. I failed in the personal interview because I was asked to pay Rs 10 lakhs.” Privately he also names officers of his batch who got through on merit, or by bribing their way through or other considerations. We know you can’t name anyone here. We have certainly heard of recruits who borrow money from friends to secure a government job. There are cases where the family raise the funds demanded so that their son or daughter gets the job. You may demand for proof but if there is no proof should we just remain silent? Is there anyone who can categorically say that the government job ‘market’ is totally clean? Is there absolutely nothing amiss? Should not this critical issue be discussed and debated, albeit in general terms? It is this perceived corruption that is causing frustration to the youths who feel they deserve to be government employees but are deprived of a job because they just don’t have the purchasing power.
The editor of this paper in her program “Upfront” often asks her guests, mainly politicians, including MLAs, on unemployment and its causes. In the show with Mayralborn Syiem, the Nongpoh legislator clearly agrees that many deserving candidates don’t get government jobs because of nepotism, favouritism and corruption. We know which categories of people are involved in nepotism, favouritism and corruption.
Corruption in government jobs in India is a reality. In mid-May this year the shady police recruitments in Karnataka revealed that ‘Government recruitments are consumed by corruption’. Left in disgrace is the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC). Aspirants allegedly sold land and valuables to pay fat bribes for police jobs. In November 2013 Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania found most youngsters in India joining the government sector by paying bribes. Since most officials in government jobs are corrupt, youngsters are forced to use money. The honest might not get into that system. Interestingly the survey says college students who cheated on a simple task were more likely to want government jobs. In April, the infamous Sindhu diary where a senior clerk at the Mananthavady sub-inspector RT office in Kalpetta revealed that those who are not ready to comply with corruption should not apply for government jobs. Kalpetta is a major town and municipality in Wayanad district, in ‘God’s own country’, Kerala.
As recently as September last year the Local Circles and Transparency International India listed the most corrupt departments in India. Surprisingly the Judiciary leads the way. The rest are in this order, IAS lobby, ED, CBI & IB, Defence Forces, Department of Land Resources & Rural Development, Municipal Council & Police Department, Tax department, Jail & Prison, Health Department and Education Department. The study exposes that more than half of Indians pay bribes to state and local officials because, “it was the only way to get work done.” It is only common sense to infer that corruption extends also to the recruitment process. Do the ‘state and local officials’ exclude Meghalaya? Is Meghalaya a saint in its dealings? Then why the delay in the Meghalaya Public Service Commission and the District Selection Committee results? Why do we need agitations to speed up the process? Why all the illegality and scams here?
The author could be a mentor. He has a series of advice. A couple of points are sufficient to consider here. One strong recommendation is that if I preach about fearing God, I should do so only from a pulpit and not in the print media. This is precisely what is happening in the state. Religion is divorced from life. Religion does not extend outside the church. The biblical, religious, moral and ethical lessons preached end up within the church. Values learned in the church do not carry on into places of work. Doing right is only in the church. Doing wrong things outside the church is alright. What is preached in the pulpit on Sundays should not impact life during the rest of the week. What else to say if one is advised to exhort to fear God only in the church! It is strange that if one is told to fear God outside the church one should be resentful. Never mind the illegality in coal mining and transportation! There is no need to talk about the corruption along the highways. A lecture is unwelcome on the rice scam, the smart meter scam, the vehicle scam and others.
Going by the above analogy the collapse of the dome of the new Assembly building, the leakage of the brand new ISBT at Mawiong need not be questioned. No one should raise an alarm on the purchase of votes doing elections. These are not wrong because they don’t take place in the church? This is what the writer of the letter essentially asserts. There are a growing number of pastors, priests and preachers who use YouTube and other social media platforms. A few are there in the print media as well because the message should not remain within the four walls of the church. Perhaps the writer is ignorant of this trend.
Another unsolicited counsel is that this writer should write more ‘about politics, environmental problems, social and economic aspects’. Well, these subjects are not assigned to me alone. This is neither my sole privilege nor duty. It is not only my responsibility to opine on these topics. Every citizen in a democracy should voice their concerns. The writer of the letter is also eligible to write on the above issues.
The letter writer finds faults that my article did not contain any positive suggestions. Probably a careful reading was not done. Two suggestions were offered: one, to have all interviews in camera with visual and audio facilities. This will minimise if not eliminate corruption, nepotism and favouritism. Secondly, to ban or end the use of the slogan “Ha ri lajong katba mon.” My suggestion has found some resonance. North Shillong MLA, Adelbert Nongrum has also appealed to pressure groups to restrain from using the slogan because it can mislead young minds.
Here I end my case.