Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step

—Martin Luther King Jr

As we step into 2012, a lot of us will be making New Ye­ar resolutions. Th­is is always a time for reflection on the past, celebration of the happy moments and an attempt to enhance the future. Confucius had said: “Study the past if you want to divine the future.” With this in mind, let’s look at what the past few months have brought us. The debacle in Rajya Sabha over the Lokpal bill is being called by many people as the darkest moment of India’s democracy. The debates in both the houses were sad and slipped into the ri­diculous at times. India’s po­liticians again stand discredited in the eyes of people, who are asking questions to which the politicians, both the ruling party and the opposition, do not have an answer. Where do we go from here — do we carry on as before and pretend that nothing happened or do we explode and erupt and come out into the streets in angst and frustration.

The people of India have been taken for a ride by the façade of the anti- corruption movement. The campaign took advantage of the Indian citizen — who is truly tired of corruption. People who came out in support understood nothing of what the Lokpal bi­ll meant — they came out because they believed that this would bring ch­a­n­ge. But th­ey were cheated; the moveme­nt very soon bared its true co­lours in being a parade of political chicanery. The whole ag­i­tation became targeted against the central government and specific individuals. Pot shots and personal attacks took priority; petty reactions and comments became the norm. The issue of corruption was soon forgotten. People whose own sou­rces of income are questionable joined the bandwagon. A leader cannot betray his people, and here was betrayal personified as political ambitions took over any intentions of attacking corruption. Has corruption reduced after the mo­ve­ment started? If no, then this is where the movement has fa­iled.

Is the Lokpal Bill good for the people of India? Aren’t we already overburdened with regulation? Do we want another law? We need to change the ecosystem and provide an environment where corruption can be rooted out. We need a strong government and a leader who will not get cowed down by the charades of various groups. Corruption needs to be eradicated from our DNA but maybe the Lokpal bill is only one aspect and not the only answer. The government should have shown more wisdom and courage in coming up with real ways to fight this menace.

In any case of corruption there is a giver and a taker. We seem to be talking only about the taker. This is the first fallacy. Hence a solution proposed thorugh a half-baked understanding of the issue will be half-baked. The second aspect of corruption is that it isn’t only for monetary purposes; it can also be for power. So if we are dealing with corruption we should look at the whole situation. Both forms of corruption are bad and can eat into the moral fabric of the country. Who fuels corruption? Is it fuelled by the government or a political party, or is it fuelled by you and me? Before we embark on any agitation lets first cleanse ourselves instead of pointing fingers at others.

If we truly want to make India corruption free we need to look at the new generation. We need to target schools and colleges; motivate the youngsters to take charge so that they can start changing the world around them. We need to tell the 16-year-olds that they cannot get a driving licence till they reach the legal age, we have to stop paying the cop for traffic offences, and we have to have the will to fight each time a bribe is asked of us. The people of India need the media now — the media that catapulted the movement to fame needs to open an action line where every act of corruption can be reported and exposed. Because this battle can be won, this change can be made and we do not need regulation to do so. Vincent Van Gogh had said, “Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of sm­all things brought together.”

Yes the government can he­lp — first by cleaning up their administration and then by punishing corrupt people so severely that punishment becomes a deterrent to corruption. The government can support and reward honesty — reward people who pay taxes instead of harassing them and go after the people who do not pay taxes and yet lead opulent lives. Rewarding honesty and penalising dishonesty will create an ecosystem that supports a life of integrity. Let the honest man be privileged and acknowledged so that people aspire to be honest.

It is time for the prime minister to declare 2012 the year of integrity — on January 26, 2012 — let every Indian observe a 2-minute silence, led by the PM, and take a pledge to be honest. Imagine 1.2 crore people keeping silent for 2 minutes. The impact will be not be lost on the future of India.

I would like to end with the words of Mahatma Gandhi: “There are seven things that will destroy us: Wealth without work; pleasure without conscience; knowledge without ch­aracter; religion without sacrifice; politics without principle; science without humanity; business without ethics.”

(The writer is head of advisory services of KPMG, India)