“I am not a crook," exclaimed the former disgraced President of America Richard Milhous Nixon dogged by the Water - gate scandal and an impeachment threat. A similar cry of despair can be made by India as a nation because we are a nation of crooks in this century, just as the Greeks were called a nation of liars by the Romans during the Empire days, for it is only a crook who needs to protest his innocence.

Men often swear by truth, honesty and the “Sanathana Dharma”. But we use these words only to cover our dark - souls and darkest deeds.

There is a court - room joke:
A cheat was hauled before a Magistrate. The Magistrate looked at the sad - looking complainant who was cheated, then turned to the accused and said with feeling:
"Why do you cheat people who trust you?"
The cheat looked amused at this question from the Magistrate. He said in a reassuring tone: "But your honour, how can I cheat people who don't trust me?"

Yes, how can the traders, businessmen, industrialists and others cheat the people unless the people trust them? That's the paradox in Indian society today. That is also its tragedy. The politician cheats the voter; teacher cheats the students; government officer cheats the public; merchant cheats the customer; charlatan cheats the innocent; police cheats the law... The moment one gets a chance to cheat, he cheats — simply, no scruples, no moral compunctions either.

The conscience does not trouble him for he has deliberately numbed it. Such is the state of our nation. There is something rotten in the state of India. There is an erosion of character, discipline and morality. Country's GDP is rising but its character is not. This is why corruption is seen singing and dancing in every government office, from the peon to the top boss.

Bribe in all its various forms is accepted as an in thing; no one feels guilty about it. The wife may still be offering prayers in the teak - panelled, marble - floored pooja room while the husband is receiving bulging envelope containing money he does not legally or morally “deserve”. It will look as if this is done with the consent, connivance and then the blessing of God! An honest man will cut a sorry figure if he raises doubts about the justification for taking bribe, for in a nation of sinners, the saint is a first sinner. We have many examples of it in our daily life.

I knew of a government officer who was transferred to Mysore. He bought a house with an out - house in N. R. Mohalla and moved into it. Later, he rented out the out - house to a PWD junior engineer who was newly appointed. After about three months, this young engineer invited his landlord for a pooja in his house. As the priest began his chanting, the engineer asked him to wait a while, rushed to the bedroom and brought a small bundle well wrapped in old newspaper secured with rubber bands and placed it in front of the photo of Lord Venkataramana.

The pooja over, lunch served. As my friend was leaving, he asked, out of curiosity, about that bundle.

Sheepishly, the engineer told my friend that it was his first BRIBE money after he joined the office! Hence the thanksgiving to God!!!

If this is at micro - level, we can well guess what it would be at the macro - level. Bundles of currency notes, gold biscuits valued in crores are offered to the Lord of Tirupati. We already know about Bofors, 2G spectrum, CWG, secret Swiss bank accounts, etc. etc. After all, with the present economic boom, with so much of money flying around, why not take a good percentage our of the purchases and contracts, call it as “my cut”, kickback, “speed money”, or whatever?

"After all such a big country, with so much of money, will not become poor if I take a few crores as bribe", seems to be the crook's reasoning. A crook to begin with, always finds a way to be in a position of power and then finds a way to make a pile. Actually, the crook is put in a position of power by a greater crook. Samajh gaye na!