Upholding dharma is the ultimate duty of man and loyalty does not mean supporting wrong actions
Integrity, fairness and transparency are said to be the hallmarks of good governance. But the question is how to ensure this. E-governance is emerging as a means to bring transparency, but still it has its limitations. It is the human element that is crucial. Nations across the globe are facing the effect of deteriorating governance both in public and private sector, and the cause has been traced to human element. Rightly had someone said that if you go deep into any problem, you will find people. The solution also, however, comes from people.
As attempts to arrest corruption are being made everywhere, let us think of whistleblowing as a means. Whistleblowing plays a pivotal role in exposing unethical activities in the Government and bureaucracy.
Corruption, in the recent past, has emerged as a major issue in governance. The exposes that have surfaced in the public and corporate domain in the past few years have made a serious dent into the country’s image. India figures poorly in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. There is a need to take the issue as one of the biggest challenges the country is facing. But the question is howIJ The political class has failed to tackle the issue effectively, the complicity of the bureaucracy is more than established and the corporate houses too have not covered themselves with glory — exceptions notwithstanding.
The answer then has to come from the ordinary people who are the real stakeholders. Whistleblowing has to be considered in this light. There are incidents that suggest that the practice is becoming a favoured response for those who think it is time to call spade a spade. However, with a weak institutional mechanism, whistleblowing remains a risky proposition. Elsewhere, whistleblowing is becoming an important tool in the prevention and detection of corruption. A survey conducted by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) and Ernst & Young found that frauds often lead to some form of business disorder, tarnished reputation as well as financial losses.
Sometimes, however, a question of righteousness is raised. Is it right to point fingers at the employer, the Government or the kingIJ The US incident involving Edward Snowden’s disclosure is a case in point. Was he upholding some principles of universal ethics by spilling the beans about the US policy or was he indulging in an unlawful act of violating the contractual obligations of his jobIJ The answer to this may settle many doubts about the nature and purpose of whistleblowing, but the important question is will we ever get an answerIJ
In the ancient Indian mythology Ramayana, a similar predicament can be traced in the case of Vibhishana, demon king Ravana’s brother who did not approve of the latter’s abduction of Sita and subsequently joined Rama. It was Vibhishana’s information about Ravana’s weakness that proved to be the latter’s nemesis. Bhisma’s indifference in the Kaurva court when Draupadi was dishonoured also raises a similar question. Mangal Pandey’s revolt in the war of 1857 against the East India Company was also viewed in similar light. The dividing line between a traitor and a whistleblower may be thin, but the fact remains that the two are not the same. Upholding dharma is the ultimate duty of every person and loyalty does not mean supporting wrong actions.
The writer is a professor, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad (Jharkhand). He can be reached at ppathak.ism@gmail.com