Chennai: While corruption is the mother of all the problems dogging India, political corruption is the dirtiest and the most debilitating component of all forms of corruption in the country, Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi said here Sunday.
“The mother of all problems in our country is corruption. Which corruption? Police corruption? Corrupt bureaucrats? The biggest corruption is political corruption”, Bedi told a large congregation of students, teachers, parents and social activists at the concluding session of a month-long Chennai Youth International Fest.
“There is no dearth of money with the government but that money is not properly utilised. Half of that money is stolen. India is not poor; it's rich. Actually, India is poor only because of corruption", she said while exhorting the youth to "raise voice" against corruption through collective action, such as forming groups such as 'Youth against Corruption Clubs'. These groups could also take up community work and help in the evolution of not just political but also social leadership.
Calling upon the youth to work towards social reforms, Bedi said the call against crimes against women "must come from boys". "Men should raise voice against men committing such crimes".
Nation building is possible only if the youth taken up the twin vital needs-fighting against corruption and taking up community building, Bedi said.
Referring to the encomiums paid to her by the earlier speakers, she said: “I am not doing anybody any favour. I am only doing my duty and I love doing it. I wish I can do more. This is the only way I know to do. This is how I have been trained by my parents, my teachers. A stage comes in life when you have to be your own teacher, so now I am teaching myself everyday”.
