Unchecked powers, in majority of cases, have been found causing the abuse of authority by the person possessing it. Democracy disallows that. The unlawful use of powers manifests itself in multiple ways— blackmailing, bribery, delay tactics and any other gratification by the power holding hands in delivering services to the general public.
These acts simply are professional gross misconduct. Also include the prohibited and deplorable use of influence — be it because of one’s political leanings, of one’s riches or of one’s official authority.
It is an open secret that bribery , nepotism, favoritism and the act of sifarish or influence are not confined to any particular society but more or less are at play worldwide . No matter the form of government in operation. These unfair means breed governance deficit and feelings of deprivation of state services for an ordinary citizen— something against the spirit and purpose of having a polity for social welfare. Thus, common citizens mostly go unheard and feel insecure.
Remarkably, we do have potent laws in place to turn tables on corrupt practices; we have scores of institutions capable for calling to account the corrupt hands.
Arguably, these institutions may not be convincingly foolproof but they have turned up heat on several corrupt officials in the recent past; are watchful to ensure that the big fish do not slip through the net. But what about the menace called ‘Sifarish’ (literally the wrong use of influence) in getting things done at the expense of the powerless sections.
It is in bad taste that Sifarish holds a whip hand in majority of cases related to ration card issues, for a simple deployment/ transfer, for a doctor’s consultation, for admission in institutions, etc; long is the list. Do we need merit or sifarish/ the unlawful influence? Do we need rule of law or sifarish? Should we wait for our turn at a hospital or use sifarish to get the medical assistance?
The rot sets in when the supposed moral preachers and pious people make things happen on the back of undue influence. Most people opine that taking the well travelled path of sifarish for posts, postings, transfers, admissions, contracts and so on, does not bear any threat to society. To an extent, sifarish may be tolerable and understandable. But it is seen as a status symbol and the people possessing it weaponise it, leaving the non- sifarish people helpless and defeated.
Truth is that the weaker sections suffer for not having a rich purse, strong hands or right contacts. In action is ‘ my survival first’; ‘my family first’ which compromises the legal framework and murders the very essence of social justice — in a democratic set up. If nobody is above the law, then sifarish culture must be erased as it is wiping out our moral and legal norms. An individual act of sifarish may look negligible but its toxic effect on the system is devastating: an infectious trend sets in.
Ordinary citizens face hardships and violation of human rights on the occasions where sifarish is a decider. Tragic but true is that most people lack the backbone to denounce those favoring and intervening in the interest of the privileged , leaving the disadvantaged sections in trouble. Contrarily, such influential people are garlanded, gifted with sweets, suits, boots, friendships and invitations to functions.
As a result, they feel endeared and encouraged to the point that they their wishes become rules for a common citizen. Dozens of lower rung employees are seen wandering even during duty hours; dozens do side business, skipping duty. All due to sifarish, a dominant form of corruption in action. In addition, the practice of sifarish hits the economic and social sectors as well because it affects the state exchequer in illegal ways.
A few examples. Doctors are trained on tax payers’ money in our medical colleges and are mandated to treat people free at government hospitals.
For this service, the health officials receive fat salaries — again from tax payers’ money. Once appointed, most doctors come late to duty and leave early for private clinics. So double gains to them. One, their salaries and two, income at clinics. Because of sifarish, they even act on impunity, knowing well that their patrons will come to their rescue. But what about the larger society?
The next sector is induction into the administration on the basis of sifarish and its negative impact on society. These recruits generally adopt a predatory approach, prioritizing their personal comfort and welfare.
We all have grievances about the absence of competence and lack of professionalism in public services. Under sifarish, merit and competence are sacrificed at the altar of mediocrity.
The worst damage to our future is inflicted in the shape of teacher appointments if based on the use of influence, not merit. When teachers get licenses not on earned merit but on sifarish, then we need not look forward to excellence in their work.
And for that matter in the betterment of our younger generation or discipline in their lives. When influential teachers show no seriousness and stay away from their duties to indulge in side business with patrons protecting them, teaching-learning process is bound to be derailed.
Undeniably, patronized teachers go by their wishes, not the codal norms. The disillusionment railroads the dutiful teachers to follow suit, feeling that the deviant behavior goes unnoticed and good work unfruitful. No wonder if we have poor results, declining enrollment, high dropout rates, and a high number of actually illiterate young people unable to find jobs. These people may end up in the depths of anti-social activities. Where does the buck stop then?
Sifarish involves lihaz, sharam, biraderi, relation, friendship etc. It is a tall order for a person to refrain from the evil act but if we prioritise public interests over personal ones and seek better future, we can free our work culture from sifarish. Nothing can change if we change nothing; sifarish is our own enemy; we all need to weed it out. It is time, we change our priorities.
(Author is RK Columnist and teacher by profession He can be reached on: [email protected])
