Morally bankrupt Lokpal crusaders

Anna Hazare fast became a media spectacle, and lot of youngsters, professionals, students wanted to be part of a great movement that was dubbed as 'Independence movement', 'People movement'...etc. Undue importance and space was given in the media for so called Team Anna. However, Team Anna is divided now and may be dissolved soon. One of the vociferous leaders in the Team Anna is Kiran Bedi. As an IPS officer in Delhi, she was dubbed as 'Crane Bedi' for disciplining unruly drivers by lifting vehicles that were parked in No Parking zones. She did not show favouritism and was considered straight forward honest officer. No wonder, she received a gallantry award for her contribution in several areas for the nation.

Fudging accounts
Media reports have brought to focus that Kiran Bedi used to fudge accounts. When she is invited to give lecture in any institution, she receives a fee and also expenses for her travel. Many hosts provide her Business Class airfare. She generally travels economy and also avails discount for air tickets as a gallantry award winner. If the Business Clas fare is Rs. 30000, the Economy fare could be Rs. 12000. She actually pays 25% of the economy ticket fare. For easy understanding: she pays about Rs. 5000 for her fare but claims Rs. 30000 as her travel expenses and also her lecture fee from her hosts.

Legally it is a crime
In India, this is legally untenable. There are precedents in which the courts have ruled that such fudging of accounts is criminal offence. Earlier the Government used to provide Leave Travel Concession (LTC) once in two years for Government employees and their families to travel during holidays. A Government servant could take his family for vacation and enjoy tourist spots in India. Some officials would book their tickets in IIIAC (as they are eligible), take Xerox copies of the ticket and then cancel it. They would travel in Sleeper Class/Second class and claim LTC submitting the IIIAC ticket copies. It almost became a normal practice. Nevertheless, some officers were caught and were suspended from their job. These officers went to court against the action taken by the government; they did not receive any respite. The officers were held guilty and were punished. So, Kiran Bedi is legally liable for punishment as her behaviour is alike the Government officers punished.

Moral
Morally also Kiran Bedi cannot justify her action. She claims that the hosts were willing to provide her business class travel. If so, she has hidden the facts from the hosts. First, she did not tell the truth that she could get travel concession as gallantry award winner. Second, she would be travelling economy only for the sake of saving money for helping other good causes. Third, she would receive business class fare but use it for some other purpose. Another option for her was to ask her hosts to provide donation for her Non Government Organization (NGO) she represents.

Suppressing facts shows lack of transparency in her public life. If she is insecure, whom she is afraid of? The hosts invite her and are willing to provide these funds in the form of travel and fee. Has she experienced inconvenience for revealing the facts? Did any of her hosts refused to pay she demanded citing her discounted air tickets? When there is no such bitter experience, Kiran perceives her hosts as rigid, and tight fisted hosts.

Does end justify means
Kiran Bedi claims that the amount 'saved' was not taken for her personal use or gratification. The money was donated to be used for other 'good causes'. Let us be gracious and say that the money saved was used for the poor or marginalized. Even then, does end justify the means? Even the former Karnataka Chief Minister said he had allotted the government land to a widow as widows could be provided with such gifts by the Government. However, the widow was from his own family. But, the courts saw that the behaviour of the former Chief Minister as untenable and is facing charges in the court. It echoes the old adage: 'Robbing Peter to pay Paul.' Can a citizen evade Income Tax but donate a gold crown to a deity in a religious shrine?

Anti-corruption crusaders cannot be corrupt
Unfortunately, the whole anti-corruption movement is moving forward without answering the question: "What is corruption?" There is a presumption that only politicians are corrupt and that too only Congress politicians are corrupt (so only Team Anna campaigned against Congress in Hisar bye election). Corruption by bureaucracy, business world, corporate and individual citizens which includes bribery, tax evasion, only cash transaction (including dowry transaction), double book entry, hawala, kickbacks...etc is ignored. May be many of the young followers are corrupt by this yardstick.

Conclusion
An old proverb says: "Caesar's wife should be above suspicion". Kiran Bedi has to face the allegations against her. If she had done wrong, she should have the guts to own up her moral failure and ask forgiveness from people and institutions. Instead, trying to justify her stand shows her arrogance. Team Anna should continue the 'silent week' for some more time, reflect, define what is corruption and come out with better plan to change India.