G Murali
Governance is admittedly the weak link in our quest for prosperity and equity. It is imperative to eliminate corruption and abuse of office, not only from a moral perspective but also to ensure economic prosperity. There are two, somewhat contrary, approaches in dealing with corruption and abuse of office. The first is overemphasis on values and character. Many people lament the decline in values and the consequent rise in corruption. The implicit assumption is that until values are restored, nothing much can be done to improve the conduct of human beings. The second approach is based on the belief that most human beings are fundamentally decent and socially conscious, but there are always a small proportion of people, who cannot reconcile individual goals with the good of society. Such deviant people tend to pursue personal gain at the cost of public good and the purpose of organized Government is to punish such deviant behavior. If good behavior is consistently rewarded and bad behavior consistently punished, the bulk of the people follow the straight and narrow path. However, if good behavior is not only not rewarded, but is actually fraught with difficulties and bad behavior is not only not punished, but is often extravagantly rewarded, then the bulk of the people tend to stray from the honorable path.
The object of all social theories was to show how welfare of the State might be secured. Welfare of the State was the source of all other welfare. Cameralism was a German science of administration and a counterpart of French ‘Mercantilism’. The administrator of Royal finances was called ‘Camerarius’ and thus cameralism became the predecessor of the modern science of Public Administration.
The western cameralists were regarded as political scientists who were servants of the State and its supporters too, to whom the purposes of the state was paramount. What ‘cameralism’ demanded from the ‘King’ was an ascetic reformist who leads a life of dedication with little scope for the wayward pursuit of low pleasures. The duty of the Prince does not end when he has secured independence for his state and internal order. He must work actively to promote morality among the people. The King is aided by ministers with habits of intense labour, frugal living, and dutiful subservience to the state. Where do our political masters and the bureaucracy fit in the scheme of a cameralist? One would like to draw an analogy with the modern day bureaucrat who supposedly is more loyal to the State than his/her political masters, and provides the much-needed checks and balances between right and wrong by being a cameralist. The hierarchy of Ministers is supposed to be Cameralist King and Ministers. It is a utopian thought and wishful thinking but a dream nonetheless of the electorate.
In India, lack of ethics and ownership in governance is the singular cause for unhappiness amongst the society and derides meaningful development. The underlying cause for the complete lack of ethics however, is complex. The foundations of an amoral society were laid post independence when a traditional society was to be modernized and humanized through state intervention. While bureaucrats grew in numbers, archaic British rules and laws remained, creating an amoral polity adrift without a code of conduct. The potential for uniting ethical values and codes was also completely ignored from the time of Independence, in favor of a so-called secularism protecting the rights of minorities that allowed communal groups to manifest themselves and emphasize differences instead of similarities. Distrust of people, scarcity of resources led to highly centralized decision making thus exacerbating bureaucratic corruption. The causal factors are endless.
In tackling the issue of ethics in governance, the two classical sources of Ancient Indian literatures- Arthasastra and Thirukkural are worth considering for their thoughts. Kautilya’s concept of what is good governance is reflected in his approach to adequacy of compensation in the form of good pay of official administrators and maintaining a hierarchical approach to calculation and distribution of wages (verses 5.3.1 to 19). Study by Dr Gerrit De Vylder in 2014 mentions that at the start of a career an IAS officer earns more than what Kautilya had recommended, but as he progressed, the margin of difference dropped drastically. Liberalising the economy in 2009 caused a visible disparity in wages between the private sector and the bureaucracy. Given the low salaries and poor opportunities for economic growth, it is no wonder that the overall satisfaction of Government servants with their pay and benefits was very low and even though they were quite satisfied with their job and were proud of being Government servants, it did not compensate for their dissatisfaction with the poor pay and benefits. It would be fair to assume that the 7th Pay Commission has adequately compensated the government employees and reduces the disparity between the private and public sector. While Kautilya was liberal on the issue of compensation, he was also correct in ensuring punitive legal action of the fraudsters and those engaging in unethical behavior in quick time.
Thiruvalluvar, a Tamil poet did not share the pragmatic solution of Kautilya in tackling ethical deficit. He, around 31 B.C, said that wealth acquired with proper means will yield virtues and happiness and when used for noble purpose will earn peace and prosperity. Clearly, Thiruvalluvar valued wealth yet he was quick to add in Verse 101,
“He who hoards wealth and does not enjoy it or utilize it to benefit others, is as good as dead, and his wealth is a waste”.
An inference that can be drawn from the ‘Kurals’ is that wealth was a means to fight poverty and society should not have inequalities in wealth. Thiruvalluvar’s conclusions were equally remarkable: he stated that ethical values coincide with a good economy and that therefore a free market is necessary. Basically humans are naturally good and contribute positively to the economy, a clear difference from Kautilya and certainly on a philosophical plane.
The recent poll verdicts in the State elections can be a benchmark for a change among the people who want effective governance leading to development. The poll results also reflects on the dislike and disregard for empty rhetoric and caste politics. Good governance and deliverance have become the key mantras for the political class if they have to stay in power. The people have left no choice and have in effect given a fait accompli for reforms and progress. One hopes that populism will give way to pragmatism, given the cameralist attitude among a few political leaders.
Issues such as removing ‘discretionary’ powers in public offices with public interface, formulation of a “code of ethics” for the elected representatives of the people and the bureaucracy, objectivity and accountability should form the mantra amongst all civil servants irrespective of their grade or rank. Exemplary and prompt punishment should become the norms of office functioning rather than an exception.
Indian “cameralism” suffered at the hands of invasions and imperialism. Today, the faith in individual virtue and democracy and the germinal philosophy and ideas of the past are either forgotten or subjected to criticism. The Indian Cameral thought of exalting the State in order to save the society has been permanently thrust to the background, just as the ideals of ‘dharmasastra’ and ‘Arthasatra’ have fallen out of sympathy and forgotten due to the advent of ‘Imperialism’. The enormity of restoring idealism in Nationalism is stupendous. A true leader will always lead by own example. If a leader is honest, sincere and committed to the task assigned to him, the vibes created percolate down the hierarchy cleansing the system that he controls. The country can learn a lesson or two from the Armed Forces in this regard. We need a majority who subscribe to the thought of ethical cleansing as a National priority and a One Man army will fall short for the task.
(The author is former Major General)
(feedback murali.mythily@gmail.com)
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