[wordup] Don't Say No to Bribe!

[Adam Shand]

Source: http://hitxp.wordpress.com/2007/09/09/dont-say-no-to-bribe/
Via: Brett Shand <bretts at earthlight.co...>

Don't say no to bribe!
September 9th, 2007 — Gurudev

The drive against corruption and bribes has taken a new turn in  
India. The zero rupee experiment started in Chennai is now reaching  
other parts of the country.

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The Zero Rupee campaign against corruption and bribes is started by  
an Indian NGO 5th pillar, which identifies the common man (you and  
me) as the fifth pillar of democracy apart from the standard four  
pillars of Administrative, Executive, Judiciary and Press.

The common term used by corrupt bureaucrats and politicians to ask  
for bribe is to “make Gandhi smile on them”. This is because a  
smiling picture of Gandhiji is present on all Indian currency notes.

To counter corruption, the 5th pillar has come out with a ‘Zero  
Rupees’ note which is a direct copy of a 50 Rupee note of India,  
except for the fact that as the name suggests ‘Zero Rupees’ note has  
no value as it is not a true currency note.

5th pillar is distributing thousands of these notes to the common man  
so that they can give this note to those who ask bribe, who at first  
glance would think it to be a valid currency, only to be reminded of  
the wrong they are doing!

There is a message on the note which reads ‘Eliminate corruption at  
all levels’, and this is enough to remind a person of his crime and  
to instigate a feeling of guilt in the bribe receiver. The campaign  
is called ‘Freedom from corruption’.

While the normal Indian currency note contains a pledge by the  
Reserve Bank of India reading ‘I promise to pay the bearer a sum of x  
rupees’, the zero rupee note will carry the pledge ‘I promise to  
neither accept nor give bribe’!

The campaign started on August 4th this year, and has already paid  
dividends to many. For instance, an autorickshaw driver was pulled  
over by a traffic policeman demanding bribe to let him go, and when  
the driver gave this note as bribe, he was first shocked on seeing it  
properly, but then smiled and let the driver go!

The campaign might not be a 100% success. But there is no harm in  
trying it out. It will definitely make a lot of difference when a  
person is not refusing to pay bribe and yet does not pay the bribe.  
but instead passes on a message not to against corruption!!

Think of the embarrassing situation the officers will be in when  
their colleagues or family members see these zero rupee currency  
notes with them, and make fun of them ‘Zero kya’!

I think this campaign will work like an unrecorded sting operation.  
Stung, but not exposed on camera :)