‘Bribery is akin to stealing; it is an act of theft. A society that does not see the act of bribery as an act of stealing and theft can be termed as a society of THIEVES and ROBBERS. A person who demands and / or receives an undue favour or a bribe – whether monetary or sexual or in kind or of any other nature – from another person, in lieu of rendering any routine service or assistance for which the person receives a salary from his/her employer, is nothing short of a THIEF or a ROBBER.
The disease of stealing lies very much in the mindset of people. It is a psychological disorder. Alarmingly, people who indulge in bribery – taking and giving – try to even bribe God as an act of reconciliation and self-cleansing. A portion of the stolen money is offered in secret, and in not-so-secret, donations and offerings to God in temples and other places of worship. There is nothing glorifying about it. It is a shameful situation.
To change a society for better, its children must be holistically educated and permanently made to realize and understand that an act of bribery is akin to an act of stealing or robbery, just like what a robber or a thief does. Strict punitive measures are must to check this menace, but that requires brave people of conscience and character at all levels. Also, the law & order organisation should work like a German machine … and that is another matter for discussion.’ … Bill K Koul