Lokpal Day: Corruption breeds inequality; poor, women worst affected, says CJI Khanna

Maintaining that corruption breeds inequality, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on Thursday said the poor, women and disadvantaged groups are the worst hit by the menace.

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“Empirical studies show that the poor pay the highest percentage of their income in bribes. They are often preyed upon because they lack the power to complain, unlike their richer and powerful counterparts. Equally, other disadvantaged groups are left worse off by corruption,” the CJI said.

Addressing a Lokpal Day function here on Thursday evening, Justice Khanna said, “World Bank Reports show that women, in particular, bear a disproportionate burden as they rely heavily on public services, which are afflicted by corruption.

“Similarly, other marginalised groups like disadvantaged castes are severely impacted as they depend on public services more than their privileged counterparts. Privileged elites also use their influence to secure favourable policies and results. The vice-like grip of corruption increases inequality, and inequality breeds more corruption,” he said at the function attended by Lokpal Justice AM Khanwilkar, former Supreme Court judge N Santosh Hegde, Attorney General R Venkataramani and several judges of the Supreme Court.

Social activist Anna Hazare – who led the movement for creation of Lokpal – attended the function virtually from his village Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra.

Describing corruption as a “hydra-headed monster”, he said it has long plagued the Indian society, acting as a significant barrier to the democratic ideal.

The CJI said, “The Lokpal is paramount to our constitutional schema because it carries the antidote to the poison of corruption - a menace that has bedeviled democracies across the world.”

He said, “The Lokpal’s success will hinge on public trust, which happens through performance, objectivity, independence and fairness. Its success is also contingent on an engaged citizenry determined to root out corruption.”

Highlighting that “our fight against corruption must aim to strengthen democracy and public trust, not diminish it”, Justice Khanna said, “Anti-corruption efforts should be seen as a means to promote democracy, not an end in itself.”

Emphasizing on the importance of the doctrine of public trust, the CJI said, “Citizens trust the government to fulfil their aspirations – to live life with dignity, to freely speak their minds, and to overcome socio-economic challenges. This trust—the belief that governments will act fairly and in the public’s best interests—is the invisible force that makes our democracy work. Without this trust, no system—however intricate or well-designed—can function effectively. Public trust, therefore, is sine qua non (essential condition) to any constitutional democracy.

“However, when moral turpitudes like corruption and bribery creep into governance; this public trust begins to erode. Distrust grows in the hearts and minds of citizens, and this distrust is dangerous. History has shown us, time and again, that distrust can breed political and economic instability, sow deep divisions within society, and sometimes even lead to violence,” the CJI cautioned.

He hailed the role of RTI Act, 2005, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, in ensuring transparency and checking corruption.