by Lorna Wright

Corruption with the haves and the ‘elite’ in their push - button, sit-down world is called a ‘handshake’. With the vast numbers of poor and the have-nots in Asia and Thais accepting perhaps the need for it, sigh, and call it gin muong- ‘nation eating’; Chinese fan wu -’greedy impurity’; Pakistanis-Upar Ki amdani - ‘income from above’. In Sri Lanka the golden handshake has become an accepted ‘commission’ and with the poor it is a ‘paga’, gift, invariably under the table - but to-day however, right there on the table, or the top drawer half open of the desk.

So give a deep sigh and say. ‘Chiseling is part of the Asian ambience ‘.

From the furtive hand in the till, it is to-day habitual and blatantly justified by both Lay and Religious. Even made traditional, the normal prerogative of power. For the poorly paid wage earner escalating prices, inflation that has aggravated the problems of everyday living, official corruption has become a tacitly accepted tradition. Money, has become too associated with corruption - and being just about economics. What of the dishonesty and corruption - stealing Time, workforce time, paid for by employers battling competitive world market prices; the corruption, dishonesty defiling another character - an absolute past-time in this country.

Years ago, priorities were spiritual and moral. Simple ideas were all the more recognisable because families and the tensions within them are universal. But this is incompatible in a world in which the technique of economic solutions tend more and more to take over a power in itself, beyond all ideology and religious beliefs. It is pathetic. People are no longer encouraged to believe that their own perseverance will carry them through. The ideal of hard work and honesty recedes - they are made to believe the system is unjust, chaotically so, and only manipulation with money pays off.

So where-ever we turn we have rogues, thieves organised pilferage, it has roared out of hand. Conferences, seminars, workshops discuss the brutal link between poverty and social distress, stressing vehemently our society has become more and more unequal and uncaring. A surfeit of unwholesome characters are around, top, middle and bottom - at every level. But are we misjudging the reservoir of strength we have in our youth - the JVP- the graduates the so called A/Level, O/Level ‘failures’- we need, an army not only to fight - but a blue army of workers - the ESLC of the s. Essential Services Labour Co. Skills trained, disciplined for life, able to earn an honest living anytime, anywhere.

Among our many social woes is the ‘Santhosam’. At the Centre, three phase electricity was installed for heavy-duty machines to churn out Kola Kenda for the slum children. The Electricity Board had to approve the final connection. Appointment times were never kept as scheduled - fines imposed. On the 3rd visit a desperate appeal "wish god would speak to you, open your heart". Not interested, yet another date and fine fixed. The centre foremen intervened, took them out to tea. Half an hour later the Electricity Board van drove in again.

"Madam your god spoke to us". The cup of tea cost Rs. 500! but the children got their nutrition.

Consider the options. To each his own.

Boss rings the bell.

"Ask driver Fernando to bring my car. I have to attend an urgent meeting.’

Ten minutes later "Fernando not to be found Sir".

"Where the hell is he, - must be watching cricket in the canteen."

"No sir" You see sir, the drivers remain idle for hours. So two of them have bought a three- wheeler and share driving and money earned. It is good money sir, especially as the patrol comes off our government cars.

Blatant robbery - entrepreneurship ?

Defiling, The corruption of character assassination only perpetuates stereotypes. Scathing condemnation of the anti - social behavior of bribing and a PWD overseer once retorted "whether we take or don’t take, they say we take, so we might as well take". The traffic police, the Bunker Security too many opportunities have aggravated the situation.

A startling number of labelled, clicked characters now.

Rodrigo was extra special. Rodrigo an excellent English typist clerk was now computer trained. Always survived the political transfer because he was loyal to any boss. But special Rodrigo like everybody else needed extra money. Children growing up, spiralling costs. A faithful husband, his wife a good cook, knew the way to his heart was through his stomach. He noticed the quality of his meals was dropping -fuel, food costs were impossible, he had to earn extra.

One afternoon boss bumped into special Rodrigo at a seminar -he was addressing

"Rodrigo what are you doing here"?

"Sir" he said glibly stepping into his own personal arena of development strategy I wanted to hear you Sir - you speak so well on any subject - ego boltstering with an ingratiating smile - globilization, poverty alleviation - privatization- water management- agrarian reform, population, women, rape, empowerment, environment, child abuse, drug and alcohol abuse nutrition. Your clear mind identifies the country’s compelling needs and critical problems. Not your fault Sir, if nothing is implemented, nothing done.

"Thank you for the compliment Rodrigo but get back to that urgent work I gave you" and boss walked into the seminar. Special Rodrigo walked down the corridor to the computer. Boss was being paid a few hundreds, why not himself earn doing outside work. He was in greater need of the extra money.

A corrupt network of interlined interests.

The conference was scheduled for 2.30 p.m. Assembled were senior officers, diplomats, department staff. Everyone giving of their valuable and expensive time. The subject had been designated a high need area. The whole process of implementation had been wallowing in a sea of paperwork. It was 4 p.m. and the minister chairing the meeting had not arrived.

It is likely those present would require a greater leap of faith to believe in the urgency of the subject under discussion.

TIME is expensive and one can not cheat on Time - it waits for no one - most of them left.

Corruption a many sided thing was relatively restrained and furtive of yesteryear. To-day it permeates the whole of society cancerous with the hierarchy and the ‘haves’.

Pardonable with the ‘have nots’? An American Indian tribal saying.

"It is necessary to walk two miles in a man’s mocassins before you judge him.

Security guards at almost every other gate. Often said, there is need for security guards to supervise security guards!

When we wanted clothing seconds for slum children from a F.T.Z. factory, we were scandalised to learn all seconds were burnt.

"In a third world country - burnt ?" - incredulous !

"Yes, because all quality surveyors cannot be trusted - good clothes will go out as well ".

So the same rule was applied at the centre. No left - overs to go out with kitchen cleaners. But soon beggars on this kovil road were scrounging in the dustbins. The order was reversed. A female kitchen-hand after work got through security - for him blessings came from above - very distinctly was seen the rim of a tin of fish in the polythene bag she was carrying. Called her back- she unpicked the bag onto the doorstep- 4 eggs, 6 potatoes, tin of fish and left overs.

Shamefaced, crestfallen she left. The items were on the doorstep. Had some hungry children been deprived of a meal while we had ours? To work with the poor is heartbreaking, especially with grandmothers struggling with grandchildren while mothers have gone abroad.

My father a lawyer often said,

‘Rules and laws were like cob-webs, they caught small flies, but let wasps and hornets through’.