DEEP ROOTS

J B KRIPALANI

Prepared by,
Ann Maria Niel Ben
Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani
also called Acharya Kripalani
Gandhian Socialist, freedom fighter, educator, politician
Close associate of M K Gandhi and his ideologies
Congress president in 1946, resigned in 1947 after
Independence
equations within the party started changing
the power of the Congress president was no longer the
same as before
Founded Karshale Mazdoor Praja Party (Praja Socialist
Party)
Kripalani turned into a strong critic of his own party
Bitter sarcasm and biting irony
Kripalani was a harsh critic of both Jawaharlal Nehru
and Indira Gandhi
Opposed Nehru’s policies, which he thought were
against Gandhian values, and later opposed Indira’s
policies too
Traces the roots of corruption, critiques the values of
democracy
Questions how corruption and nepotism can be
rooted out from the system
“Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts
absolutely.”
Political upheavals and failure of regimes
prevalence of corruption & nepotism in the
political and administrative systems
 first step to revolution, tackle the problem of
corruption to gain confidence of people

Two faces of corruption under British Rule

1. Fundamental corruption
2. Administrative corruption
John Company systematized and sanctioned
administrative corruption
Official were paid low salaries, expected to
supplement salary through levies from associates

Transfer of administration from John Company to

Crown
only those in higher services, British officials
received emoluments
Result was a top heavy administration, condemned
by Congress over years
Corruption crept in at the lower grades of
administration
 War provides opportunities for corruption
 Takes advantage of the situation and undermines
conventional restrictions
 World War I - traces of corruption swept out
 World War II - uncertainty of future political set-up, Hindu-
Muslim Riot, bloodbath offered more room for corruption

 Transfer of political power from British to Govt., Politicians

now in power (who earlier denounced corruption) stringent
measures were to be taken, calling out corruption
 Critiques Nehru for not taking any action
 Unfortunately no attempt was made
Reasons for staying away:
- problems arising from transfer of power and
partition
- politicians and members came from same strata
of society, caste, families and remained unaffected
- powerful connections ?

No efforts were made by Indian hands to remove

the undesirable element (corruption)
Prolonged retention of war-time controls, lucrative
imports worsened the situation
Corruption has increased over the years, political
corruption has been added to existing administrative
corruption
Example through a Persian proverb
Nothing can be done without payment/
recommendation/ influence
This had led to inefficiency in administration and
delay in transaction of business
Reasons for resignation
Prevalence of corruption and an open black-market
PM’s reply- corruption is created by those who
continually talk about it
Example through Aesop’s fable
Finally, existence of corruption was admitted but only
within the lower ranks of services (contact with
common people)
Prime Minister’s excuses:
- All efforts gone into industrialising and modernising
the country
- Oblivious of damaging effect of corruption
Corruption has a moral effect on the whole
community
Turns an average citizen, dishonest (Kirpalani gives
examples of buying medicine from black-market,
merchant indulging in bribery
Calls out government employee as a public danger and
public enemy

sole motive is to make profit immorally & illegally

in the process, undermines social fabric

An average citizen turns honest or dishonest according
to the social circumstances
Kripalani’s own example of how he shocked the
Parliament, while he was Director at Gandhi Ashram
which produces Khadi
Series of events that happened in the branch at Bengal
which produces Silk

Produced goods had to be distributed, but-

Railway clerks refused to book them in time, load them in time
As a result, all the goods deteriorated and Ashram suffered losses
Gandhi's methods of handling corruption
He would call the man out
Place the evidence before him
Ask the person to retire from public life or be exposed
In most cases, the offending politicians walk away
quietly from public life

Today, the opposite takes place.

- Authorities makes sure that corruption at higher levels are not
exposed.
In politics and administration, it is not just authorities who have to be
right or correct….The public, you and I, must also feel the same!

“Will the holders of power act before it’s too late?”