NIRJULI, Feb 3: NGO representatives, intellectuals, retired bureaucrats, professors, thinkers and student leaders participated in a consultative meeting on corruption, organised by the Movement for Unified Multifaceted Knowledge Interaction Network (MUMKIN) in the NERIST auditorium here on Saturday.
Speaking against corruption, Dr Tara Taku said, “Every structure raised and property amassed by bureaucrats and public leaders should be properly scrutinized and recorded by vigilance teams.”
Asserting that “too many expectations are the root cause of corruption,” he said even the common man is a mode of corruption “because he corrupts the officers by bribing them.”
Dr Nani Bath in his address said while the people of Arunachal talk of corruption, they seldom look for ways to check it.
“An engineer in our state dreams of becoming a politician after retirement, on the strength of the wealth he amassed through unfair means, and a teacher does businesses instead of concentrating on his profession. In fact, we fail to do our duties sincerely and realistically,” Dr Bath said.
He said Lokayukta/Lokpal should be established in the state, and that the RTI Act should be utilized properly.
Dr Bath suggested streamlining the electoral process, registering properties, and campaigning against tax evasion.
Advocate TT Tara dwelt on the legal procedures and laws to contain corruption. He lamented that despite being armed with numerous legal procedures, “our people get suppressed by power and money of the people in power.”
He apprised the gathering of the recent case because of which the State Human Rights Commission has been established in Arunachal Pradesh. He also informed that he has filed a suit for establishing Lokayukta in the state.
Prof Dr Tado Karlo suggested constituting working committees to organise anti-corruption campaigns.
Speaking on the topic ‘One person, one profession’, Dr Karlo said, “Even creating poverty is a violation of human rights. As such, one person holding multiple posts and professions is a violation of human rights and a corrupt practice.”
Engineer Tomi Ete mourned that “the persons who are entrusted with the power to guide, help and serve the society are looting it.”
He advised the gathering to fight corruption “physically and mentally.”
“We have to try to change the mindset of the society through positive campaigns and rope in the youth to make them understand about corruption,” he said.
MUMKIN chairman Tadar Nigler made a PowerPoint presentation on corruption.
At the end of the meeting, committees were formed to carry out anti-corruption campaigns.