Mangalore: Dr B M Hegde releases John Monteiro's book on corruption
Pics: Brijesh Garodi
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
With Inputs from Media Release
Mangalore, Mar 30: “The world, more so India, is completely deluded by the corrupt. They are our leaders, our rulers and our guardians. There are different breeds of the corrupt,” said Dr B M Hegde, former vice-chancellor of Manipal University.
He spoke after releasing the revised, updated and expanded book by John B Monteiro titled 'Corruption – India’s Painful Crawl to Lokpal' at Mangalore Press Club here on Saturday March 30.
Referring to the book, Dr Hegde said, “John Monteiro’s book on corruption, the second edition, is timely. I enjoyed reading this book which lists lots that we could do to contain corruption as it exists now. My worry is that these quick-fix solutions, like modern medical quick-fixes, might only work temporarily. The book is beautifully brought out and makes splendid reading. Monteiro’s prose flows like a placid river and is very lucid. I recommend this book strongly.”
Dr Hegde said that he has analysed the malady to arrive at a final holistic solution to the cancer. He highlighted the various types of corrupt. The casual convert type “is less these days. They are not perennially corrupt but succumb to temptation on and off. The congenitically corrupt are a dangerous variety. Corruption is in their genes. The environment today makes the gene penetrate very well and this manifests in the hard core corruption. These are very difficult to treat and they would be very good in escaping the anti-corruption dragnet. The gene could only penetrate in a conducive atmosphere. Our only hope of reforming these is the possibility of the change in the environment.”
Dr Hegde also spoke of compulsive corrupt behaviour marked by irresistible urge to be corrupt and spoke of an unnamed chief minister who would not get sleep unless his daily booty exceeded one crore. Then, he said, there are criminally corrupt or extortionists. There are also corruption generators like wheeler-dealers or middlemen.*
Dr Hegde presented the first copy of the book to Fr Swebert D’Silva, principal, St Aloysius College.
Responding, Fr Swebert congratulated the author on writing the book on a relevant subject for the present times. “It is imperative that every India introspects and analyses this menace of corruption in India. Corruption has become a way of life. As long as Indian psyche is not transformed, no law or Lokayukta can halt this menace. If only the money set aside for development had been utilized for the said purpose, India would have been among the most developed countries of the world. Corruption is the deadliest devil in development,” he said.
Fr Swebert said that he was proud that Monteiro was an alumni of St Aloysius College and also served as a faculty for a short duration.
John B Monteiro welcomed and thanked Dr Hegde, Fr Swebert and the media-persons. He noted that the book was available online from Amazon.com and details are available on Google.
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