Fighting corruption - a poor farmer's way
Thursday June 14, 2012 01:01:32 PM,
Imran Khan, IANS
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Patna: Asked to pay a
Rs.1,000 bribe, a landless Bihar farmer begged to differ. And he
vented his ire by collecting alms and sending the amount to Chief
Minister Nitish Kumar with the request it be paid to the corrupt
police officer who had asked for it.
Instead of cursing the system and his fate, Saurabh Kumar alias
Chabila Paswan, a poor Dalit farmer in Vaishali district, about 40
km from here, gathered his family and begged on the streets to
collect the bribe money. The intrepid Paswan, his wife and
children even slung placards around their necks to tell people why
they were collecting money.
"I was angry and frustrated after I ran from pillar to post to
lodge a police complaint. Then this innovative idea to fight
against corruption came to my mind. I decided to beg to collect
money to pay bribe," Paswan told IANS, recounting how he was asked
for a bribe from the Katahara police post in-charge when he went
to lodge a complaint about threats to his life.
"I was shocked when a police official demanded a bribe of Rs.
1,000 from me for lodging a complaint that I was being threatened
by some powerful people to be killed. When I told the police
official that I'm not in a position to pay bribe, he made it clear
that it was not possible for him to lodge his case."
Paswan added that he sent the money to the chief minister's office
with the request that it be paid to the police official if "the
law permits" or be deposited in the welfare fund.
"I had purchased 10 postal orders of Rs.100 denomination each and
sent to the chief minister by Speed Post in a closed envelope. The
envelope also has a petition detailing my plight," Paswan told
IANS over phone from his village Halaiya.
He also told the chief minister that nothing moved without palms
being greased.
Paswan is happy he got support from local people and also exposed
rampant corruption with government officials demanding a bribe to
get even the smallest job done.
"It was a rare experience as most people supported my cause."
Senior police and administration officials refused to comment.
However, Vaishali Superintendent of Police Upendra Kumar Sinha
said he had heard about the case. "Police will inquire into the
allegations of bribe," he said.
(Imran Khan can be contacted at imran.k@ians.in)
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