Free Anti-Corruption Classes in Manipur: Hurry Limited Seats Available

You read it right. This admission season, it’s not just about enrolling for courses in Arts, Science or Commerce stream; but you can also try for a course on anti-corruption for which you don’t have to pay any fee. The free anti-corruption classes will be conducted at various study centres across the state. Individuals from all walks of life, irrespective of age, profession or race, can join this course.

The Non-Existing Council of Free and Fair Moral Education Department, Manipur has come up with this noble plan to encourage the countless corrupted individuals in our state to lead a peaceful and corruption-free life. A selection committee has also been formed to choose the eligible candidates for the first semester.

Considering the lack of mental solace and frustration they come across at several critical points of their lives, this is a special study program to promote their interest in leading a peaceful life, to encourage them to stop taking bribes and to allow them to live a life free from corruption.

Many officials and non-officials will be provided free anti-corruption classes across the state. The prime targets for these classes are the mantri mandols, officers of all ranks, thikadaars, presidents and secretaries of various clubs and NGOs and other organisations, plus anyone who has taken bribe in any of its dirtiest forms.

There are a couple of must-have qualities for those candidates who want to enrol for the anti-corruption educational program:

1. Those who have relentlessly taken bribe without any shame. The manner of taking bribe could be official or unofficial in nature. Irrespective of when, where or how the note-chabun was accepted, the candidate can simply attach an experience certificate of bribery and submit it to the admission counter.

2. Those who were reluctant to take bribes earlier but later succumbed to it out of temptation or helplessness. The course will be like a rehabilitation course to encourage them to give up taking bribes. They will be counselled on bribery and its ill effects by experience anti-corruption faculty members.

The course structure is roughly divided into four parts:

1. The origin, growth and practice of bribery — Who were the culprits behind its practice, how it became a raging practice in our society and how it has numbed the common sense of our mass?

2. Socio-cultural impact of corruption — How people have set it as a norm and how they are deeply affected by this social trauma?

3. Means and measures to fight corruption — this includes valuable suggestions from Anna-Siki Hazare, encouraging holy speech by Baba Ramu-Dev and others

4. Free counselling for underprivileged candidates who have so far started taking bribes from their own siblings or members of family.

Mr. Oidaba-ngaangdabamayum Luchingba, the brain behind this project remarks: ‘It is easy to talk about problems in our society, but it is a difficult task to even discuss about the probable solutions to fight the various perils that directly or indirectly affect us. This project is a small initiative to ensure that we are not mute spectators and that we want to see a corruption-free world.

‘The Sarkargi loisangs in our state are the main targets of this education project. Irrespective of your posts at the respective departments, please spare some of your valuable time to attend this free class’, further adds Luchingba.

Many officials have so far submitted their forms for this course. However, the leaders of the various political parties have not yet responded to the notice of this project. It may also be noted that this course is meant only for those who have some hope of improvement.

Our latest source reported that a few forms have been received from some ineligible candidates. Among the rejected forms, one particular form that was filled with an initial O was turned down with no particular reason. The counselling committee strongly appeals to the selection wing not to ever make such mistake in the near future.

Luchingba also says, ‘We are strict with our procedures of choosing the right candidates. We are extremely sorry to acknowledge everyone that this course is not open for those who have excessively taken bribes. We will keep them under observation this year and will decide whether they will be eligible to join this course next semester’.

News and views about this project are spreading far and wide. Many honest civilians have earnestly supported this project. Perhaps, change is finally on its way. Perhaps this particular study program will encourage many young government officials to stop taking bribes in the near future.

‘Otherwise, what use is of twenty years of formal education,’ Luchingba asked.