Taking dowry is corruption, says IPS officer

‘Parents should imbibe honesty among children’

Role model: Top cop of Maharashtra cadre V.V. Lakshminarayana mobbed by youth with requests for selfies and photographs at an anti-corruption awareness seminar.

This articulate, suave, officer and gentleman is known to attract audiences, especially the youth, and his very first words led to thundering applause from college girls on Wednesday.

The occasion was an anti-corruption awareness seminar organised by the Youth for Anti-Corruption (YAC) and Additional Director-General of Police V.V. Lakshminarayana began his speech with an introduction of the virus of corruption and misuse of office, after launching a website www.indianyac.com too.

“For that matter, even taking dowry from the girl’s family amounts to corruption. All you girls should put your feet firmly down and not marry those who demand a dowry,” he said.

Social menace

He recalled a Prime Minister saying that political corruption was a worse menace than terrorism, while another Prime Minister had publicly said that out of every rupee he released from New Delhi, only 10 paise reached the beneficiary.

According to the Transparency International that maintained a Corruption Perception Index, he said Scandinavian countries like Finland, Holland, Norway and Sweden, apart from Singapore were ranked most corruption-free and also high in the Happiness Index.

“We need to introspect where we wish to take India to. Why do people become corrupt once they get into a position of authority ? Parents should imbibe honesty among children as much as teachers should instil it in their students values at a young age,” the senior police officer said.

Many laws

“There are enough laws — like the Prevention of Corruption Act, Prevention of Money Laundering Act and even the Right to Information Act that can be used effectively, provided the required awareness was generated by activists like the Youth for Anti-Corruption,” Mr. Lakshminarayana explained.

The former Joint Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation who drew the spotlight for his work said those fighting corruption should not just identify those who were corrupt, but also cultivate honest people who could serve as informers.

Others who spoke included Secretary-General of the Telangana Government Doctors Association V. Ravishankar and president, vice-president and general secretary of the YAC, P. Rajender, B. Siddharth and V. Giridhar, respectively.

Students of the University College for Women Koti and Aurora College participated in the seminar.