What does ‘honesty’ actually mean in public service?
Ek baat batao yaar—I’ve seen enough of this “be honest, be honest” narrative. But who exactly is honest here? Lawyers, High Court judges, Supreme Court judges, CMs, PMs, vigilance officers, CBI officers—almost every institution has had people within it accused of corruption, bribery, or abuse of power. A job title doesn’t magically transform someone’s personality or morality.
And what exactly do we mean by “being honest”? Simply following the law? Laws are made by MPs and MLAs, many of whom themselves have criminal cases against them. These laws aren’t handed down by God. There is a dangerous tendency to assume that whatever the government or the system says must automatically be right. Sometimes, it is dangerous to be “right” when the system itself is wrong.
aur phir ye ek practical question: suppose a person is completely honest. Can they realistically manage their children’s education, family responsibilities, and other expenses on ₹57,000–₹1 lakh a month in today’s inflation, especially in a metropolitan city? And that’s without even counting all the other financial responsibilities and aspirations that come with life.
What we do matters, but the intention behind what we do matters even more.
It is very easy to point fingers at people when you are not in their position. Loyalty is often preached when you have no other option. Humility ya humbleness seems easy when you don’t hold any power. The real test of character comes when you actually have the power to do something wrong—and know that you ki tumhara shayad kuch nahi bigdega
And our society’s struggle with self-control is hardly a secret. Even India’s enormous consumption of adult content reflects, at least to some extent, the gap between what we publicly preach and what people privately do. It may seem unrelated, but the underlying issue is the same: what happens when you have power, privacy, and the confidence that your actions won’t have consequences?