Europeans watched the shocking incidents in India last week, which were exactly contrary to this vedic dictum. Picture this:

CEO of Satyam Computer Services, Ramalinga Raju, attempts to purchase the twin companies — Maytas Infra and Maytas Properties — run by his sons, making mockery of the principles of corporate governance. Satyam-Maytas is the story of how anybody having a stake of just over 8.5 per cent can ignore the interest of fragmented shareholders who account for 91.5 per cent.

Satyam was officially declared ineligible for World Bank contracts for providing “improper benefits” to the Bank staff and for failing to maintain documentation of support fee charges for its subcontractors.

A retired High Court judge is accused of corrupt practices.

The CBI makes a landmark arrest of two priests in connection with the murder, 16 years ago, of Sister Abhaya. But the church is, as always eager to protect the clergy who are found guilty.

Records of the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) reveal 20 personnel from the Delhi Police, from the ranks of constables to inspectors, were arrested in various cases registered in 2008.

The killing of a PWD engineer in Uttar Pradesh allegedly by supporters of Chief Minister Mayawati and a BSP MLA because he refused to give a donation for Mayawati’s birthday.

A needless controversy was triggered by the mindless comments of the Union Minority Affairs Minister, Mr A. R. Antulay, who chose to express his mind over the untimely death of the Maharasthra Anti Terror Squad chief, Hemant Karkare, in a bizarre way.

Each party, like a set of cards, has its own allocate of jokers. But, of course, when that politician is a Cabinet Minister, his statements go much beyond buffoonery. For acting as irresponsibly as he has, Mr Antulay should have been sent packing from the Cabinet and booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

I heard my father say, “In puranas, it is told that as Kaliyug comes towards its end, people will lose their morality and would physically shrivel to the size of a worm.” This seems like the truth. It is obvious that we’re closing a troubled year when the only certainty is uncertainty. We’re probably heading for a year even fuller of surprises.

Now, some lessons from Europe:

In Europe, the success of an enterprise is hugely believed to depend on the leadership of the company. The decisive factor is the leading figure of the company or its top management. Then, in countries such as Germany, there is a superstructure called the Supervisory Board that oversees the Board of Management. This is an idea Indian corporates can borrow from Europe. After all, there are no bad workers. Only bad managers!

In all of the EU, the protection of public ownership, which is essential for economic prosperity, is one of the main tasks of the state. The state takes action if public ownership is not being sufficiently protected.

That is how Europe mitigates the danger that board members and the management do not enrich themselves at the expense of the shareholders and in violation of public ownership.

In Europe, not only the public administration itself, but also civil society plays an important role in the fight against corruption. Every citizen is aware of the consequences of corruption on the society as a whole and for him individually. Laws are loaded with very stringent punishments. Citizens are alert and actively denounce corruptive practices.

By far, most of the European countries have simplified structures, making procedures less complicated and more transparent. Thus, possibilities for corruption are reduced. Measures such as the introduction of e-government have helped to a large extent to achieve this aim. Furthermore, access to public information is excellent. India’s position in the ratings of international organisations has been stagnating for a number of years now.

The greatest challenge is to convince the Indian public that they can and they will have an administrative and judicial system they can be proud of. And, to convince them that there will be zero tolerance of corrupt practices and that as soon as suspicions arise they will be dealt with swiftly and effectively. The international community is closely watching India.

European perception of Indian judiciary is that the majority of judges do good work. But a few of them do not and this, together with systemic weaknesses, contributes to the creation of a negative image of the judiciary. Europeans feel that a more efficient internal control mechanism should be created in the Indian judiciary.

Last year, I had visited the wonderful city of Dubrovnik, in Croatia, where over the door of the Council Hall in the Governor’s Palace, there is an old Latin inscription that reads: “Obliti privatorum, publica curate.” (Forget all private interests, and tend to public concerns) I think this is a sentiment we can all share. And, in this day and age we are better equipped than ever before to make this ideal a reality, and to deliver the judicial system and public administration the Indian people deserve.

The two-party system might have been a viable model when candidates travelled by bullock-carts and when they used the postal service to communicate. But in today’s world, the two-party system is a disintegrating dinosaur that is, year after year, grinding away at the Constitution, at democracy and the future of India.

It’s time ‘we the people’ rise up and come together — from the Left and the Right — to postpone elections and replace it with a national government — a coalition of the two major parties. Europeans feel that Indians must forget their differences and come together as a nation, now.

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