Cheating For A Good Cause?

Article first published as Cheating For A Good Cause? on Technorati.

Traveling by air in economy class and claiming reimbursement for business class can be termed as a confirmed case of cheating if not a corrupt practice. If you are entitled to travel by a certain class you must produce the invoice plus boarding pass for reimbursement in any kind of institutions—let it be government or private.

A national newspaper of India broke the news first thing in the morning of October 20, 2011. And, as is the current pattern of affairs it had to relate to a member of Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption civil society.

Kiran Bedi, the third prominent member of the civil society to come in dispute, is entitled to a seventy five discount on air tickets thanks to her winning a gallantry award earlier. But on being invited for a program by NGOs or institutions who always pay for travel Kiran Bedi charges them full air ticket money. Not only that, she charges for business class tickets even if she travels by economy. So her final bill invariably runs at least five times over the actual money spent.

Now, the anti-corruption crusader and a retired officer of Indian Police Service defended her actions by saying that the money thus saved went always to her social trust for a bigger cause. It’s her choice to decide by which class to travel. And that she maintains transparency in all her activities.

The moral implications are tremendous and are enough fuel for yet another intense debate for days to come. If you are a cheat and you cheat for a noble cause then you are not a cheat! But what about the institutions that get fleeced or robbed for no crime of theirs? Are such NGOs or institutions that invite Kiran Bedi are constantly involved in rabid anti-social activities thus giving her the right to come and rob them?

This is a kind of insults-to-injury situation for Team Anna. Many voices cutting across civil and political circles are already articulating vehemently against this act. Let there be police investigations, let there be enquiries, let Bedi clarify to come out clean and the like!

Just one question comes to mind! If we allow cheating for a noble cause how many people of this planet are going to live in safety and in happiness? Besides claiming for reimbursement there will be a huge mob claming for nobility who get empowered to cheat!

Can we term cheating a corrupt practice? We humbly ask! India Against Corruption must decide!

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