Experts believe corruption more dangerous to national security

New Delhi, May 19 (UNI) Cautioning that India's security was as much threatened by its failed neighbours as with internal factors like corruption and misgovernance, which was being accepted as a norm, experts believe the latter was more lethal and needed to be tackled first.

Delivering the first Rustamji Memorial lecture on ''Challenges to National Security'' organised by the BSF this evening K Subramanayam, Chairman, Task Force on Global Strategic Development, said corruption and misgovernance were harming the democracy in India more than anything else.

The external threat to the nation was basically non-existent with India coming up as a major economic power and declared it as one of the six nations which affected the 'balance of power' in the world, said Mr Subramanyam.

''If at all, the threat was from the neighbouring countries like states of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal who used 'jehadis', insurgents and terror groups to destablise and weaken India,'' he added.

But the biggest threat was from within, where corruption was eating into the vital of the system and misgovernance being perpetuated by vested interests to further personal gains and political benefits.

''Absence of political will, neglect of development, unassertive bureaucracy, lack of education were together combining to nail the nation's progress.'' No reform in judiciary and police system even after 60 years of Independence was testimony to this, he explained.

''Only good governance coupled with transparency and a dogged determination towards zero tolerance on corruption will see us through and for this the bureaucracy and law-enforcing agencies be freed of political interference as a first step.'' And as corruption is curtailed, the lack of governance by the executive may wane and the will of the people's participation would hold sway, which would be the dawn of a new resurgent India, he added.

UNI AN KD ND1926