"Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely ". it is this canonical statement of a political philosopher that lies at the root of this notion that power always corrupts. But I feel that as an idea or concept it needs to be qualified.
Power is stored of energy and English equivalent of our' Shakti '. In our religion it is the primal seat of all kinds of activities. In science, too, it is so supreme of all projects. it is not necessary to stretch the analogy too far, as it is a self evident truth.
Now, if power be such a thing, in other words if it is the basis of all positive creations, how can it be a corrupted agent ? Is there not a fallacy in the argument ?
The above, however, can be traced to it's logical source : power or energy is not self creative. It is introduced to men, agents, institutions for various purposes. naturally, such object like an individual, a group, society on a political party -to name only a few- are the custodians of power. Therefore, power, as such, can never be a corrupting element. It is the user that has to account for any such thing.
From my analysis, so far, I conclude that the term power in the celebrated quotation is metonymic that is, the object referred to means the authority that weilds or uses the power. We cannot deal with the matter better.
'Power' and 'pelf' today almost a same kind of words. I said so because today power leads you agreed for pelf and vice versa. They are, in fact, the two sides of a medal. The real reason, however is not far to seek. the great poet and saint have warned against this bent since time immemorial. But it is a hard fruit that selfish person dies hard. in one of his sonnets The immortal bard of England says that it is a good to have a giant strength but it is not good to use it like a giant. We know how rabindranath tagore converted wealth into charity. when he got the famous Nobel prize, the fabulous some became a problem for him and he was of saintly habits and he was at a loss to decide whether he should do what with the money. at last he opened with it a bank to advance agricultural loan to The tillers of his 'zamindari' charging only anominal interest. For lack of resources these tillers had to pawn ornaments to pawnbrokers who became and behave with them like tyrants. Tagore section freedom from a cruel bondage.
The above example can serve as an argument to prove my analysis that whether it is power or it is pelf that the agent counts for corruption. a parallel example where power beneficial can work miracles can be drawn from our ancient King Ashoka. He turned the levers of power to spread the message of the Lord Buddha through the length and breadth of his last kingdom.
in fact the bad name that hangs on power is due to the dominance of corrupt politics. History is littered with instances of corruption of power. The human race have already experience two wasteful wars. We are still bearing the brunt of power plus that has given our country this partition into India and Pakistan. In one convocation address jawaharlal nehru had made a very accurate remark. he had said that the function of a politician is, first and last, to administer, to govern the various forces of a nation towards a peaceful and harmonious end. he had also said that if a nation becomes self-regulated, the politicians ceases to function.
I was charmed and inspired to read that speech. But as I deeply ponder on the statement, I am stuck by the note of contradiction. does not the partition of our motherland where in everyone live like brothers, sisters, uncles and aunts -owe itself to power politics? again, has not a politician, today, become more concerned with his personal and selfish interest then even an ordinary man ?
To conclude, it seems to be an irony of Fate for the human race. Today entrusted power makes demigod of even a trite individual and turns him into a tyrant of power. This universal equation, lands strength today, to the theme power corrupts.
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