Prayers not enough for a better world’

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lamaon Thursday expressed his disappointment overcorruption that was spreading like a cancerous disease and urged youths to work towards building a healthy society.

Addressing a gathering in Kolkata , the Dalai Lama expressed his bewilderment over how some Indians were corrupt despite being religious. "I can understand that in China, they don't care much about moral principles and run only after power and money. But in India, people pray and make offerings to God in the morning and then step out and indulge in corruption. How can this happen? Either believe in God and live a principled life. Or worship money, be corrupt and exploit," he said.

Pointing out how India has a history of an ancient and sophisticated civilization compared with that of Greece and China, the Dalai Lama said Indians have traditionally been gurus and Tibetans chelas (disciples). "When I see some part of my guru being corrupt, as a chela I feel ashamed," he lamented.

Though the Tibetan spiritual leader did not make a reference to the movement launched by Team Anna and their insistence on a Jan Lok Pal bill, he said a better community could not be created by law and Parliament."Don't blame a few politicians for the ill that plagues the society. They are from done through individual actions. In order to act, one requires will power that can come through truth and conviction," he said.

Urging students to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, the spiritual leader felt real transformation of India needed to start from rural areas instead of cities. "Please build this nation in a balanced way with a longterm and holistic vision ," the Dalai Lama said.

"I belong to 20th century. My generation is ready to say goodbye. Despite many positive developments, it was primary the century of war, nuclear weapon, untold misery and suffering. It is on the shoulders of the young generation of the 21st century that the responsibility ofcreating a new and healthy society rests," the Dalai Lama added. "A better world will not be achieved through prayers. It has to bedone through individual actions. In order to act, one requires will power that can come through truth and conviction," he said.

India 95th among 183 countries in Corruption Perception Index

India's image on tackling graft
seems to have gone from bad to worse in the perception of
people dealing with the system, with its rank slipping to a
low 95 among 183 countries in Transparency International's
Corruption Perception Index (CPI).
While the debate continues in India over an anti-graft
ombudsman, the study by the international watchdog shows the
country's image declining consistently over the past three
years. This year, the country scores 3.1 on 10, with 10 being
the highest score.
Since 2007 when India was ranked 72 among 180 countries
with a score of 3.5, the score has declined, so have the
rankings. Last year, India was placed at 87.
The CPI ranks countries based on how corrupt their public
sector is perceived to be and is a composite index that draws
on data and studies by a number of specialised international
agencies through a complex process.
India's score is a result of an average of 13 studies
including World Bank's Country Performance and Institutional
Assessment, World Economic Forum Executive Opinion Survey and
Global Insight Country Risk Ratings, among others.
New Zealand is at the top spot with a score of 9.5
followed by Finland and Denmark. The countries that occupy the
bottom ranks in the index are Somalia, North Korea, Myanmar
and Afghanistan, which are helmed by unstable governments and
conflicts.
With the unearthing of major scams, arrests of
influential people over corruption and a movement for a Lokpal
stealing headlines in India, people associated with
Transparency International India said since the study is a
measurement of perception, these factors could have marginally
contributed to the decline.