Stamping out cancer like corruption biggest challenge: Kalam

DUBAI - Former president Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has said that corruption is a cancer engulfing India’s political-bureaucratic-judicial system, and requires urgent treatment.

He said stamping out corruption is one of the biggest challenges that India faces, as the country is poised to be a developed nation.

Asked if India is poised to be a superpower, Dr. Kalam told Gulf News: “We are not aiming to be a superpower, but by 2020 India has to be transformed to an economically developed country by eradicating poverty that affects over 300 million people.”

“Water management is one of the main challenges. We have water bodies, but sometimes there are floods and at other times drought. Connecting them and forming a network of rivers is a possible solution,” he said.

“Secondly, India has 600,000 villages and hence bridging the rural-urban divide is vital. Projects such as PURA (provide urban amenities in rural areas) could give physical, electronic and knowledge connectivity to lead them to prosperity.

“Thirdly, establishing a corruption-free India is a major challenge. I propose a youth brigade as the solution,” Dr. Kalam added.

Expressing his views on allegations of corruption against people in judiciary, he said: “Among people from every cross section of the society whom I have met, there is a sense of anguish, despair and concern over the deteriorating democratic values and value system which is increasing day after day.”

“If the situation is allowed to continue then we cannot prevent the people taking to the streets and there will be a catastrophic ripple effect, which the nation cannot bear at this moment when India is poised to become a developed nation,” he said.

“A cancer-like situation is engulfing the political-bureaucratic-judicial system, which is harmful for growth. Certainly the country needs chemotherapy at this critical hour,” he added. (ANI)