Atul Saini and Neelea Kanppa have created a website democracygonemad.com to empower citizens to speak about their encounters with corruption.
The anti-corruption movement recently resurrected by the big brother of the nation — Anna Hazare — has made its way from the streets and rallies to the World Wide Web. The power of the internet is being used today by many as a medium of free expression.
Atul Saini and Neelea Kanppa have created a website democracygonemad.com to empower citizens to speak about their encounters with corruption. The website enables people to upload audio and video files along with details and documents revealing real-time cases of corruption. Comments and links from other websites, including YouTube and blogs are also welcomed.
The website proposes strategies like carrying ‘spy video cameras’ while talking to government officials who you think will ask for a bribe.
The website will perform verification on the authenticity of the information uploaded. It will also serve as a source of information to the CBI and bodies like the lok ayukta.
The site claims “60-70% of the police and a much higher percentage of the CBI is actually honest — a fact that citizens can take heart in.” The site uses the ratings to measure the honesty of the participant. The website also has a forum for discussion. The topics include: Under police department — bribe charges for various regular jobs, extortion from shopkeepers (hafta) in commercial areas, overly complex laws, rules and regulations in India. Under customs department — annual extortion of commercial companies for licenses, custom documents and the likes. Under armed forces — how corruption is the armed supply core of the Indian Army and equivalent in the Navy and Air force.
Under election bribery — money distributed to potential voters, how much money do political parties spend bribing voters for their votes in a general elections, organised intimidation by political parties to collect money for the election’. The forum is already active, wherein people have begun discussing their discomfort and anger.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}