Narendra Singh Negi Shows Strong Relationship among Corruption Inflation and Poverty

Bhishma Kukreti

(Abstract: In this write up, author analyzes the stanza of poem Kathga Khailya about inflation, poverty and corruption. the author briefs about research findings which show relation between corruption, inflation and poverty. the author also briefs about poems on corruption in counties as Vietnam, Tanzania and Mozambique )

Narendra Singh Negi is popular people singer of Garhwali and Kumauni languages. The famous Indian singer is poet too. Therefore, Negi understands the importance of minimum words to tell the big story in a lyric or verse.

The poem ‘Kathga Khailya Re’ by Narendra Singh Negi is the proof that Narendra Negi is capable explaining big story within least words or phrases.

Narendra Singh Negi directly shows the relationship between corruption and inflation and corruption and poverty in the following stanza of his popular poem ‘Kathga Khailya Re’:

Mainge ki mareen janta , he jantaa

Kankwe buthele re

Bas kar bindi ni sapod ……

(The stanza means that the citizens are suffering inflation due to corruption. How will you explain them about inflation or poverty? Stop taking bribes ...)

Not only the knowledgeable Indian poet Negi explains about close relationship between inflation, poverty and corruption but the research scholars also confirm the strong relationship between corruption, inflation and poverty.

Corruption increases Inflation

The Harvard University expert Miguel Braun and Harvard Business School expert Rafael Di Tella (2000) brings the proofs that there is relationship between Inflation and Corruption after taking samples from 75 countries for 14 years.

Rose and Ackerman (1988) , Shleifer and Vishnay (1993), Bliss and Di Tella (1997), Choi and Thum (1999), Weinshelbaum (1999), Svensson (1999),, laffont and NGuessan (1999) proved that there is definite role of corruption/bribery in influencing the market structure,; hence the corruption increase inflation.

Mauro (1995), Knack and Keefer (1995), Kaufman and Wei (1999) found that there is negative impact of corruption on economic growth and development .Therefore corruption induces inflation.

Corruption Induces Poverty

Narendra Singh Negi directly criticizes corruption for inducing inflation and poverty in his poem ‘Kathga Khailya Re’.

Eric Chetwynd , Frances Chetwynd and Bertram Spector (2003) formulated a theory that “Corruption by itself , does not produce poverty rather , corruption has direct consequences on economic and government factors , intermediaries that in turn produce poverty”. The trio scholars demonstrates that corruption exacerbate and promote poverty (though through complex means and ways).

Chetwynd et all provide following factors for corruption increasing poverty in any region:

The corruption reduces the economic growth and development which increase poverty.

The corruption reduces the governance capacity and hence, corruption increases poverty.

The corruption reduces the chances of foreign investment and domestic investment too and increase poverty.

The corruption provides opportunity for increasing taxes and therefore provides chances of poverty

The corruption decreases tax revenue

Corruption diverts in rent seeking ( Chewynd et all)

Corruption destroys small businesses and reduces employment opportunities.

Corruption inflates government spending

Corruption reduces productivity in public sector

Corruption lowers down spending on social benefits

Corruption reduces trust between society and government agencies and this factor produces hundred of factors to increase poverty

Corruption brings inequality in economic growth and thus increases poverty

The above findings and theory proves that Narendra Singh Negi is brilliant in narrating the poem about corruption that corruption increases inflation and poverty too.

Corruption in Vietnam

The position of Vietnam is 57 in corruption from top.

A Vietnamese poetry analyst Michael Arnold spoke in an interview that Vietnamese seldom create poetries because they don’t read.

Corruption is a monster that reincarnates itself from era to era in different form. John Balaban (2000) translated the work of a Vietnamese female poet of eighteenth century Ho Xuan Huong and she wrote poetries about social and political corruption of her time.

Corruption in Tanzania

Tanzania comes in position – 58 in corruption

Green Water Foundation, Netherlands will very soon publish the Tanzanian poems against corruption .

Corruption in Mozambique

Mozambique comes in 59^th position among corrupted countries

Irene Nargaard reports that the civil society organization AMMo organized Music Festivals in Maputo and Lichinga wherein songs about corruption were sung and citizens were awaken against bribe or corruption. Poetry is one of the lethal weapons against corruption awakening.

There is report that these days (2007) the poem of 72 years old Jorge Rebelo written two decades ago for freedom movement of Mozambique or African consciousness is being talked at various platforms’ for awakening people against bribes and corruption. The poem is

Here my mouth was wounded

Because it dared to sing

My people’s freedom

There is a poem posted by Mbizo Chirasha in African Poetry Chatroom a web site which is very simple poem but awakening poem

……….

Mozambique

The belief and gift of my poetry

Sweet wine poured to absent, long forgotten gods and goddess…….

…drumbeat of chissano

Today morning blight in corruption

A social anorexia

Recently, Chiris Searle pinned point about corruption in countries as Mozambique in his poetry collection book ‘Doodlebug’ published by Institute of Race Relation, London

To be Continued.......

Copyright @ Bhishma Kukreti bckukreti@gmail.com