Shun the mad race for material assets, develop a spiritual bent of mind: Justice Nagarathna

Supreme Court judge, Justice B.V. Nagarathna, in a postscript to a judgment, observed that corruption stems from mutual greed and envy over material assets. She said material covetousness can be avoided by developing and enhancing a “spiritual bent of mind”.

“One’s attitude of greed and envy ought to be curbed and erased from one’s mind, otherwise corruption and bribery resulting in acquisition of wealth beyond the known sources of income cannot be reduced nor removed from our governance. One of the ways in which such tendencies could be curbed is to develop and enhance a spiritual bent of mind resulting in detachment from materialistic possessions and thereby, inter alia, focusing on service to the nation,” Justice Nagarathna wrote in her separate opinion.

The Bench, also comprising Justice K.V. Viswanathan, delivered a split verdict over the constitutionality of Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The provision mandated prior sanction before initiating criminal action against civil servants on the basis of allegations of corruption.

The judge quoted from a precedent that corruption has become a cancerous growth affecting the moral standards of the people and all forms of governmental administration.

Justice Nagarathna wrote that children and the youth of the country could act as guiding lights if their parents and guardians stray away from the straight and honest path.

“The youth and the children of this country ought to shun anything acquired beyond the known sources of income by their parents and guardians rather than being beneficiaries of the same. This would be of a seminal service rendered by them not only towards good governance but also to the nation,” Justice Nagarathna suggested.