Bombay HC officials hold up Madhu Dandwate's will for five years

MUMBAI: Disgusted with blatant corruption, the nation is looking to the judiciary as a saviour but they too have to set their house in order, as the experience of Uday Dandwate, son of the late socialist leader Madhu Dandwate, shows.
Uday has been unable to execute his father's will for the past five years because of his steadfast refusal to bribe officials at the Bombay high court.
A five-time MP from Rajapur in the coastal belt of Konkan in Maharashtra, Dandwate was the railway minister in Morarji Desai's cabinet and finance minister in V P Singh's cabinet. He was known for his spartan lifestyle and insistence on probity in public life.
Uday, who lives in the US and heads a design research consultancy firm called SonicRim, brings up the matter relating to his father's will in an article in the Radical Humanist, a magazine founded by political theorist and activist M N Roy.
His piece, `Crisis of confidence', in the November 2010 issue explores the reasons behind India's inability to build a national character in the wake of the Commonwealth Games scam.
Talking of how lust for lucre is the driving force for most Indians today, Uday says, "The most recent example of the audacity of greed is my personal struggle to secure a probate for my father, Prof Madhu Dandavate's will from the testamentary department of Mumbai High Court."
The high court has to certify a will before it can be executed but Uday says that, "The court officials delayed the probate for the past five years because I refused to pay a bribe".
According to Uday, a globe-trotter who writes and speaks on topics relating to people-centric design and innovation, the officials are very well aware of the fact that they are seeking a cut from the meagre savings of a person who is known throughout the country for impeccable integrity in public life.
"Yet, they expect a bribe because the system is not capable of deterring, stopping or punishing their corrupt acts being conducted blatantly within the premises of Bombay high court.
"In the meanwhile, over the years, my lawyer has sent me several hints to be practical and even refused to take my calls sometimes - with the hope that eventually I will fall in line - meaning I will embrace the new mindset of emergent India," says Uday.
Lawyer Raju Moray, who has been an activist for various public causes, is now bringing this to the notice of the chief justice. "The incident just shows the depths to which we have sunk," he says.
Exhorting Indians to stand up to corrupt politicians and public officials, Uday says, "If we play our part in building a national character, punish those elected representatives who are involved in corrupt or criminal activities, instead of becoming a part of the system, we will eventually build India of our dreams that we can be proud of."
"My father once said to me, `You have legitimate claim only over the money that is a product of your intellectual or physical labour.' By following his advice, I have been able to provide reasonable comforts to my family.
"Many developed nations have proved that pursuing one's dreams with integrity can still bring people quality life. The failure of system in planning for the Commonwealth games is indicative of a crisis of character India faces today."