The commencement of Vigilance Awareness Week, observed annually from October 27 to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, serves as a crucial reminder that integrity in public life is a collective responsibility. This year’s theme, “Vigilance: Our Shared Responsibility,” aptly underscores that transparency and accountability cannot be achieved by government efforts alone but they require active participation from every citizen and public servant. The symbolic administration of the Integrity Pledge across Jammu and Kashmir, from the Civil Secretariat to district headquarters, is a welcome reaffirmation of commitment to ethical governance. However, true vigilance extends far beyond ceremonial pledges. It must translate into tangible actions: simplifying processes to reduce opportunities for corruption, implementing robust transparency mechanisms in public procurement, and ensuring swift accountability for misconduct. The week-long awareness programmes, workshops, and seminars being organised can be transformative if they focus on practical solutions, from leveraging technology to minimise human discretion in service delivery to establishing accessible whistleblower protection systems. Citizens must be empowered to demand accountability as a right, not a favour. Sardar Patel’s legacy of a united, strong India was built on the foundation of integrity. In that spirit, this observance should inspire a cultural shift where honesty is celebrated, corruption is socially sanctioned, and transparency becomes the default setting in governance. This requires continuous commitment beyond this designated week, through strengthened anti-corruption frameworks, timely grievance redressal, and promoting ethical leadership at all levels. Public servants must lead by example, while citizens must actively participate in oversight mechanisms. Let us remember that vigilance is not a seasonal campaign but a continuous commitment. It requires bureaucrats to resist temptation, citizens to refuse complicity, and institutions to enforce consequences. By embracing this shared responsibility, we honour Patel’s vision and build a Jammu and Kashmir where trust, not corruption, defines the relationship between the government and the governed.
In a world often polarised between extremism and apathy, the Islamic principle of Wasatiyyah—moderation or the golden mean—emerges not as a modern compromise, but as a divine command and the defining character...
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