Bribe demanded? Offer Zero Currency!

Ask any Indian about the biggest problem the country faces today, and he would retort, “Corruption”. Ask him if he has ever given a bribe to any government officer, and his reply will be in the affirmative. Ask him if he has ever tried to yank out corrupt practices by filing an application to the concerned authority under the Right to Information Act, and it is unlikely that he will reply in the affirmative. Ask him what can be done to erase the scourge of corruption, and a shrug and confused look will follow.

But haven't we all shrugged away our concerns about corruption far too often? Haven't we preferred to stay impotent about this grave matter? 5th Pillar, an NGO headquartered in Washington DC and offices in India in Chennai and Delhi, has developed a novel way to undo your guilt about your impotency with regards to corruption.



The Chennai chapter of the organisation has developed zero currency notes that one could print and give to government officers, each time they ask for a bribe. The notes have been designed in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi. But with a little bit of tinkering with Adobe Photoshop, each of us can create this zero rupee note in the language of the region where it can be used.

All you need to do is take a printout of the currency note, and print its back too, to credit 5th Pillar for this unique idea. And this is not just restricted to India – one can make zero currency in any part of the world wherever corruption is crippling governance. This is one chance to stop corruption – in your own personal way, within your own limits, and without getting into legal hassles. Use it freely, distribute the concept widely.