CBI case against Chanda Kochhar is proof moral corruption too isn’t the sole preserve of men
When Chanda Kochhar rose to occupy the corner office, she became the first woman to head a large lender — ICICI Bank — in the country. The story came to be celebrated because a woman had dared to break the glass ceiling and challenge the status quo.
Huge setback to former ICICI boss Chanda Kochharhttps://t.co/zgexFJxER5
— India Today (@IndiaToday) January 24, 2019
Kochhar proved to the naysayers that women are as good as men at achieving anything and everything that the world of mortals is capable of dreaming of — or, to put it simply, Kochhar only proved that men and women are equal.
The fact that this simple truth still needs empirical evidence is one of the greatest tragedies we continue to live with.
Now, the CBI case against Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar and Videocon group MD Venugopal Dhoot, in connection with alleged cheating and irregularities in loans sanctioned by the bank to the group in 2012, is yet further proof of the fact that the two genders are, indeed, equal.
Moral corruption is not the sole preserve of men, much like cushy jobs and comfortable homes. Yes, corruption is a crime in stark contrast to the very understandable desire for a cushy job and a comfortable home. But graft is a crime that humans indulge in — men do, women do it.
Men get punished for it — if caught; if found to be guilty, Kochhar should be punished as well.
Women are humans — even to the shock of many — much like men.
To expect women would behave any differently in a position of power is borne out of our mistaken placement of women at the pedestal of God, as 'devis' of ethical and moral behaviour.
They can lead just like men, they can take charge of situations just like men and yes, they can go astray just like men.
When the #MeToo movement took centrestage, many men spoke about being sexually harassed as well. While, in some cases, the perpetrators were fellow men, in some instances, men reported being harassed by their female bosses.
When British politician Baron Acton said, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely", we assumed the reference was only to men. Acton was speaking at a time when there were hardly any women in positions of power.
We might say women are pacifists — but then, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher led the UK to war over the Falkland Islands in 1982, as did former Indian PM Indira Gandhi over the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971.
Many see Kochhar’s story as the 'fall' of a woman because we placed the burden of our expectations of ‘ideal behaviour’ onto her. Kochhar’s guilt hasn’t been proven yet. She is under investigation.
But here’s what we need to learn — people in positions of power abuse power. It is not a ‘man thing’ — it is also not a ‘woman thing’.
Kochhar will be subjected to the same investigation process that a man in her position would be subjected to.
Moral of the story: There is no difference between men and women! Not in the best case scenarios. And not in the worst.