While right and rightful are definable and clear, righteousness is more subjective. When one sponsors a charity, one feels righteous, even though the source of income may be questionable and not rightful.
There are many who are right in feeling righteous themselves but tolerate corruption and tax evasion by close family members like a spouse, parent, or child. While this is very embarrassing and can lead to cognitive dissonance, not distancing from a corrupt friend or relative cannot be construed as righteous at all. At least we may exert social pressure on the corrupt.
It was in the late eighties when some of us addressed passing-out students from an engineering college, emphasising the merits of entrepreneurship. A lone boy stood up and said shyly, “Sir, we understand the system is corrupt, and we have to grease our way through several layers before we start up a small-scale industry.” The whole hall on both sides of the stage went quiet when the convener said sharply, “Do not ask such unethical questions in this forum.”
After some murmuring and grunting, we adjourned for a tea break. On our return, I decided to address the question and said, “I personally have no experience of starting an industry and hence cannot answer your question, and I can’t go by hearsay on such sensitive matters. But I can tell you one thing: youngsters like you, who are passing out today, are more idealistic, have rightful dreams, and can be assumed to be honest.” There was an instant loud applause among students even as I added “but that’s not enough, many of you had to pay capitation fee to get admission in colleges mostly from the hard earned savings of your honest parents or not. A few of you may know that the money has come from illegal means. But you had still accepted the money for your benefit. Remember, it is the young who can change the world. It was mostly the young who followed the Mahatma in the freedom struggle, much to the chagrin of their parents, who were more concerned about
their safety.”
Before accepting the position of Diwan, the legendary Sir M. Visvesvaraya was said to have taken a vow from close friends that no one would approach him for favours; he also did not accept favours. That is the integrity we must strive to cultivate.