``The honest, upright bureaucrat is a vanishing breed, and those few who remain, meet the fate of Arun Bhatia,'' said Paranjapye in a statement.What is most frightening is, that corruption is no longer considered to be a shameful thing. It is shrugged off, and the honest few read of one more scam, shake our heads, and say ``tut, tut'', she said.

Lauding the citizens of Pune for taking the abrupt transfer of Bhatia to the streets in protest, Paranjapye extolled the mass movement of the intellectuals and the common people of the city who have gathered on one platform to voice their outrage and launch a crusade for the cause of justice.

``A very important message has been sent across that people would no longer turn a blind eye to the misdeeds of the high and mighty - of those in power. Or indeed of their friends and relations, who have the audacity to erect monuments of their own greed in public places using the tax payer's money. They will not stand by mutely, and let an honest man who is merely doing his duty be punished in this disgraceful manner,"she said.

Describing Bhatia's case as the last straw to break the camel's back, Paranjapye said that Puneites have demonstrated that morality and social values still stand for something. ``Every anguished voice raised, every precious signature put down on paper, is a reassertion of belief in righteousness in democracy,'' she said.