A few days back as I was patiently awaiting the start of the Mumbai vs Delhi IPL match, I noticed a message from the operator which read "Celebrate India's Victory against Corruption"
It referred to Anna Hazare's fast upto death against the irregularities in the Lokpal Bill and the autonomy of the Government regarding the same. It was indeed heartening to observe many a youth like you and me, support the fast and what it symbolized in any way possible. Some joined Anna at the Jantar Mantar or some observed similar fasts in their own cities while some other conveyed their support through the social network or other media. Now, is this really happening? If it is, is it enough? or once again "something" is premature?
The agitation was against the powerless Lokpal Bill suggested by the government which was another hogwash! The agitation was successful resulting in the formation of a joint committee for drafting the Jan-Lokpal Bill. The committee has 50% ministers and 50% social activists and is basically formed to reign in corruption and eradicate it. That is the motive but are the measures enough? Where does the buck stop? As citizens of this great nation, are we meant to just light candles, shout slogans or undertake fasts in support of a great Satyagrahi or does our duty go way beyond? I used the word "premature"; how quickly we jump to conclusions without proper thought? We are always in a hurry either to celebrate something or curse something. This is not the hour to rejoice, rather it is the time to tighten the screws. The corrupt Government has wisely taken a step back. What is the most logical course when the opponent goes a step back? We hammer in the nails!! The Anna Hazare led agitation is a strong positive step, no doubt about it; but what I ask is, "Is it enough on our side? Is it now okay to return to our 'normal' lives with the onus on those who are directly involved?" Half the committee for drafting the bill comprises of top ministers of the very government we are objecting. I strongly believe this alone won't work as the government would always save its dear skin. There would be more "ties" than concrete decisions regarding the drafting and the time would be pushed on and on which has been the classic tale of our government's policies. They do it because the know that we have learnt to forget with time and this tactic of theirs won't change if we don't! Were the civil society to make up more than 50% of the body then would the exercise get interesting with a realistic chance to pack off the rogue bastards.
I sincerely hope that I am proven wrong, but all the available data for analysis suggests otherwise and hence I find a need to appeal to one and all to plan to go a step beyond. What does one do if one's housekeeping staff does not turn up? What does one do if one's computer gets infected? What does one do if one's washing machine is dysfunctional? The "cleaning" has to be done by the self. As well stated in the movie "A Wednesday", even if the situation leads to a little initial social imbalance, it is the urgent requirement of youth like you and me to try and get into the political system. Power in the wrong hands has led to a high scale loot and it has to be stopped by the youth now. There is a nice quote in Latin by the Roman poet Juvenal; it goes as "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" It literally translates into, "Who will guard the guards?" Our nation has reached a tragic juncture wherein we need to ask ourselves such a question but time has not gone by that we cant answer it !!
The Jan-Lokpal front single handedly cant sustain the loopholes of the system. The major hurdle it faces is the drafting. All the points suggested by Anna Hazare's team are fantastic and certainly powerful; since the carry righteous power, they will be objected tooth and nail; there will be great attempts to scuttle the project and delay it. Do we have that much time? No, we don't! Hence, we need to increase the number of fronts for our attack against problems which plague our nation. To facilitate and encourage positive initiatives like the Jan-Lokpal and its correct implementation, we need men of honour up there at the topmost level; at the roots of decision making and at the heart and brain of the system. No one can pay some person/organization/body to passionately work for the nation's upliftment - that has to come from within, it has to be felt like one's own and loved truly. If we expect honour, passion, freedom etc from weak men, then its a blunder. We can't leave our nation to such a calamity, can we? This agitation has shown us a new positive side and presented us with a slight advantage. It is the time to capitalize and plan big; no huge; nope gargantuan dreams and work towards achieving them!
Friends, let us not stop at those candles; let us not stop with those slogans but move ahead. The committee has a representation of the civil society. Both the words, civil and society, mean the masses. This 50% representation is not going to be enough. They need the support of the people; the people need the support of the people. This support is not by updating nice quotes or posting click the campaign links and similar stuff but it is through what Swami Vivekananda says, "More than any kind of inputs, a great cause needs men who can devote their time, their thoughts and their actions for the cause with absolute selflessness." The Jan-Lokpal progress might be the silver lining, but the grey clouds are yet to pass and we need to provide the force of the wind! If Anna has inspired us truly, we need to further what he has stood up for; we need awakening of our very own Ombudsman to carry the voice of our souls to the passion of our hearts, to the wisdom of our brains, to the bones and muscles of our body and to the destiny of a nation....
Jai Hind!
It referred to Anna Hazare's fast upto death against the irregularities in the Lokpal Bill and the autonomy of the Government regarding the same. It was indeed heartening to observe many a youth like you and me, support the fast and what it symbolized in any way possible. Some joined Anna at the Jantar Mantar or some observed similar fasts in their own cities while some other conveyed their support through the social network or other media. Now, is this really happening? If it is, is it enough? or once again "something" is premature?
The agitation was against the powerless Lokpal Bill suggested by the government which was another hogwash! The agitation was successful resulting in the formation of a joint committee for drafting the Jan-Lokpal Bill. The committee has 50% ministers and 50% social activists and is basically formed to reign in corruption and eradicate it. That is the motive but are the measures enough? Where does the buck stop? As citizens of this great nation, are we meant to just light candles, shout slogans or undertake fasts in support of a great Satyagrahi or does our duty go way beyond? I used the word "premature"; how quickly we jump to conclusions without proper thought? We are always in a hurry either to celebrate something or curse something. This is not the hour to rejoice, rather it is the time to tighten the screws. The corrupt Government has wisely taken a step back. What is the most logical course when the opponent goes a step back? We hammer in the nails!! The Anna Hazare led agitation is a strong positive step, no doubt about it; but what I ask is, "Is it enough on our side? Is it now okay to return to our 'normal' lives with the onus on those who are directly involved?" Half the committee for drafting the bill comprises of top ministers of the very government we are objecting. I strongly believe this alone won't work as the government would always save its dear skin. There would be more "ties" than concrete decisions regarding the drafting and the time would be pushed on and on which has been the classic tale of our government's policies. They do it because the know that we have learnt to forget with time and this tactic of theirs won't change if we don't! Were the civil society to make up more than 50% of the body then would the exercise get interesting with a realistic chance to pack off the rogue bastards.
I sincerely hope that I am proven wrong, but all the available data for analysis suggests otherwise and hence I find a need to appeal to one and all to plan to go a step beyond. What does one do if one's housekeeping staff does not turn up? What does one do if one's computer gets infected? What does one do if one's washing machine is dysfunctional? The "cleaning" has to be done by the self. As well stated in the movie "A Wednesday", even if the situation leads to a little initial social imbalance, it is the urgent requirement of youth like you and me to try and get into the political system. Power in the wrong hands has led to a high scale loot and it has to be stopped by the youth now. There is a nice quote in Latin by the Roman poet Juvenal; it goes as "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" It literally translates into, "Who will guard the guards?" Our nation has reached a tragic juncture wherein we need to ask ourselves such a question but time has not gone by that we cant answer it !!
The Jan-Lokpal front single handedly cant sustain the loopholes of the system. The major hurdle it faces is the drafting. All the points suggested by Anna Hazare's team are fantastic and certainly powerful; since the carry righteous power, they will be objected tooth and nail; there will be great attempts to scuttle the project and delay it. Do we have that much time? No, we don't! Hence, we need to increase the number of fronts for our attack against problems which plague our nation. To facilitate and encourage positive initiatives like the Jan-Lokpal and its correct implementation, we need men of honour up there at the topmost level; at the roots of decision making and at the heart and brain of the system. No one can pay some person/organization/body to passionately work for the nation's upliftment - that has to come from within, it has to be felt like one's own and loved truly. If we expect honour, passion, freedom etc from weak men, then its a blunder. We can't leave our nation to such a calamity, can we? This agitation has shown us a new positive side and presented us with a slight advantage. It is the time to capitalize and plan big; no huge; nope gargantuan dreams and work towards achieving them!
Friends, let us not stop at those candles; let us not stop with those slogans but move ahead. The committee has a representation of the civil society. Both the words, civil and society, mean the masses. This 50% representation is not going to be enough. They need the support of the people; the people need the support of the people. This support is not by updating nice quotes or posting click the campaign links and similar stuff but it is through what Swami Vivekananda says, "More than any kind of inputs, a great cause needs men who can devote their time, their thoughts and their actions for the cause with absolute selflessness." The Jan-Lokpal progress might be the silver lining, but the grey clouds are yet to pass and we need to provide the force of the wind! If Anna has inspired us truly, we need to further what he has stood up for; we need awakening of our very own Ombudsman to carry the voice of our souls to the passion of our hearts, to the wisdom of our brains, to the bones and muscles of our body and to the destiny of a nation....
Jai Hind!
7 comments:
Hi! I have read few of your blogs. Very well said. I understand your point here. We need to persistently pressurize the system till it assimilates all the right things in its structure. HOW is the important question; to which each one of us need to find our own answer & do it.
Hey very well said Chaitanya! In fact this is what i ve been thinking about during the last week of "fight against corruption........its a very positive step but nevertheless somethng more is needed!
Uniting against the corrupt government out of the anger and frustration is only one step....it has to be followed by some concrete action....
corruption can be caught on paper,camera,etc....but a corrupt mind can't be caught anywhere...!!!!according to me...this agitation and movements certainly will help to lower the number of corruption easily but not the number of corrupt that easily.... it might slow down their speed... but that mindset....when it changes....its a true achievement....
@ Gargi : Well Structured! I blive its d first time u hv posted a comment and wud luv 2 c u do it more often...all d best!
@ Anuja n Annu : True! Mindset s d key n a concrete action against it!
we already have autonomous bodies in place right like de election comission,CBI etc...da plbm here is accountability we need to deal with dat first....de additional body led by a lokpal will only add in to de array of things m afraid...
Yes;you are right nobody wants accountability. We need to develop a system where people will be answerable to someone for anything they do.First step will be to be accountable to our own conscience.
It seems that your thought process is based on right basic values.Ann deserves due credit but he should not have been apologetic about Modi. All politicians are not bad. The ones in the Govt are responsible for all the scams & BJP has been instrumental in exposing them.This Govt must go. In our childhood days we all were God fearing.We beleived that if we commit crime GOD will punish us.In today's materialistic world nobody is accountable. True Religion & Culture is missing. Then what else can we expect? If you want to change this we must change ourselves. Making new laws won't suffice. RSS is doing this but its very very difficult job. But there is no other way.
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