DISCLAIMER: The following are MY viewpoints. I don’t give a shit if you agree with them or not. This is me exercising my right to write. If you don’t like what you read, I suggest you turn away.
It all started with a great step by one old man. A fast unto death. A mass following across the country. The government and all politicians forced into drafting a bill. And then, he committed his first mistake – calling it the “second struggle for independence.” He had planted a seed in the minds of millions. Most of us grew up studying about our freedom fighters. Events like Dandi march, and Civil disobedience movement. Gandhi, Bhagat Singh and the likes. I understand that Anna is trying to do something big here, but to compare it with our Freedom Struggle is grossly unfair. Also, remember, you are citizen of India. A free India. Value and respect the existing laws first. You want to fast, please, go ahead. But don’t bloody disturb the peace of the nation by wanting to do it in a public place, disrupting traffic and hampering the lives of the common people. Just imagine, thousands of agitated people on the road screaming slogans. If you are an Indian, I’m sure you have seen the mechanism of mob mentality. Of the thousands, there will be at least one dumbass who’s there not because he really believes in Anna’s vision, but because he doesn’t have anything better to do. And if this one dumbass decided to pick up one stone and hurl it at a cop, in a matter of minutes, you have a mass riot. And irrespective of the respect and following Anna has, he will not be able to control it.
First of all, fasting is a great tool and is a very difficult feat. I understand that. But you can’t threaten to stop eating at the drop of a scoin. Some politicians started pointing fingers at Anna, and he goes “Set up an enquiry. I will not eat till I’m proven innocent.” What the hell is that? Soon he’s going to go “I’ll stop eating till there’s world peace”, and the entire world’s going to embrace each other immediately? It was a cheap shot at him, and he didn’t have to dignify it with a response. He just downgraded the value of a fast.
There is also a large group of people who go on and on that this government is not good. That it’s the worst government ever. I don’t want to debate on that topic because that is left to free interpretation of each individual, and I don’t seek to influence anyone. But let me ask you this – Had the BJP been in power, you think this story would have unfolded differently? True, there have been a string of corruption related issues in the recent past under the UPA government. But does that make the BJP the white dove of all parties? I mean, we are talking about the same BJP, where the center has to bend down to the tainted CM (read Yeddy) who managed to erect a puppy in his place before stepping down. The same BJP who failed to do anything about the brutal pub attacks in Mangalore and Bangalore. Congress got caught. BJP didn’t. I have absolutely no trust in either.
First of all, fasting is a great tool and is a very difficult feat. I understand that. But you can’t threaten to stop eating at the drop of a scoin. Some politicians started pointing fingers at Anna, and he goes “Set up an enquiry. I will not eat till I’m proven innocent.” What the hell is that? Soon he’s going to go “I’ll stop eating till there’s world peace”, and the entire world’s going to embrace each other immediately? It was a cheap shot at him, and he didn’t have to dignify it with a response. He just downgraded the value of a fast.
Anna was arrested on 16th August. I don’t want to debate if it was right or wrong. He was released later. And what did he do? He refused to come out. That’s just bull shit. The jail is not your home. When you are arrested, you are SENT to the jail. When you are released, you LEAVE the jail. I have done no research on the legalities of this, but I hope I’m right. If not, our beloved Anna has just shown a fantastic way to safely retire in this country. (Throw a stone at a glass window and then chill in the jail even if you have been released)
There might be political reasons for declining “ India Against Corruption”’s request to hold the protest at Jai Prakash Narayan Park, but did anyone realize the possibility of a terror act at the place? I don’t know the exact restrictions posed by the Delhi Police, but I read that they had imposed restrictions on the number of people and the duration(3 days instead of one month). Well, I’d say, better safe than sorry.
Let me make it very clear here, I’m not for or against any side here. No, let me correct that. I’m all in support for Anna Hazare’s cause. I personally feel that it takes great courage and determination to do what Anna is doing. But, I don’t like the way he’s choosing to go about it now. I feel Anna’s camp is slowly losing the plot. After all, if you want to make one law, you can’t go about it by breaking other laws. I really do hope that Anna is satisfied with the result at the end of all this, but I pray that our country doesn't suffer more at the hands of our new age Gandhi.
Anna, Saakanna!
Jai Hind.
4 comments:
Very diplomatic :D But excellent post. This issue will now be used by both the parties to show themselves in good light and its sad that the real cause will ultimately be shadowed.
Q: How else can we Indians show our frustration against the government's inability to take action on those corrupt? (any government)
The timing had to be right. People are more aware, the generation is younger. People aged between 18 - 35 are extremely eager and don't have the "chalta hai"/"this is how it is" attitude, and feel, "we can be a part of this change", "we have to do something". No one knew what, how.
You/me alone cannot do anything to remove one corrupt official. No point in doing so too. The people are used to corrupt ways because the system doesn't threaten/punish the wrong doer.
Anna Haazare's attempt / Jan Lok Pal Bill is only one of the methods to tackle corruption. And I don't know how we can get an independent body to investigate corruption. - Scale of the office? No idea how they will set it up. Will the committee itself be clean? No idea as well.
Regarding riot/terrorist attack etc - If there is one, again government's inability to tackle one protest. Shame on the government. If a person can't protest because -
a) the government will jail you up
b) Terrorism/riot will blow you up (read govt's inability to utilize people's money in govt hands to protect the people).
Its a shame that we have such people in the government/we voted for these people to power.
I have realized, if we need to tackle corruption, we need to get into the habit of saying "NO". No to bribing anywhere/anyone.
And the only other way is to get into politics. Read for IAS, IPS. Get into some sort of government service. Else there is no way to root out corruption.
Anna Hazare's bill is no magic bill to see a cleaner country in a year or two.
This is a start to what we can expect a cleaner country 25 years down the line.
The only other way to make sure politicians aren't corrupt, all of us enter politics and garner votes to go to power. We aren't ready for that. All we can do is say, "chaltha hai"/"this is how it is".
P.S - Anna's refusal to come out of jail was a master stroke. He ended up playing the way govt played... The Jan Lok Pal bill will never be passed without modifications.. But this protest was needed.
glad you support Anna and think that it is something big but how do you expect this something big to happen without disrupting day to day activity. What would have happened to the Dandi march if the common man involved would have thought about his day to day activity and told Gandhiji to carry on without disturbing him.
Anna's refusal to come out of jail- definitely a masterstroke. Why?putting him in jail was unconstitutional but he agreed to go. His refusal is equivalent to 'somebody slaps on one cheek, show the other.' Wouldn't we call that bull shit too?
Corruption exists in any political party which is the exact reason the bill has been rejected from 1968. All the people who say the present government is the worst are people from other political parties doing 'chance pe dance.'
On Anna's way of handling it: imagine this, i have a problem with say bmtc or the auto drivers or any other small corporation body. I want to do something,I file a case and go about it in a legal way. You think i will get anywhere even if i fight my entire life, though there are hundreds of people who have the same problems. Now magnify this, a common man fighting against corruption which exists among the most powerful people of the nation. You think he will get anywhere? India is a nation which is driven by emotions, people will come forward if their emotions are attached to it and hence the methods.
I totally disagree with the country suffering in the hands of new age Gandhi. He is 73 years old and living in a temple premises, what benefit do you think he will get if the bill is passed. Its us and the coming generations that will benefit. We should not complain about the disrupted traffic and hampered day to day activity when an old man is fighting for the biggest hindrance of the nation called corruption.
I want to repeat - I have nothing Anna and his ideals. And I have nothing against the movement going on against corruption. I agree that it is great for the awareness.
BUT, I question some of the methods employed by Anna. You should not look to creat one law by breaking other laws. That is what I feel, and that is my opinion. Similary, you guys have your opinions and I respect them.
Nisha, you don't need to disrupt things to achieve something big. I have been doing it for years. Trust me, it's not that difficult if you are determined.
Supreeth, it's easy to blame the government for not protecting the people. Just think, if you were the government, and there are thousands of angry and frustrated people on the streets disrupting law and order, how can you go about doing it without making arrests or controlling the mob? I'm not saying the government was right, but maybe we need to look at things objectively before we just blame the government for everything.
Once again, I'm all for support in the fight against corruption. I'm all for Anna's ideals and policies. But I believe that there are better ways to bring it into force well before the bill is even passed.
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