I do agree that corruption is a menace which must be curbed as far as possible.i have serious concerns about the path this country is taking as far as the fight against corruption is concerned.In fact,i feel that the atrocities which are being committed in the name of fighting corruption are a bigger menace than corruption itself.And,that's not without reason.
When Hazare went on his fast unto death in April,I,like everyone else was tempted to support him whole heartedly.And that's what I did.I got my first suspision when he made this outrageous remark after the government caved in meekly to his unreasonable demands:
"If people call this blackmail.we will continue this black mail."
Also,the fact that he didn't allow any politician to share the stage with him disturbed me a lot.All this seemed to suggest the Hazare was against the political class as a whole.he also claimed that the entire nation was backing him.According to his logic,if 5000 people join his fast,then 1.2 billion people are backing him.
My doubts grew in leaps and bounds once the joint drafting committee was formed.Then came the fast of another baba-Baba Ramdev.All of us know how he tried to hold the parliament to ransom and how he was given a royal reception at the delhi airport by the government of India.Both he and Hazare seem to be highly intelligent people who seem to know how to take advantage of the prevailing anger against corruption.And his fast at the Ramlila maidan was ample proof of his acumen.(I did support him for a while as,for me,he was a Hindu guru.But am writing this post only as a citizen of this country.)And,finally,after so many rounds of talks,the government did the right thing at last-it broke the baba's fast.if at all there's something to be learnt from his fast,it is this:(my mother taught me this when i was 5 years old)If you don't eat properly,the police will come and catch you.
Aghast at the swift response of the government,Hazare skipped the next meeting of the joint drafting committee.the committee was setup by the democratically elected Government of India,consisting of 543 members,elected by the people of India.if skipping the meeting of the joint drafting committee doesn't amount to showing disrespect to the Indian state,then what does?Then,Hazare went on a 1 day token fast at Rajghat.at least he called it a fast.Just think for a moment.When do you have your breakfast?8-8:30 in the morning.Maybe lunch at 1 pm and dinner at 8 pm.Anna hazare started his fast at 10 pm and ended it at 6 pm.In short,he skipped his lunch.Nothing more.nothing less.if skipping a lunch is a fast,then i have fasted for half my life!!The only difference is that i've done it silently,unlike Hazare who does it at a huge venue,with an eye on publicity.
Dear reader,if hazare is indeed selfless why does he go to delhi to fast?Fasting is a simple enough thing which can be done anywhere in the world.Why delhi?
The answer lies in the question itself.Delhi,being the national capital,gets the maximum media coverage.Otherwise he would've fasted at maharashtra itself,which is his home state.
Hazare crossed all limits when he burnt the Lokpal bill tabled in Parliament.isn't that an insult to the people of India(whom Hazare claims to represent),who've elected the government in the first place?
Now he has threatened to go on an indefinite fast unto death from august 16th,demanding a stronger bill.
my simple question is:Who is he to decide which bill is a strong bill?As one of the congress spokesmen put it,Anna hazare's threats represent the "tyranny of the unelected and the unelectables".
Every country has its own means of passing Bills.Take England for example.A bill must be approved by both the house of Commons and House of the Lords for the Bill to become an Act i.e law.There are different methods in different countries,but I don't think there's any country in which fasting is a method to pass a bill.
Every country has its own means of passing Bills.Take England for example.A bill must be approved by both the house of Commons and House of the Lords for the Bill to become an Act i.e law.There are different methods in different countries,but I don't think there's any country in which fasting is a method to pass a bill.
And,the people fo India elected the people of India gave the Indian National congress a 2nd chance to rule because they wanted it to frame laws and rule the nation.Not for Hazare to dictate terms from Rajghat or any other localion which he might deem fit.Of corse,if Hazare feels that the Lokpal Bill in the present form is not good,then he has the opportunity to stand for elections in 2014.here again,he dissapoints.he has declared that he will never stand in an election in his life.Why?Because he can blackmail any government that might assume power at the centre as per his whims and fancies with his refusal to eat?I don't know.Again,this indeed amounts to showing disrespect to the government and the electorate at large.Hazare and his team are bringing about a dangerous atmosphere in which,if things go as per this trend,people will lose faith in democracy.Is that his aim?Again,I don't know for sure.
Coming to his Jan Lokpal Bill,it is ridiculous.Let's consider a few examples.
1)PM as per the jan Lokpal Bill:
As far as Jan Lokpal bill is concerned,a committee of 11 people will formed to look after cases relating to corruption cases filed against any central/state government employees,including the Cabinet Ministers,the Chief Ministers of all states and Union territories and even the Prime Minister.
Let us say a complaint is filed against the Prime Minister.if the Lokpal panel finds prima facie evidence of the PM's wrongdoing in the matter,suo moto cognisance will be taken and the PM will have to demit office.There's a differnece betwwen a CM resigning and the PM resigning.The resignation of the PM means the resignation of his entire government,unlike the state governments where the CM can be replaced at will without any threat to the govenment itself.This is Indian law.In short,if and when the PM demits office,nation wide elections will have to be held,costing the exchequer thousands of crores.now,after the new government takes charge,if it turns out that the complain was mala fide,then will Mr.Anna Hazare give us the money we wasted in holding elections?I really don't know..It is for this rweason that the ?Congress suggests the the PM should be investigated once he completes his 5 year term.
2)Judiciary under the Jan Lokpal Bill:
Hazare wants to monitor the entire judiciary.But,how will a judge be able to carry out his day to day affairs,especially while hearing cases of corruption,if he knows that his every move is being watched by a reckless ombudsman?Please ask Hazare,for he claims to know everything.
3)CBI under the Jan Lok Pal bill:Hazare wants the investigative wing of the CBI to come under the Lokpal,for he trusts no one in this country.A simple question arises:why should we trust someone who trusts no one?In simpler words,how can we be so sure that the Lokpal will bw free from corruption?Who will monitor the Lokpal panel?Who will pass judgement on the functioning of the Lokpal committee?
On what elegibility criteria can one become a member of the lokpal panel?Please ask Mr.Hazare,for he claims to know everything.And most importantly,who will constitute the Lokpal?
Finally,Hazare wants to start a second freedom struggle against the government.but isn't this government elected by the very people with whom he wants to fight against the governmen?IDoesn't such a statement amount to sedition?
I really feel that the time has come for us to decide betwwen what is right and what is easy.As Da Vinci said,
"Blinding Ignorance does mislead us.Oh,wretched mortals!!Open your eyes!!"
P.S:The views expressed in the post are personal.The author holds no brief with the Congress.He,in fact is a BJP sympathizer who voted against the DMK-Congress combine in the recently concluded Tamil Nadu Assembly elections
