And note that I say only the Lokpal Bill instead of prefixing it with Jan or Government or Aruna Roy's or for that matter any other name by which it is called. For, in the end it's just a matter of semantics. Eventually, the end result would/should be the creation of an Institution of Lokpal and Lokayukta in the Center and in the States to properly handle allegations of graft against public servants.
I was resigning for the day and just sat down to pen a few thoughts on the ongoing impasse created by Anna Hazare's fast for a strong anti-corruption law and it's continuance into the 12th day with both parties (Team Anna and the Govt. of India) staying put on their stands. Well, it'd be more apt to state that the current situation was not Anna's creation but the creation of the powers that be who over the decades surely and conveniently chose to look the other way when it came to addressing people's grievances vis-à-vis corruption.
Anyway, much have been said about this movement led by Anna and his 2nd fast for the same issue since April 2011. I just finished listening to a couple of hours of discourse in the two Houses of the Parliament today - the Members of Parliament keen to reach a meaningful resolution so that Anna could be requested to end his fast. And I feel good about some of the opinions being expressed on the contentious issues. Isn't this what was needed - a discussion to start with, on the key points of contention? And I am hoping that by the time I wake up tomorrow, Anna Hazare should have enough reasons to call off his fast, on the 12th day. Hats off to his resolve.
And then I think about those occasional voices of discord that I have been hearing these few days on the agitation - about ends not justifying the means, about a new draconian law, about rise of another Hitler (seriously?), about corruption in the very body that is meant to check it, about blind followers, to name a few.
Agree there about people's right to have opinions and then I hope people would also respect my right to have strong opinions too.
My very own thoughts about the means is that the Government has been too thick-skinned to act on it's own people in power who have looted the State exchequer off the taxpayers' money. If not for this stubbornness being shown by Team Anna and his Supporters, expect the government to still be sitting on any future reports that it gets from the CAG or the CVC. I'll have to check the newspapers again, but I heard that, if not for the honorable Supreme Court, Raja and Kalmadi would still have been screwing the nation even after being named in the CAG reports.
Rise of another Hitler? Scary! Corruption in the proposed institution. Well, some give valid arguments, while some probably just had dreams about the law becoming draconian. And that is a discussion has to be done on the provisions of the Lokpal Bill by our representatives. Team Anna does not say that the Parliamentary process should be bypassed to pass the JLB; it demands a sane discourse on the Bill. And then it's not any Tom, Dick and Harry that has come up with the JLB overnight - people who are respected by one and all for their integrity have given serious thoughts on relevant clauses in the Bill. For this very argument that I kept hearing, I went through the relevant section of the Bill and found that necessary checks and balances have been kept to ensure fair election of the ombudsman as well as transparency in the process of removal, should any allegation arise against the ombudsman.
Oh, and the quintessential argument that everybody likes to throw out there - the crowd is subverting Democracy, the crowd is that of blind followers. The crowd, they say is not aware of what are the provisions of the Bill. Fair enough. There are well read persons who do know to a large extent what the fight is all about. And quite a large number of the followers do not know about the nitty-gritty of the Bill. But, they do know that they are supporting the fight against corruption. Isn't that enough? Some are meant to lead and some to follow. And in Anna they have found a leader. And the leaders of the Movement, slowly but surely, are putting their best foot forward in teaching people about their rights and about what rights they are fighting for. Who says that a billion plus Indians should all be aware of the Constitution of India. For that matter, as well read as I may be, I just know that the Constitution of India guarantees me 6 Fundamental Rights. And another new addition (fundamental or otherwise) is the Right to Information. And I know that the Preamble to the Constitution of India starts with "We, the People of India".
In anticipation for a better tomorrow.
-M
I was resigning for the day and just sat down to pen a few thoughts on the ongoing impasse created by Anna Hazare's fast for a strong anti-corruption law and it's continuance into the 12th day with both parties (Team Anna and the Govt. of India) staying put on their stands. Well, it'd be more apt to state that the current situation was not Anna's creation but the creation of the powers that be who over the decades surely and conveniently chose to look the other way when it came to addressing people's grievances vis-à-vis corruption.
Anyway, much have been said about this movement led by Anna and his 2nd fast for the same issue since April 2011. I just finished listening to a couple of hours of discourse in the two Houses of the Parliament today - the Members of Parliament keen to reach a meaningful resolution so that Anna could be requested to end his fast. And I feel good about some of the opinions being expressed on the contentious issues. Isn't this what was needed - a discussion to start with, on the key points of contention? And I am hoping that by the time I wake up tomorrow, Anna Hazare should have enough reasons to call off his fast, on the 12th day. Hats off to his resolve.
And then I think about those occasional voices of discord that I have been hearing these few days on the agitation - about ends not justifying the means, about a new draconian law, about rise of another Hitler (seriously?), about corruption in the very body that is meant to check it, about blind followers, to name a few.
Agree there about people's right to have opinions and then I hope people would also respect my right to have strong opinions too.
My very own thoughts about the means is that the Government has been too thick-skinned to act on it's own people in power who have looted the State exchequer off the taxpayers' money. If not for this stubbornness being shown by Team Anna and his Supporters, expect the government to still be sitting on any future reports that it gets from the CAG or the CVC. I'll have to check the newspapers again, but I heard that, if not for the honorable Supreme Court, Raja and Kalmadi would still have been screwing the nation even after being named in the CAG reports.
Rise of another Hitler? Scary! Corruption in the proposed institution. Well, some give valid arguments, while some probably just had dreams about the law becoming draconian. And that is a discussion has to be done on the provisions of the Lokpal Bill by our representatives. Team Anna does not say that the Parliamentary process should be bypassed to pass the JLB; it demands a sane discourse on the Bill. And then it's not any Tom, Dick and Harry that has come up with the JLB overnight - people who are respected by one and all for their integrity have given serious thoughts on relevant clauses in the Bill. For this very argument that I kept hearing, I went through the relevant section of the Bill and found that necessary checks and balances have been kept to ensure fair election of the ombudsman as well as transparency in the process of removal, should any allegation arise against the ombudsman.
Oh, and the quintessential argument that everybody likes to throw out there - the crowd is subverting Democracy, the crowd is that of blind followers. The crowd, they say is not aware of what are the provisions of the Bill. Fair enough. There are well read persons who do know to a large extent what the fight is all about. And quite a large number of the followers do not know about the nitty-gritty of the Bill. But, they do know that they are supporting the fight against corruption. Isn't that enough? Some are meant to lead and some to follow. And in Anna they have found a leader. And the leaders of the Movement, slowly but surely, are putting their best foot forward in teaching people about their rights and about what rights they are fighting for. Who says that a billion plus Indians should all be aware of the Constitution of India. For that matter, as well read as I may be, I just know that the Constitution of India guarantees me 6 Fundamental Rights. And another new addition (fundamental or otherwise) is the Right to Information. And I know that the Preamble to the Constitution of India starts with "We, the People of India".
In anticipation for a better tomorrow.
-M
