Frenzy about Anna and his Hazaron

Hot topic!!! One that is on everyone’s mind. Anna Hazare the crusader. The lone warrior who has taken this responsibility to completely eradicate this menace “corruption”, which has completely plagued and paralyzed our society. But can this really happen?? Can corruption be ever completely eliminated from our society when it has not only penetrated the deepest reaches of our society but also our minds. People are turning up in huge numbers not only in Delhi, to support this on going agitation but from all around the country and also outside of the country. Seriously I was surprised. Though I respect all those who really are giving their time and energy and are sincerely trying to make some difference in the hope that some good will come out of all this, but majority of people who have thronged the streets of Delhi and all around the country are those who doesn’t even know the purpose or motive behind all this hoohalla. They are those who seriously doesn’t have much to do. They are just the sheep that follows the herd.
From my above statements it may appear that I am against this fight against corruption. But I am not. What I am against is the method being adopted to bring about these changes. Going on strike, sitting on dharnas, is not the way to get things done. It is like a small child arguing with his parents to get a new toy. What message Mr. Hazare or his thousands and thousands of followers are conveying to the nation? Simple.. If things are not going your way, or if you want something to get done, just go on hunger strikes and make sure you have media coverage with you to monitor every single step you take, sensationalize the news and project it in an all together different canvas to the nation. Many of you might not be knowing that there is a lady from Manipur, Ms. Irom Chanu Sharmila, who quite astonishingly have been on hunger strike for the past 10 years. Seriously how many of you knew about that? I didn’t. I came to know about her only recently when there was a news in TOI about her extending support to Mr. Hazare. This lady also known as the Iron Lady of Manipur has been fighting against the power bestowed upon military officials to open fire on civilians whenever they feel like doing it. She took this step when in 2000 one army official opened fire on civilians, killing many. She haven’t taken any solid food for the past ten years and presently she is under custody where she is force fed against her will. But why all of us are completely ignorant about her presence or her sacrifice. The sole reason being lack of media coverage of this entire episode. I can guarantee you that if you take the media quotient out of this fight against corruption then Mr. Hazare might have been sitting either in jail or his village mulling over his plans post retirement. He knew that he had this entire media fraternity following his each and every move and not only that but have also started him calling second Mahatma Gandhi, that gave him the confidence or in my book over confidence that nothing can happen to him and government will be forced to bow down in front of him and his demands. Now a days 24*7 on all news channels each and every broadcast is about Anna Hazare or his supporters. How many of you are aware of the fact that few days back a young army official lieutenant Navdeep Singh died in Kashmir fighting militants in which is believed to be the biggest insurgent attempt for the past many months. Around 20 militants were trying to cross LOC when Lt. Navdeep led his unit heroically against them and killed 6 of them and forced the others to retreat, in the process he took a bullet on his head. Till the time he was fled to the nearest hospital he was dead. He was just 24. Tell me how many news channels even gave a mention of his sacrifice? Really shame on you Indian Media. Media is supposed to be the eye of the nation through which public is supposed to see latest happening from an unbiased angle. But it seems for today’s news channels TRP is of more importance than providing actual NEWS. Everyday you see channels like aaj tak announcing that we have won this award that award 3rd time in a row, or you see news about what was telecast in the latest episode of Saas bahu soap opera and I don’t even want to get started on India TV. Seriously even after so much diversification and commercialization in the media sector still I feel when it comes to authentic and real content news nobody beats Doordarshan. Though it would be of only half an hour telecast but you get all the important stuff which you want to know.
Coming back to the main topic, the lokpal bill and what is to be done to bring about these changes. Whose version should be adopted? At present there are 4 versions – Anna Hazare’s , Govt’s , Aruna Roy’s and some Jaiprakash’s one. None of these bills are perfect and an in between route is to be found out. But doing this will require time. But Mr. Anna and his team are hell bent to get it done and dusted within four days. Any decision taken in haste will not only lead to a weak Lokpal but can altogether result in completely opposite of what changes this bill was supposed to bring about, increase in corruption. Not only this but team Anna and specially Mr. Kejriwal who is some kind of a spokesperson for team Anna is adamant on some childish demands. I don’t have much knowledge about politics or bills or other stuffs but even I can make out the blunders in all this. During his one of many arousing speeches, Mr. Kejriwal said that team Anna is asking the Govt. that every bill that is introduced in the cabinet should have the consensus of the entire nation. When Govt. disagreed to this impractical suggestion, that it is impossible to ask the opinion of 2 billion people for each and every issue, then he came up with a solution of his, that every bill can be discussed at all levels, starting with Gram Panchayats to tehsils and moving up the hierarchy. What kind of a stupid suggestion is this. I want to ask him .. what exactly he wants? Does he want that for each and every bill takes about 3-4 years to even get to cabinet for discussion, when he himself is advocating for ultra quick resolution of this lokpal issue. Tell me if you want to resolve every issue like this dharna and strikes then what’s the need of setting up this Govt. in the first place? Why every 5 years there is drama of election and all. We are the people you choose these leaders and if we have given them certain responsibility then let them do that. If you are so knowledgeable and capable then fight election get elected then bring about these changes you are asking for. From outside everything seems quite easy to do and manage. Even I also go on saying things like this about my managers work , that what easy job and I can do it much better than him. Grass is always greener on the other side.
Secondly he ask that phone lines of all the Govt. officials including Prime Minister should be tapped. First of all I would like to get his phone line tapped. Doesn’t he understand that such high level of discussions including discussion with Armed forces officials and other foreign delegates takes place in those offices that tapping those phones and then taking the risk of these records falling into the hands of terrorists or other anti social elements will put entire nations security under jeopardy. Standing there on the podium and shouting slogans is easy but when it comes to doing stuffs many will back out.
There are many such points in the bill, one more which I can recall at this point is the power to be given to common person to go and file complain against any Govt. official whenever he feels like. In return if after the enquiry nothing is found against that Govt. official then the person who filed the complain doesn’t pay any compensation and just go about their merry ways. Though the Govt. version of this is also not correct and is also pretty harsh, as Govt. advocates for 2 years imprisonment for the complainant in his version of the bill. This punishment is way to harsh but still some penalty should be levied on the complainant. The sole reason being Govt. officials are also common people and who would protect their rights? When enquiry is set up against any official, apart from financial loss the mental trauma and other pressure he undergoes should also be taken under consideration. How would you feel if somebody points a finger at the work done by you for which you have put in loads and loads of hard work and dedicated hell lot amount of time? I will be pissed for sure and I won’t take it very sportingly either. But Anna and his team is not realizing this as they are busy portraying Govt. and all Govt. officials as the devils and demons of society.
What you think, will passing a bill and setting up these few bodies will end this corruption altogether? I ask, why there is corruption in the first place? It is because of people like you and me. Few days back I read a beautiful article regarding this entire episode, giving a beautiful definition of corruption. It is we who gave birth to this demon and it is we who is allowing it to flourish. In the article the author asks, today we are shouting for this bill to get passed but are we really ready for this? Are we ready to go for getting our driving license and not paying money to RTO for that, are we ready to not ask our reporter friend to provide us passes to any match or other function, are we ready to wait in long queues in mandirs and not pay that extra bugs to get VIP treatment and VIP darshan passes, are we ready to let our children sit at home if they are not able to get admission in a good college and not pay capitation fee for their admission? If we are ready to do these and many such things then there is no need for any bill or law. We have to be our own Govt. and our own law police if we really want to get rid of this algae. Think about this and don’t follow any one blindly, even great fighters like Anna or Kejriwal. Demand of the hour is not about passing one lokpal, it is about bringing that awareness in each and everyone of us and the only way to remove corruption is economic development and progress of the society. When the standard of living of the common person will improve obviously that inner drive to getting more, even through wrong means will subsidies a bit. We cant eliminate corruption completely from its root, that is a fact but surely we can cut off or trim its branches.
So really its high time to tame that demon inside you and as they say : if you want some change then be the change….. ;)

Signing off
RJ