I have, in the past, voiced my thoughts on corruption through this blog. Today what has dragged me to the same topic is the hoopla surrounding the Team Hazare protest that has gained unprecedented momentum. After my “Anna-lysis”, the views expressed below may tag me as an ‘anti-national’! The only solace, however, is the readership that the blog currently enjoys.
Pardon me for being forthright, but I can only say that the current scenario is completely flawed. The Congress Party was plain unlucky by being in power at this juncture (disclaimer – am not a Congressman). Despite tall claims of the opposition parties, they would have acted in the same way as the Congress and Congress would have done what the opposition is doing now. Like every other common man, I am all for the end of this corruption menace – an ideal situation, wishful thinking – which, I think may not change unless people also do their bit…(I am no cynic, unless putting across the reality bluntly is classified as cynicism).
While Team Hazare has created uproar, curiosity, mobilized the country through peace protests, candle light marches, revived the quintessential ‘Gandhi Topi’ and introduced fancy Anna-inspired merchandise, I have a question to ask. Will all these candle light supporters and ‘I Am Anna Crusaders’ take a public pledge that ‘they won’t pay a single paisa as bribe and stick to it’? If their answer happens to be in affirmative, then perhaps there is a possibility that the country makes some headway…
Being a democracy, India has and continues to witness upsides and pitfalls. We have all heard the hullabaloo about the strong sentiments and views expressed by Team Anna. Discussions on television, newspapers, chain e-mails on the “more-popular-than-Abhi-Ash’s-impending-parenthood-and-team-India’s-disastrous-test-performance” Lokpal Bill!! The herd mentality, coupled with insensible and over-the-top media reporting by TRP hungry visual media has led to the crusaders of corruption to hold the country for ransom for almost ten days! From sharp and shrewd CEO’s to the Six Sigma Certified Dabbawalas, from housewives to children, each one is directly or indirectly falling for a lucrative dream that is being offered through Jan Lokball bill – a miraculous end to corruption from every nook and corner of the country. What is rather ironical absurd and annoying to my partially sane mind is the support and solidarity shown to the protest by none other than some ex-chief ministers, union and state ministers who had to vacate their positions due to the very allegation of corruption.
Once again, at the cost of sounding cynical, we must accept the dreaded reality that things are certainly not going to change overnight. The way things are today, the bill may get passed (end of the day – it’s all about votes). But the question to be addressed is – what happens next? To set a parallel, the whole world knows that the once highly ambitious Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act or TADA did not end terrorism and ended up being misused and abused, leading to a decision of putting it in the back burner after some time.
Let’s break this down a step further. For a bribe to materialize, it needs two parties – a giver and a taker. Now, while the fourth estate is gung-ho about the taker, how are we going to address the issue of giver? Of course, you can say that they are forced to pay and my humble submission is why these evangelists can’t say no. They won’t and that’s the psyche the taker is banking upon.
While several extended examples of the giver-taker mentality can be endlessly listed, on a concluding note I’d like to say that the Jan Lokpal Bill can be a starting point, but not a solution. Unless the media-influenced, frenzied masses gathered on the streets pledge that they would do their bit by not paying bribe and stick to it, by being vigilant and responsible citizens, we are going to have another ineffective legislation.
Pardon me for being forthright, but I can only say that the current scenario is completely flawed. The Congress Party was plain unlucky by being in power at this juncture (disclaimer – am not a Congressman). Despite tall claims of the opposition parties, they would have acted in the same way as the Congress and Congress would have done what the opposition is doing now. Like every other common man, I am all for the end of this corruption menace – an ideal situation, wishful thinking – which, I think may not change unless people also do their bit…(I am no cynic, unless putting across the reality bluntly is classified as cynicism).
While Team Hazare has created uproar, curiosity, mobilized the country through peace protests, candle light marches, revived the quintessential ‘Gandhi Topi’ and introduced fancy Anna-inspired merchandise, I have a question to ask. Will all these candle light supporters and ‘I Am Anna Crusaders’ take a public pledge that ‘they won’t pay a single paisa as bribe and stick to it’? If their answer happens to be in affirmative, then perhaps there is a possibility that the country makes some headway…
Being a democracy, India has and continues to witness upsides and pitfalls. We have all heard the hullabaloo about the strong sentiments and views expressed by Team Anna. Discussions on television, newspapers, chain e-mails on the “more-popular-than-Abhi-Ash’s-impending-parenthood-and-team-India’s-disastrous-test-performance” Lokpal Bill!! The herd mentality, coupled with insensible and over-the-top media reporting by TRP hungry visual media has led to the crusaders of corruption to hold the country for ransom for almost ten days! From sharp and shrewd CEO’s to the Six Sigma Certified Dabbawalas, from housewives to children, each one is directly or indirectly falling for a lucrative dream that is being offered through Jan Lokball bill – a miraculous end to corruption from every nook and corner of the country. What is rather ironical absurd and annoying to my partially sane mind is the support and solidarity shown to the protest by none other than some ex-chief ministers, union and state ministers who had to vacate their positions due to the very allegation of corruption.
Once again, at the cost of sounding cynical, we must accept the dreaded reality that things are certainly not going to change overnight. The way things are today, the bill may get passed (end of the day – it’s all about votes). But the question to be addressed is – what happens next? To set a parallel, the whole world knows that the once highly ambitious Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act or TADA did not end terrorism and ended up being misused and abused, leading to a decision of putting it in the back burner after some time.
Let’s break this down a step further. For a bribe to materialize, it needs two parties – a giver and a taker. Now, while the fourth estate is gung-ho about the taker, how are we going to address the issue of giver? Of course, you can say that they are forced to pay and my humble submission is why these evangelists can’t say no. They won’t and that’s the psyche the taker is banking upon.
While several extended examples of the giver-taker mentality can be endlessly listed, on a concluding note I’d like to say that the Jan Lokpal Bill can be a starting point, but not a solution. Unless the media-influenced, frenzied masses gathered on the streets pledge that they would do their bit by not paying bribe and stick to it, by being vigilant and responsible citizens, we are going to have another ineffective legislation.
Team Anna and their crusade is just one side of the coin. We need to wake up (Jaago re in the truest sense) to the fact that by merely passing a bill, corruption will not vanish. Going by that philosophy, crime or criminals should have vanished from the face of the country considering the strong laws to curb that from time immemorial.
Corruption started not when someone asked for a bribe, but when someone agreed to pay!
Here are a few links which, in my opinion, add a second dimension to the as-of-now unilateral thought process.
An article from the New York Times at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/18/world/asia/18iht-letter18.html?_r=1&src=tp&smid=fb-share
Thoughts of Nandan Nilekani at: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/anna-hazares-campaign-simplistic-and-uni-dimensional-nandal-nilekani/articleshow/9681641.cms
An article from the Outlook magazine at:
http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?278063#.TlD_2iIdf8M.facebook
Nice Article…
ReplyDeleteThe fact is, we have not seen "any" government based reform to believe that things can change in a Big Way. However, there are some examples, such as Banning of Plastic Bags in certain North East cities in India. This is a Big change. Even carrying plastic bags is penalized and people de-facto use only Jute or paper stuff. Such is a big change and it depends on who run those reforms and how stern were they to make it into reality.
We need to see such reforms all over India (passive reforms) before embarking to redress the lot more mature issue related to Bribery (active reforms).
If I were the Government, I would build the "whole country" on passive reforms. And thereby, I would have ended up creating "the People" that would believe in WHAT IS NOW POSSIBLE and BELIEVE in confronting everything that is actively evil - Bribery.
In otherwise shabby shape in which we are, the Bribe Givers and Bribe Takers shall never whither away. Even if Anna’s supporters resolve not to take / give bribe, it will not make any difference. It, for such individuals and for others who are not part of the Anna's cause yet, will call to confront moral issues only, more than preventing Bribery.
The article espouses many angles & the complexities.