AAP – No more the messiah of the ‘Mango People!

Year 2015 - assuming AAP comes to Power in India

Army Chief’s SOS to Prime Minister AKji - Sir, we have information from the Intelligence Bureau that our neighbouring country is planning an attack in the next 24 hours.

AKji - Oh no.  Tell them to hold on.  We need to conduct a referendum through our website / Facebook /Twitter/ WhatsApp / other social media and ascertain public opinion on this. We will need 3 days and tell them to wait.

Army Chief (replies in astonishment) - Err… Sir,  that may not work. It is a war situation!!

AKji - Oh!  What do we do now?  How is the situation with our nuclear arsenal if the public feedback approves of such usage?  Can we keep it ready?

Army Chief - Of course sir. But we don’t have power supply to use the nuclear weapon as the suppliers are going through a CAG audit and they have also refused to supply power till we pay them.  Besides, the head of the unit is on suspension pending an enquiry being conducted under by the Jan Lokpal. We have been given to understand that this position is vacant since an honest, qualified person has not been found so far.

AKji – Yes, yes! I remember!  He was the one who shares his surname with that big industrialist and we strongly believe that the industrialist controls him.   What do we do now?  Can we speak to the Pak Army or ISI to delay this?

Army Chief (exasperated) - That won’t be possible Sir. They do not report to you.

An irritated AKji – How is that possible and why was I never told about this? What did the Congress and BJP Governments do about this over the last 60 years? I’ll do a Dharna in front of the Pakistan High Commission to protest against this and give the Pakistan Government 48 hours to pass a resolution ensuring their Army/ISI report to me with immediate effect.  I will resign if it does not happen. Also, send 15 questions to Pak Army Chief, seeking answers in 24 hours.  Else, it will be clear that he is corrupt.

Army Chief (aghast) - Yes sir! But how will sending questions, sitting on a Dharna and proving that the Pakistan Army is corrupt help us in the situation we are in, an impending War!!

AKji - Arre… don’t you get the point?  Once they pass the required resolution, I can order them not to attack. If they don’t pass, I’ll resign. If the Pakistan Army Chief does not reply, it is clear that he is corrupt.  Let us get an auto rickshaw to go to the nearest Metro station and from there to the Dharna venue.  (AKji calls his press secretary and says) - ensure that the entire media is alerted about my rickshaw travel and metro travel. Where is my muffler!

Army Chief fainted…………...

What has happened to India? Nothing yet, considering this is only a highly exaggerated imaginary situation!

This piece (of my mind) is in no way an attempt to point fingers at AAP and its credibility or the intelligence of its leader.  If I had a vote in the Delhi assembly elections, I would have definitely voted for the AAP as their intention was quite promising. However, as an AAM AADMI, I feel dejected looking at their naïve and immature way of handling of things.

Running after Referendums:

Looks like the party has collectively failed to realize that people vote and elect representatives because they don’t have the intelligence or time to govern. A leader is expected to be decisive and lead but if the leader keeps going back to the public in the name of referendum (through their websites and social networking sites which form a small percentage of public), it leads to nothing but chaos and delays, Imagine this: if this trend continues, the day isn’t far when each home could have a voting machine installed for the mango people to have their say on policies and issues!

Focus on 'what's not possible' rather than 'what's possible' 

Can choosing a lost cause and quitting be termed a success? I am not a political analyst, but it is elementary that with the numbers AAP had in the Delhi Assembly, passing the Jan Lokpal Bill was a non-starter from the beginning.  The chances were as bright as an Indian football team winning a FIFA World Cup! AAP garnered public support by convincing the Aam Aadmi of how corrupt the Congress, BJP or for that matter every other political party was (incidentally, both the Congress and BJP never denied they have corrupt leaders; but their defense was that the other one is more corrupt). During their short stint at power, the party sounded redundant as they kept on singing the same tune without doing anything about it.

Instead, they should have grabbed the opportunity and proved a point to the world of what they were capable of by completing the term or rule Delhi for couple of years.  Efficiency is as important as honesty! There was plenty of opportunity to clean up a whole lot of things (streamlining power distribution, water supply, school admissions, development work etc., to name a few). Jan Lokpal, though important, is not the only issue. Jan Lokpal is necessary and they could have sent it to the Central Government and blamed the Congress. I am sure the AAM AADMI is smart enough to understand that a one- year-old party can do only so much. On the flip side, the feeling one got during the short AAP tenure was they somehow wanted the Congress to withdraw the support.

Of Press Meets, Dharnas and Accusations…

After a point, TV Noise, I mean News Channels were nothing but AAP TV! All they did was call for press meets and accuse someone or the other of corruption.  The debate here is not whether the people accused by AAP are corrupt or not? The point is what purpose did it serve? Most of AAP’s tactics of free power and waivers are nothing beyond populous politics – something similar to what a state like Tamil Nadu followed – dolling out freebies without worrying about the long term impact to the exchequer.  Yes, they managed to hold Delhi to ransom by holding a dharna, resulting in sending few Delhi policemen on leave.  No one knows what happened to these policemen who went on leave. Did the people of Delhi benefit from this? The answer is a vehement NO!  Strangely, when they consulted the people on forming the government, they did not do so while quitting!

They should also realize that the MY WAY or the HIGHWAY Approach does not work in a democracy.

Just like that light at the end of the tunnel, I hope the AAP gets a little practical and sensible. They have definitely lost their head start that is wading but still promising, at least in the cities.  To add to that, if they fail to win a few seats, they will face a humungous task of keeping their high profile members together as most of them are corporate leaders in their own right and for them, dovetailing will be difficult.

On a concluding note, what comes to my mind is Abraham Lincoln’s quote “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power”. Does it not reflect the current picture of AAP and a faltered one at that!  

2011... Of Protests and Protesters!

As we come to the end of another year, we generally tend to look back at all that stood out, all that was special. Well, what really was the highlight of a tumultuous 2011 were those protests and the protestors of all kind….the good, the bad and some, really ugly!

Even the ‘Time’ selected ‘the Protestor’ as the ‘Person of the Year’. (Read more at http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2101745_2102132_2102373-1,00.html

While the focus of Time was on the global protest scenario starting from Egypt to Wall Street, I would stick to what was going on in our backyard.

Think of the changing tides backed by fasts and protests and the name that immediately strikes our minds is that of Annaji – the angry old man and his gang of “Angry Birds” protesting for a 'STRONG' Lokpal (strong means ''whatever they demand'). As I write this, their third protest for the year is on at Mumbai. Since I have already commented on this in my previous posts, I restrain from getting further into that. My views on this issue continue to remain the same. He has made an huge impact and there is action and debate. Beyond that “One cannot hold the country for ransom”.
There has been progress in terms of the bill in the parliament after 60+ years and the elected representatives are debating on that. The least step would have been to protest post the debate in parliament. The breaking news in television channels while I was scribbling my thoughts late last night was ‘Rajnikant supports Annaji and offers his marriage hall in Chennai for team Anna’. Now here is a man with a larger than life image, who had the golden chance of making big in politics. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the courage or conviction to take that bait. How I wish he had taken up that responsibility and brought about some change rather than indulging in these bystander activities.

Out of all this, how can I miss commenting on the ‘Opposition’! The new-age definition of opposition is ‘the one who opposes everything the ruling party proposes’. Looks like the BJP failed to recall that they were in power for a long period and while they did introduce the bill twice, they could not pass the so called ‘strong’ Lokpal. The Left and their dead ideology (thankfully – they are not in power anywhere now) wanted the moon. The same Left front supported a Congress Government for a long time and they were in selective amnesia about corruption at that time.

Coming to the local protests, the first issue that flashes immediately is that of the nuclear plant located a Koodankulam in Tamil Nadu. A plant where a whopping Rs.14000 crores was spent, is at a limbo due to protests by locals fearing nuclear disaster. Let us go a few steps back and recall that the plant was conceived in 1981 and the work commenced in 1997. This means that 2011 is definitely not the time when you stall a project of this magnitude; there were various stages in which it could have been stalled. Jayalalitha, who is otherwise considered a progressive politician, is also surprisingly playing a spoil sport. We have, at one side, issues linked to rising power tariff and power cuts and on the other, when there is an effort to salvage the power situation through nuclear power – there is nothing but PROTEST.

The second most-talked about (read: protested) issue at hand is the Mullaperiyar dam crisis, an inter-state dispute on for a long time. Well, how it came to the forefront all of a sudden is still a mystery to me! What is rather worrying is the sudden politicization of the dispute resulting in bandhs, burning/ destroying of shops of the Mallu / Tamil community. The issue is quite complex (read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mullaperiyar_Dam)

And here’s to an ultimate paradox! ‘FDI in retail’ - an issue in which the consumer or common man was ignored in the process of protecting the interests of traders. The opposition sent the Government into a tizzy with their protests and backlash. Did the BJP go into “Ghajini-mode” and forget that FDI in retail was part of their 2004 election manifesto. And of course, the TMC and Mamata – Congress, am sure, is still not certain whether the TMC is an ally or an opposition. At least, these politicians could have debated before stalling it.

I am in no way protesting that there should not be protests. But if we take a look at year 2011, things were at a complete standstill and no progress whatsoever was made. Protests, fasts and a lot more… but an underlying, mute question always remains – Who is this protestor? Who is the instigator? What is he protesting for? Why is he protesting? To sum it up and quote from the current rage.............. why this kolaveri!

As those who wish to protest are still going strong, I choose to rest my case.....................

Happenings......

It’s been a while since I have scribbled something….not that I have a string of people yearning to see a new post every second day! Whilst there is so much happening around us across spheres, it was still difficult to zero in on a specific area to ponder and pen down thoughts. In such a case, I though the next best option (read shortcut) was to touch upon a few ‘happenings’.

Rajneeti………

The first thing that crosses our mind is Advaniji ki Rath Yatra! I wonder its relevance at this stage, especially as he is more of a ‘former future prime minister' with no bandwidth among his party men and the masses. He was on a rath yatra against corruption while one of his party’s poster boys was in jail / hospital (interchangeable when it comes to VIPs) for corruption. What’s more is a bomb that was found in Madurai on the same route as his yatra. Who in their senses, will want to disrupt a harmless rath yatra? Anyway, that’s for the security agencies to ponder.

Discussing Rajneeti without talking about Annaji and Lokpal is a non starter. A lot has occurred since his last fast and it’s no rocket science to conclude that things are not in his control anymore. His core team members like Bhushan, Kiran Bedi and Kejriwal are under fire for diverse reasons. Few of the core members have walked out from the morcha and as I speak through my blog, his blog is defunct as his blogger has a different take on the way things are happening. All said and done, let us give the man some credit for the clean notions, but it’s about time he realized that it’s not easy to control even a small group, leave aside a political party. To borrow a word from an article I came across……… “The moot question is that if Anna Hazare cannot get three or four people of integrity in his core team, what would be the fate of Lok Pal?” Read more at…… http://www.sify.com/news/bedi-and-kejriwal-not-the-perfect-role-models-news-columns-lkyxvvfbhch.html

Reports also suggest that the political stand in the Hissar bye-election was purely based on his eagerness to teach a lesson to the Congress and it had nothing to do with corruption. And yes, he always wanted everyone to respond and talk when he was on fast (including the Prime Minister), and when all these allegations against his core members surfaced, he was conveniently on mauna vrath. Despite all claims, although his last fast grabbed a lot of eyeballs, it didn’t get the desired results, thus forcing him to settle for something very inferior to what he bargained for. No Lokpal was passed nor did we see a time-line in which it will be passed. In all probability we can see one more fasting in the near future and the question is how much support the media will give him this time around.

Movie time…

Diwali season, apart from the family diplomacy, is movie time for any Tamilian and am not a rebel here. It’s just the question of which movie to see first and I picked Velayudham, a Vijay film, for the Diwali day. I came out smiling and I was entertained. I had a good time…… No claims of changing the face of Tamil film or saying something new…… it’s simple entertainment (of course, one should like Vijay and his antics to enjoy this one). As it stands, we won’t get to see a Vijay film in its true sense in the near future as reports suggest that his future projects are being directed by the likes of Shankar, Gowtham Menon and AR Murugadas. Next stop was 7 am Arivu, a Suriya film which generated lot of hype. It was a damp squib… While I appreciate the hard work and intensity of Suriya, the makers didn’t know whether to entertain or educate. This movie didn’t do both. I personally believe that liking a film is all about the mindset in which you enter the movie hall. You go with some expectations and you always judge the film against your expectations. The third one I ventured into was Ra-One, marketed to such an extent, that it became a duty of any Indian to have a dekho and by the time I decided to fulfil my responsibility, the critics had crucified the movie and SRK. From where I see it, it was the comparison that did the damage. It was an admirable attempt; it was time-pass; it was paisa vasool. Instead of appreciating SRK for a good attempt, the critics and media chose to crucify him by comparing it with Salman’s ‘cut and paste’ films which did good business. Yes, the Rajni piece was a joke.

And finally….Books…….

Revolution 2020 – that’s the title of the new book by Chetan Bhagat. A potboiler, which is a rehash of his earlier books that offers nothing new.

Is Jan Lokpal the solution to the evil called corruption?

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.

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