A Drive Against Corruption... Not Anymore!

Two months of headlines, and 5 days later. Here India is. In what began as a drive against corruption, not much of it remains anymore. Reasons? Varied. Most of them, known to everyone. Some of them, hidden.

It all began with Anna Hazare's fast unto death or till his demands were met, on 5th April, 2011 which took India by a stir! The thought that problem of corruption, is not here to remain as many (including me) say, that there could be a possible end to this corrupt phase! Wow. So exciting does it sound! And that got so many millions of Indians to support it. Yes, every one of us, every Indian (minus the politicians, bureaucrats and others who live on their black earnings) was on with him, against it.


Now, today, this fight seems all-the-more unimportant. Yes, you read that right. Unimportant. It seems to have lost its reason while everyone in the powerful circles tries to gain some clout from it. Religious and spiritual leaders, political parties, news channels, lawyers, websites, and what not!! "India's changing people! Be a part of it! It's now or never!" I would simply call it, BULLSHIT!

Let me begin with the one I have been seeing most recently and in the eye of the people and news channels. Baba Ramdev and his antics! I wonder how I should worship him! No, seriously. He's such an amazing fellow that he didn't feel ashamed to give this amazing movement the political and spiritual turn by poking his nose in it! He must be revered for the same, I demand. He actually thought that all those who gathered in Ramlila Maidan for his fast, were supposedly there supporting his hunger strike (I could use a tongue-smiley, :P, here)! News channels and newspapers broke stories reading what I said, that the people were there instead to show him their respects because his Yoga remedies seemed to have work for them. His demands were completely irrational, stupid and nonsensical. His methodology to achieve it, unethical. When Kapil Sibal made public a tape of their phone call, he went on to say he won't talk to Kapil Sibal! Someone remind this so-called Guru, that he agreed he would end the fast within hours of beginning it because of the pact he made with the Government. Get yourself some integrity, Mr. Ramdev! He sure deserved some real punitive action, which he aptly got.

Next up, the Bharatiya Janata Party. Supposedly, 'The Party with a Difference' (as read on their website). Oh, yeah? Getting political mileage by taking a dig at the Congress for acting against Baba Ramdev (who I'm pretty sure acted as a bate on their request) and their inability against corruption doesn't seem like anything different from what anyone else would have done. To me, at least! Making statements, getting prime-time news coverage, etc. is a good but, sad thing. The elections are still 3 years away, BJPians (or whatever they call themselves, I don't really care).

You know what would matter to me, an (almost) adult-Indian? Or how you could actually gain a heads-up for the next elections and earn yourselves some respect? Get into the legislature, make a Lokpal Bill, just as the people want it, house it in the Parliament, get it passed with the help of the Left and other parties, and there you are, the real star! You surely will be the next governing party! Trust me on that, you will be.

But you know what, readers? They wouldn't do that either. Even though they know that it assures them of power. Reasoning it as "It would be remembered as a victory of the Congress as it would be passed while they were in power! BJP can't let that happen, right?" among other immature excuses. The real reason? They can't see the good of the people, either. If you really cared about the people, the name of which political party got it passed, wouldn't really matter. If you really cared about the people, you would have stepped up before Anna Hazare hit it himself. And over it all, you can't afford corruption driven out of India, either. The same reasons and answers go to all the other political establishments who have at least one member in the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha. Because, according to the Honourable Constitution of India, any Member of Parliament has the right to present a bill in either of the houses. Enough said.

Anna Hazare, Part 2. He went on a day long fast again day before yesterday (on 8th of June, 2011) just because the Government representatives of the Lokpal Bill drafting committee and the people's representatives didn't come to a consensus on a certain clause (inclusion of PM and Judiciary of India, to be specific). You mean, really? Is this the law-making process we are looking for? Not me!! I'm looking for a discussion, a debate. Someone who can convince the prior, not compel. This demand of yours, I'm sorry, Mr. Hazare, is just too unrealistic for me to be supportive of. And seriously, right now, I feel like saying, 'The Anna Way? No Way!!' like I said 'The Gandhi Way? No Way!!' 7 weeks ago. If the support you got the first time makes you want to compulsate the Bill making issues like this, instead of talking it out at the discussion table, I am up against your action.

Last up, every Indian who thinks Lokpal Bill will be a reality and that corruption will be driven out of India. Let me just burst your bubble, brutally.

I read a crazy SMS saying, "Government of India has put a condition stating that the support of 25 crore people is needed to implement the 'Lokpal Bill'. For this we just have to give a missed call to the number +912261550789. After giving a missed call to this number you'll receive a 'Thanks' message. Forward this to as many to make India corruption free. Please call."

To begin with, what's the Lokpal Bill? Darn you, irresponsible people! The clauses of the Lokpal Bill have still to be finalized and debated upon by the Parliamentary Committee drafting it! We don't even know where and how it'll shape up in the end! Neither do we have a clue if it will be the Jan Lokpal Bill for which the protest 2 months back was held or will it be minor modifications to the Lokpal Bill which has been doing the Law Ministry rounds since 1979! And you want to petition for that already? Wow.

Hypothetically, let's consider it's an exact replica of the Jan Lokpal Bill and that's what we want to see in action. How many of us really, like 'really' know how the Bill making process works? How laws are made? What is the process of it? I am sure most of us have read it somewhere, and those of the age like mine, you have read it in your Civics textbooks, sometime. Now, where does it say that "if 25 crore people give missed calls" the Bill will be passed? If it was so easy, the law-making process was so people friendly, why would we ever have elections and elect Members of Parliament to be a part of our Legislature, and represent us? Wouldn't we be a part of it ourselves by giving missed calls or sending out SMSes for every Bill? Ask yourself. What part of the above quoted SMS make sense now?

I was sent this message by my parents too. And yes, I did lash out on them explaining why this wasn't legit even though an SMS was sent to you when you give a missed call.

Either it's that you don't know the law-making process (I mentioned above that it needs to pass the Parliament), or that you're just being too ignorant of it. Let's face it. The Government promised Anna Hazare during his previous fast of 'drafting' a Bill, not making sure it gets 'passed'. If you think that the elected MPs of India, those elected by you, those whose lives thrive upon black money, will let this Indian dream come true, you're mistaken. I may be seen as some cynic or a complete pessimist, but it doesn't bother me because I have my feet stuck the ground while I see everyone else hoping something so simply, impossible! If you think those who promote corruption the most, will pass a Bill that would put them under the scanner for every monetary transaction of their life, boy, you're highly mistaken! Time to wake up, dear fellas.

Also, if you think that Anna Hazare's promise that he would go on a fast again if the Bill doesn't get passed will do anything to change the failure of the Bill in the Parliament, again, I don't think the merciless people in those chairs will mind him dying, either. Even those of you, who think you won't vote for the same candidate in the next elections if he doesn't give an 'Aye' to the Lokpal Bill, you're mistaken, again. The voting process in the parliaments is anonymous. Dismay spreads?

I'm not someone who opposes this 'Let's-kick-corruption-out-of-India' movement. But, at the same time, when I see such wrong-doings (wrong in my eyes) happening, sorry, I can't support them either. Trust me when I say, I would be of the happiest people if I am proven wrong and corruption actually loses its stance in India. Hands down.

That's much about it about what I want to say... Let the comments and opinions in...

Until the next post...

P.S.: I haven't been paid by the Government of India or any of its dominant, behind the curtains powerful members (read: the Gandhi family) to write this. This is how I feel. This is how I perceive the truth to be. I know it's a lot more bold text, sarcasm and believe-it-or-not in this post, but I deemed it was necessary. Every word signifies how I actually feel about it.