People, System and corruption

Going to a news site on regular basis becomes part of life. Checking Facebook and news handle in twitter for extra kick is also a ritual. Being in proximity to the media (Indian media in particular) you are not going to miss corruption for sure. After Arvind Kejriwal got into politics in a big way, and hitting his target mercilessly on a 4-5 o clock press conference, so the evening discussion picks the topic till late night, adds extra spice to all of these.

So talking politics and talking corruption over lunch is common practice. so when things comes to point fingers towards politician over corruption, we act as a perfect opposition with no speaker to monitor the proceedings in the cafeteria. But fact remains we are the 95th corrupt country from 180 odd countries as per Transparency International. if you ask Diggy or Kapil Sibal they might simply write off by telling, for your country rating why to consider the fact of an Intentional organisation without any vested interest.

off late i was thinking what could be the root cause? Why the people who got elected, overnight have a different mindset? Why in a mood to amass so much wealth much more what they can chew or digest? A country where we strongly believe in karma ( कर्म), and the result as per our good or bad karma has to be faced in this life, and we do a carry-forward to next life if account can't be settled, yet fearless in looting.  

Country where the ruling party got it's origin from Gandhian ideology, communist party whose philosophy should be structured social order, and that of RSS backed BJP should be of high integrity. Then why people of so varied category does these crimes. So there is something wrong in the system for sure. No matter how colorful Biriyani you eat, the stuff that comes out in the morning have the same odor.

But honestly speaking is there a difference between people and system? Or we the people different from the system that we follow. I don't think so. Even if we argue on it, the line will be very flimsy. According to Rory Stewart, a UK parliamentarian "For politician to be honest, the public needs to allow them to be honest. If the democracy needs to be flourished its the active and informed engagement of every citizen". Why isn't the politician of Newzeland, Singapore or USA are not contaminated with this virus? Are they genetically or morally more sophisticated than us? Just blaming the system is enough as if the so called "system" has fallen from the sky to us. It is fabricated, nurtured by us. Can we not take this moral responsibility of not letting any corrupt practice which will directly or indirectly affect our society and people. Be it in bribing for jumping the signal, or getting a seat in the train, or to get a quick service or be silent on someone doing some wrong. Start objecting and start cleaning self, rest will fall in place.      

In one his interview Imran Khan said "Corruption is what makes a third world country".  it is so true. He further added if you see the list of countries of Transparency International, those who lead the chart are not only clean but are developed. There is such a strong correlation between these two, corruption is difficult to ignore. So lets pledge we do our part, as the people no different from the system. Cleaning ourselves indirectly leads to the cleaning of the country. So next time we accuse someone do remember part of it's we owe as well.

- Jai Hind

PS - Please do comment if you agree, disagree or i need a pat or kick on back.

Positives of the Anna Movement

After yesterday's discussion of govet with team Anna it seems quiet clear they are in no mood of withdrawing the bill. The assumption is quiet clear that if they withdraw the crap produced by five eminnent guys will hurt there ego. I wonder where the ego was present while drafting the bill? i have my doubts on there intention of meeting the demands of team Anna. They are calling the meetings just on the basis of pressure, not from heart. So outcome is getting more predictable.

The very next day after the world cup, the country started following Anna and the indian across the globe as well. There was hope of something positive should emerge out of this. But the more i am folloowing the more i am harassed by the politician and there double standard. One thing i realise all politician in common they talk unreasonable thing in farely reasonable manner. But the end user know the real motives are. Personally in the process of following the news, a new desire of being a politician arises, where i can speak my heart out. I can support a cause than a cause itself. Politician today hiding behind the parliament very well knows they are the victim of the bill. In this situation i don't know how a fare minded person will sign his own warrant. At the same time tired of listening to political people. I wish i had a "SPAM" year which i could engage when they talk without troubling my real ear and cerebrum which listen and comprehend for me.

I am pissed off by two things in the whole movement by government. When they say 1. Parliament should be respected 2. Mr PM says he doesn't have a magic wand. But my dear politician pleas try to realize we are respecting little too much thats why it took 4-5 decades for us to get together and put our thing on the table. Where is your feeling of parliament when you prepare the crap bill, where is the respect to parliament when u eat the public money, where is the respect when you see the people who send you to represent in parliament shouting at the gate with heart out. When the same people demand something which is legitmate, you say unconstitutional. And the 2nd point when Mr prime minister says we don't have a magic wand he sounds equally helpless as a ordinary citizen. My dear PM if you don't have it then when why don't you take it what team Anna is gving? It won't disappoint you and would not be no less than a magic wand. And for god sake don't repeat that line again.

The whole movement has some positive amid of all anxiety and frustration. It tells people of there democratic right, more than merely voting once in five years. Which is a good sign. From now on section of peoplewill have a watch on type of bill govt authoring. It creates a political aspiration among few. "If Kapil is not doing, i could have done this if i were him." That feeling creates a political desire. I am sure few people will be there on the same page. its different story unless electoral reform happens difficult for people like me to go there and survive.

Having said all these, i am still watching the progress of IAC. If Congress led govt didn't do much on this i have decided for next 10 years i am not going to vote for them no matter what. I will pledge my people to do the same. Next two term go home and respect parliament from chandni chowk. By saying all this i really don't support the opposition on there stand on Jan Lokpal as well.

I don't support Ramdev, with all due respect

The moment i make my first statement, i might sound odd. Isn't it? But that's the truth. Here i am not questioning the intention of Ramdev, or his fasting but what i dislike about the whole affair is his solution to curb the black money. There are something you should leave the experts to do. You just initiate the process, monitor it but not a part of it.

If he is telling, govt should bring the money back to India that is hoarded in Swiss Bank, I am with him. One more point he was making is to stop the bigger denomination of 500 and 1000. Here lies the difference. I know his intention is to stop hoarding the black money. As a citizen, popular citizen you can ask for the transparency or the progress report on the issues that you have. But the moment you are pointing what needs to be done then there is a problem. Lets talk about the denomination. We are in a age where 9-10% of inflation is quiet natural. So in layman terms Money is loosing its value by 9-10% each year. So the amount of thing that you can buy in the Year 1991 on 100 rupees note, the same amount will cost you 560 rupees in 2011 considering 9% of inflation through out. So all the transaction in 100 rupees currency is equally painful for normal man.

Another point i would like to mention. This time govt was little pro-active in persuading in what is going through and what are there plans. They received Ramdev and finance minister talk to him personally. The minutes of meeting has never surfaced officially neither from him nor from government. So we as a common man never got to know what in reality stops them from getting the money back to India and on the black money curbing what are the steps govt is taking. If Ramdev doesn't like the Govt initiative then why he doesn't like it? Nothing in reality has come out publicly.

So my humble request will be creating agitation, and mobilizing a mass movement in anyway will put tremendous pressure on a ruling side, and sometimes powerful enough to put a functional govt to a defunct state. So lets keep the pressure on without squeezing it too much. There are several ways you can put a check on black money segment, apart from high value denomination. So let's have something concrete rather than going for a fast to see wonder overnight, as if Manmohan is sitting with Swis Bank user ID and password will log in and transfer all the money back to India. Just to give another example Singapore has a currency of 10000 sing dollar. Can you imagine one note is equivalent to 3.6 Lac rupees. So the country should be heaven for black money hoarder. Answer is a big NO. You put the check and balance in several places, that's it. Don't ask me how? I will leave this to experts to decide.

By saying this i no way defend the action that was done by Delhi police on the people who are sleeping silently and protesting. Again on the flip side I don't accept the fact where Ramdev was talking about keeping some trained young people with weapons for RavanLeela at Ram Maidan if things happen again. So the bottomline is if i am concerned about something, i will try to initiate the process that will mitigate the issue, but not by myself. Indira Gandhi during her tenure very intuitively know that science has to grow for the country to flourish. ISRO formed, atomic research center formed, even sent man to moon during her period. She herself didn't study science for the growth, she made the environment conducive for the rest to flourish. So let me re-iterate you let your concern send across the table but not the solution.

Honestly i sometimes feel you are good at the shows at morning 4 o' clock doing pranayam. You are good at that stick to it. Else always remember great power bring great responsibility. If not well directed might work as double edge sword.