This is going to be about the Lokpal Bill and is directed towards two rather disjoint sets of people:
1. Those who support the anti-corruption movement without understanding it.
To be counted as one of the many who belong to this group of people, you need only have bought convenience from your local traffic policeman, local MLA(by voting for him in return), license tout, auto-driver, hostel attendant, college admin clerk or even your professor once in your life. Because for every Government official accepting a bribe, there's a civil society member paying it. You don't need to embezzle funds to feed cattle that don't exist or buy licenses for providing telephonic services (that you can't support anyway) on the cheap to be called corrupt. And no amount of "liking" Facebook pages or signing online petitions can undo this.
I will feel that I've achieved something if this post goes on to explain the matter. Because in most cases you didn't care to read what the wiki page or the petition or the note your friend tagged you in actually said. I will, therefore, include links to some of the pieces that require reading.
2. Those who are ready to engage in a constructive debate without casting aspersions on the integrity or motive of others.
First things first, here is a draft of v2.1 of the Jan Lokpal Bill as proposed by members of the India Against Corruption movement as an overhaul of the variant presented by the Government.
Now, it wouldn't be fair to expect everyone to read that document in its entirety. This Scribd document provides an analysis of the Lokpal Bill. Also, here is a (much) shorter version of what the Jan Lokpal Bill proposes for those who bleed blue but don't.
Now, it wouldn't be fair to expect everyone to read that document in its entirety. This Scribd document provides an analysis of the Lokpal Bill. Also, here is a (much) shorter version of what the Jan Lokpal Bill proposes for those who bleed blue but don't.
The bill and the movement have inspired commentary and discussion in mainstream media and on social platforms. There is support as well as disagreement from all economic, political and social strata of the society.
Bloggers who support Anna Hazare's movement:
MERA NETA CHOR HAI - Chetan Bhagat(Ok, this one was just for laughs and the put- badge-of-latest-fad-on-my-Facebook-profile brigade.)
Bloggers who are against the movement and/or the Lokpal Bill:
Against the Jan Lok Pal and the politics of hunger strikes(Nitin Pai, for whom I have the utmost respect.)
On Anna Hazare's fast(Rohan Joshi, another objective columnist)
Bloggers who are undecided and/or provide other key inputs:
Dodging the drafts(PRS Legislative Research)
ENOUGH(B Raman, Director of the Institute for Topical Studies)
ENOUGH(B Raman, Director of the Institute for Topical Studies)
After reading through all this the main talking points appear to be the Gandhian philosophy of the movement(often termed coercive) and some of the clauses of the bill itself.
An increasing number of experts believe that the manner in which the movement is being carried out is undemocratic. Their argument is that while Gandhi was fighting against an imperialist power, the public today is trying to pressure a Government they voted to the helm themselves. Fair point. But so what? Should a Government, that has a post-election alliance as its foundation, be allowed to do as it pleases for its entire term? At the risk of being called an anarchist and/or an elitist, I ask, should politicians be allowed to have their own way just because most of the rural population that voted was given TV sets and in some cases, mixer grinders? A common rebuttal is "a people deserves the Goverment it gets". And this is where I disagree with Lincoln. Democracy is based on the false conviction that there are extraordinary capabilities in ordinary men. And honestly, is there no room for protest in a democratic India?
While I agree that the bill is not perfect in any way, it is downright stupid to rubbish it completely. The process of selecting the Lokpal, what needs to be done with the recovered losses are some issues that require greater deliberation. Amendments need to be made to the draft. Edges need to be smoothened. But the bill is closer to being a diamond than a piece of charcoal. The movement's spirit needs to be appreciated and other technicalities worked out so that it benefits everyone.
Finding a way to eradicate this malaise that afflicts the entire structure from top to down is of greater importance. And the inbuilt urge to buy convenience at the drop of the hat among most Indians is what makes this task tough (Sisyphean, as some might claim).
Most commentators who do not agree with Anna Hazare see 'voting for change' as the only solution to this problem. The carrot and stick treatment needs to be meted out. "Vote the corrupt out, every time, again and again until parties get the message. Vote!", as Nitin Pai says. This basically translates to UPA, BJP, UPA, BJP, UPA... I agree with that suggestion in all its spirit, but we live in a dystopian world where things rarely work out the way they should. Which brings me to some of the questions I want to ask them: Can the entire Indian polity just change the way it votes at the blink of an eye? And if it can, then why hasn't it happened already since we're all so progressive and insightful and well-meaning? How can someone bring fruit to this Arcadian fantasy(root out caste based voting, etc.), if given the responsibility and wherewithal?
Saying that India would have a better Government if everyone voted is like saying that India would be a member of the OPEC if everyone of us started working at an oil rig. That is how serious the lack of dependable leaders in our political system is.
In the hope that more informed gentlemen will give an amended bill a chance and progress will be made after the first steps have been taken, I rest my case in support of the movement. Comments, arguments and criticism are welcome.
P.S. All those who aren't interested in all this can find refuge here. Lennon had the uncanny habit of capturing the mood of the time.
6 Wisecracks!:
Hey,
That's a nice post, especially the identified sets of people. Though, you missed a larger and dangerous set of people - 'Those who support the anti-corruption movement but promote corruption when it comes to personal interests.' I call them dangerous because they know they do it but aren't ready to change it. Unless these people change, not much can be achieved by any bill or protest. And, for people who term the entire process of drafting and implementing the bill as a futile effort, as they believe the real outcome would be far less than the predicted effect, I believe they need to start looking for solutions than pointing out problems. For problems, we all know, and are always ready to criticize the constitution, the system, the people, but let's shut our mouths and start working.
I like the way you have presented both sides of the story. I would just add couple of points.
1. We are nowhere near a revolution because the govt has never opposed Hazare and other members of the civil society openly. So there is no villain-like figure against which the masses can unite.
2. No matter how many people from the civil society are involved in the Lok Pal Bill Draft formulation, the bill will have to be passed by the Parliament. End of the day the politicians hold the key.
Having said this, this movement has indeed given the govt a wakeup call and also made people think about issues which matter a lot but were ignored till now. This is a big positive.
I like the way you have presented both sides of the story. I would just add couple of points.
1. We are nowhere near a revolution because the govt has never opposed Hazare and other members of the civil society openly. So there is no villain-like figure against which the masses can unite.
2. No matter how many people from the civil society are involved in the Lok Pal Bill Draft formulation, the bill will have to be passed by the Parliament. End of the day the politicians hold the key.
Having said this, this movement has indeed given the govt a wakeup call and also made people think about issues which matter a lot but were ignored till now. This is a big positive.
I like the way you have presented both sides of the story. I would just add couple of points.
1. We are nowhere near a revolution because the govt has never opposed Hazare and other members of the civil society openly. So there is no villain-like figure against which the masses can unite.
2. No matter how many people from the civil society are involved in the Lok Pal Bill Draft formulation, the bill will have to be passed by the Parliament. End of the day the politicians hold the key.
Having said this, this movement has indeed given the govt a wakeup call and also made people think about issues which matter a lot but were ignored till now. This is a big positive.
While I so very much agree with the overall sense and gist of the article.
I do believe Voting can play a much bigger role.
If everyone in this country votes , then the policies would be formulated targeting everyone and not just a few minorities or backward classes who are the ones who actually come out and vote.
Why would I ( as a politician ) care what you think since you don't vote and your existence doesn't effect my winning arithmetic.
And then when I give reservation to the class that votes for me. You feel unfair and then all of a sudden the jingoism and candle light marches and elite discource start.
So just as Lok pal bill is not the final solution , neither is Voting but they are all ways to improve the system.
Welcome back :)
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