INDIA’S FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION - COMING TOGETHER OF ANNA HAZARE & RAM DEV - WHEN WILL DR.MMS & SMT. SUSHMA SWARAJ COME TOGETHER FOR THIS?

INDIA’S FIGHT AGAINST

CORRUPTION

(06.04.2012)

One of the Best things to have happened recently -  in the fight against corruption in India is, the coming together of Anna Hazare and Baba RamDev.

For some  reason or other, Team Anna became TOO HESITANT to fight alongside of  Baba Ram Dev - after the Midnight  charge on Baba Ram Dev Camp by the Police, which left one person in deep coma and later, death - and many others injured.

If a Police charge happens on Half-asleep people, weird things are bound to happen. No one can be expected to behave in the most intelligent manner when awakened in sleep by a Police force, charging with lathis.

Even the media did much injustice to Baba Ram Dev in this - by projecting Ram Dev in a Bad light - without looking at the circumstances. At least some of the later pronouncements by the UPA political leaders mus have opened their eyes  - that they (the UPA) will act on Anna also in some such manner. Instead of supporting the cause for which Ram Dev stood up - ridiculing him for small slip ups was not the best thing to do - for the Media. It is quite possible that Baba Ram Dev did indeed suspect a possible attempt to kill him. And, there was no point in getting killed in that way, in half sleep.

But, in my view, it was Team Anna which some what cold-shourldered Baba Ram Dev after that. A friend in need - is the friend in deed. Ram Dev did need huge support from Team Anna at that Juncture. Even if Ram Dev was not important, the cause for which he was fighting was important. 

Every soldier fighting against corruption  is important and must be protected by the others - so that the fight goes on to a successful end.

Subsequent events saw Team Anna Members also facing number of charges. One is reminded of the four bulls and the Lion story which we used to study in childhood.

United we Grow.Divided we Perish,  This is the moral.

This country needs a corruption-free Government and corruption-free people. But, right now, the whole world knows - as we all know - that India is one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Do we, or do we not want to rid this country of this stigma of being one of the most corrupt countries in the world?

If Yes - all soldiers against corruption must join together. Not merely Baba RamDev and Team Anna. Every RTI Activist who is waging a lone fight against corruption and facing dangerous people alone - must join these two leaders.

Honest people in all Political Parties must also join the fight - leaving aside all Political loyalties binding them towards corrupt people.

Religion ,caste, creed, sex, state - none of these should stop any one from joining this fight against corruption.

Unfortunately - Bad people join together very easily for achieving Bad purposes. That is the order of the world. That is so in India too.

But, Good people fail to join together to achieve Good Ends - due mainly to their Ego problems. Ego must be sunk and people must come together.

At the same time - we must recognize that the fight is - mainly against corruption, as a practice. Not people as such. 99.9% of people will reform easily - if only they find sufficient emotional satisfaction in it. The hard core 0.1%, who are corrupt by themselves and would convert others also into their path, even by bullying tactics - they are the ones against whom - all Guns must be trained.

That cannot happen - unless all fighters against corruption come together and support each other.

The joining together of Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev is therefore a significant step - but by no means a sufficient step.

And, there are weaknesses in the fighters  against corruption which can be easily exploited.

For one - Team Anna Members are developing a Penchant for accusing X, Y or Z personally for one reason or other - instead of first trying to get a strong Lok Pal Bill, with the co-operation of all MPs.

The Goal is the Bill - not X, Y or Z at this stage. Hanuman could have upturned Lanka and probably killed all Rakshasas himself - but, that was to be left to Lord Ram, and not accomplished by himself.

Likewise, Team Anna must leave it all to the Lok Pal; but, for that, it must first, get the Lok Pal installed. Unfortunately, Team Anna is putting the cart before the Horse. They need a sound Horse sense.

Get the Lok Pal. Get a strong Lok Pal. Get an independent, autonomous, fully equipped Lok Pal. Rest of the things, he will take care of.

What if over 150 MPs are facing grave charges? Will they have to vote for Lok Pal or not? They will vote, any way. So, why this self Goal - by Team Anna? Can't you envision your Goal clearly - the single most important thing - by doing which, all other things will be automatically done?

Get a strong Lok Pal Bill passed - that must be the only Goal. 

Here again, Team Anna says, they want Jan Lok Pal Bill ! And, every body else says, Jan Lok Pal Bill is your baby, why should we deliver it? Can Team Anna not say - we want a STRONG Lok Pal Bill? can they not mentally and verbally stand now for a strong Lok Pal Bill, and not for Jan lok pal bill? If you do that small substitution of one word - more people will feel more comfortable, and more people will find less to criticize you.

And, the Fighters against Corruption - must also know how to praise and whom to praise too.

Whatever some may say against Dr. Manmohan Singh, he is one of the most honest Prime Ministers of India. We don't know whether the next PM will be as honest as Dr.MMS. Dr. MMS may be weak, meek, Powerless, soft or whatever, but, he is an honest PM. He does want to do whatever he can for India ; it is just that the coalition partners are un-supportive and some times, a few of his own party members also, are un-supportive.

Likewise, there are some excellent Ministers in the cabinet. There are some excellent opposition leaders too. Don't you find enough reasons to praise them unreservedly? 

Like - Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley in BJP - they are clean - as clean can be. Don't we find a reason to praise them? Modi in Gujarat may have some problems - but his record is corruption-free. If Time magazine can find reason to praise him, can you not find reason to praise him?

The leftist parties may have non-uptodate ideologies; but they are by and large MOST non-corrupt. Can't we see reason enough to praise them? Was there a time you praised Dr. Jaiprakash Narayan, the lone MLA ,founder President of Lok Satta Party, who is fighting a lone battle in AP? Why this isolationism on the part of Team Anna?

Corrupt are there in all parties. But, Good men are there too - in many parties. We must be able to see that; and praise the Good men and strengthen their hands and their power - against the corrupt men in their party and other parties.

Criticism comes easily to the tongue. But, Praise does not. It must be practiced. Locate the good men and praise them. Else, Good men also will see no reason to join you, or praise you, or support you. This, unfortunately is what is happening.

With each scam revelation, the facets of corruption seem to be growing in India. Likewise, the fear that a strong Lok Pal may not come at all in India is also growing.

Anna and Baba Ram Dev have a lot of responsibility on their head - to strengthen the fight against Corruption and Black Money. A lot of responsibility to consolidate the forces against corruption.

Let us hope that they will succeed. But, the strongest wish is - that Dr.MMS, Smt.Sushma Swaraj and Shri Arun Jaitley (and the Left leaders) must come together and give India a grand gift of a strong Lok Pal. It does not matter, if it is slightly different from what Team Anna wants. But, Give India what India needs - to root out corruption.

The Nation is ready to salute you - for this.

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You can't keep snakes in your backyard - India And the snakes in its Backyard - Corruption, Rowdyism, Naxalism etc

You can't keep snakes in your backyard

and expect them only to bite your neighbours.

The US secretary of State, Ms. Hillary Clinton said this while in Pakistan. The analogy seems to apply to all others as well – Nations, smaller organizations and Individuals.

And, yet many people seem to indulge in this –knowingly and unknowingly – just hoping that the snakes in their backyard will bite  the neighbours only.

For example -some people in India support Naxalites and almost everything that they do, blindly, when they are in the Opposition. But, they face the music  from Naxalites when they come to Power. It happens in India in various states – all the time.

In North Eastern states, every state seems to have such outfits with different names. And, nobody knows what the Governments do with them. In some other states, there are Political parties, who periodically indulge in violence, against some section or other of the people – and go scot free.

Every Political Party when it is in Power misuses the Police forces -  but when in Opposition, it decries the same misuse of Power by the current Ruling Party / Parties- against itself. The Ruling Parties almost always support the brutalities of the Police – and never even think of reforming the system.

How do we in India deal with demonstrations and protests? Britain too has strikes and demonstrations by its Citizens. USA also has these types of public protests – like the latest wall street Protests. How are they dealt with by the UK and US police? How many citizens were injured and how much? Very few; Very little.

One Ex-Police officer said in one TV channel some days ago – that her superiors when she was working in a state – had ordered her that her police should break the bones of the Protestors there. Of course she tactfully avoided it, she says. But, the orders for breaking of bones seems to happen many times in all such Protests in India, peaceful or not so peaceful. When are we going to reform?

There are Rowdies in every city, town and even villages. Somehow – we find, they are going scot free. Rowdy, by definition, is out to commit some crime or other – as a profession. If they are watched proactively by some type of special agency, ninety percent of crimes in India can perhaps be prevented. There does not seem to be any such arrangement in India. The Rowdies even contest elections on the ticket of this or that Political Party – and win many times. They then grow up in two professions. Rowdyism and Politics. Snakes are growing powerful.

We have stinking corruption from north to south and east to west. We have it on the Roads, in offices, Police stations, Ministries – and Temples too. The stink is suffocating the world – not merely India. But, we will all wait to defame all people fighting this stinking corruption – and then the fight will end. When there is no fighter left, there is no fight either. The Corruption remains. I don’t think the corruption has come down by one percent since the Team Anna started some sort of a fight against it. I think more and more People need to join the movement or start their own movements against corruption. And, come together at National level as a joint force. Else, the corrupt people will find all possible ways to extinguish the fight against corruption.

Swami RamDev started the fight to bring back Black money. Now, he is facing a number of investigations – and given the time that it takes in India, RamDevji will be busy with those investigations, cases etc – and Black money will be safe wherever it is.

Team Anna is entering a similar phase. Some people want to find just anything to malign them, defame them and put some cases on them. It is going on. Given that nobody born on the earth (at least in Indian environment) can claim to be 100 percent pure and sinless, you can always find some thing against any one, if you dig deep enough.

By the way, how many people in India do you think are corrupt? 10 percent? 20 percent ? Or more? What about people who have paid bribes for one purpose or other? 20 percent? 40 percent? 60 percent? I don’t know! Assuming that the Givers and takers are two different sets – with just a little overlapping – You put almost the whole of India in the dock – if you dig deep enough.

There is a story dating back over five centuries into our history. King Krishna Deva Raya of Vijaya Nagar in South – wanted to honour his HONEST and HARD WORKING CITIZENS by holding a small party for them, with sweets, snacks, milk etc. There was no coffee or tea in those days. Every thing else was available in the King’s godowns (where grains etc are stored) - except the daily requirement of milk. There were no refrigerators in those days.

So, the king ordered that all citizens of Vijaya Nagar must pour  some milk from their homes – into a huge vessel kept at the four roads Junction before the Royal Palace. Next day morning – all citizens promptly lined up before the huge vessel and complied with the King’s order. In the evening, the King and his ministers (including his famous courtier, Tenali Rama, whose idea was this), came to the Big vessel – and looked in. The Vessel was full – but with pure water. The king understood the lesson that Tenali Rama wanted to teach him – and became more vigilant and practical later. He started ensuring more honesty among his ministers, officials  and other key personnel. Vijaya Nagar did prosper a lot later during his regime and people too became really more honest later.

You can’t have dishonest Ministers and officials and expect public to be more honest than them. It simply is not possible.

The corrupt snakes are biting the public all the time. And, making them corrupt too. So, where do you start? Start at the top – at central and state Governments both. That is why a strong Lok Pal and Lok Ayukth are essential – to deal with the higher ups.

And the most corrupt officials must come under their scanner very urgently. If the bottom man is corrupt – expect that the top men too are corrupt – a lot more, not less.

It is not that there is no honesty in India. There is. For instance, almost no one doubts the integrity o our Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh. Some may call him weak Prime Minister – but certainly an honest one. Likewise, there are many honest persons in various parties. The problem is, the dishonest men are heavily organized. And we do vote for them too - on some ground or other. That is the problem. Now, the honest men must come together.

Let us face some inconvenient facts. Even the most honest person also may have some small things to hide. Like Jesus said – those of you, who have not committed a single sin may throw the first stone. By that yard stick – there will be none left to fight corruption or any other evil in India. It was so in Christ’s days, as the story indicates. No one had the courage to throw the first stone. So, some small black spots  in persons who really want clean, non corrupt society in India – will be there but these should not matter for us at this pint of time.

When the Augean stables are getting cleaned – all of the small black spots will also be wiped out. We will become a much cleaner Society.

At this point of time – let us not hate the small sinners – they are all forced into it by the BIG SINNERS. The Die-Hard ones. Let us not keep these huge snakes in our backyard.

I certainly like the way – Ms. Hillary put it. It is an old saying anyway. Old wisdom. But, many of us in India too are growing different type of snakes, be it terrorism, rowdyism, corruption, or other social sins, and we are expecting them to bite only our neighbours.

Let us come out of this stupor.

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ANNA HAZARE = THE PHENOMENON = THE RAW COURAGE THAT WINS BATTLES & HEARTS = WHAT INDIA NEEDS NOW

ANNA HAZARE

THE PHENOMENON

THE RAW COURAGE

THAT WINS BATTLES & HEARTS

I have adopted most of the views here from my own blog post in another Blog “wiselivingideas.blogpost.com”

What one quality differentiates the loser from the winner?

Very simply, it is his Raw Courage, and determination to achieve the Goal. The courageous man believes in his goal the most. When all others are losing hope – he remains enormously hopeful. When all others are saying – Give up, he pursues more vigorously.

That was Gandhi. That was Anna. Both arose in different contexts. Each, in his own. And  both fitted their roles eminently in their context.

The weapon used each time – was the same. Satyagraha. When doubts, lies, suspicions and criticisms  were flying all around – they stuck to their firm belief in the truth they believed in. Satyagraha was all about establishing truth in the society. Freedom from foreign rule was the Truth Gandhi strove for. Freedom from Corruption is the truth Anna is striving for.

Both proved to be dare devils – who knew that, life was not worth living, if they couldn’t achieve what they set out to.

Let me reproduce here the crux of what their courage is all about. I am not going in detail into their specific struggles – either the freedom struggle or the struggle against corruption first.

I am telling here what courage – their courage, and hopefully, yours and mine – is all about. Please apply it to Gandhi and Anna – and finally to your self. You will find each question and each poser here worth your while. You will find - If not this, where else is life. At the end, we will review the Anna Phenomenon in brief.

Ø  The very first requirement in life is – Be courageous in all of your actions. Be a Dare Devil.

Ø  But, why do we need courage? What if we live in fear? What if we live in the safety of our comfort zone?

Ø  A ship is safe in Harbour. It is well protected from storms there. But, that is not what the ship is made for. It must sail. It must carry people from shore to shore. Country to country. It must weather storms. It must get tossed on the high seas. It must get bruised. It must then get repaired. And then, set sail again. That is its purpose. That is its life.

Ø  So is the purpose of our life. The child gets up every time it falls, until it learns to walk well. It is not content to walk well. It must run. It will try. No mother can dissuade a child – not to get up and walk and then, run.

Ø  The child is born courageous. It is born to experiment with life. A child which does not get up after falling, merely for the fear of falling again, is not born yet! You and I are born to be courageous. Born to experiment with life. That is what, life is all about.

Ø  Like in the case of the child – there will be failures and failures in our later life. But, we must go through life, with enthusiasm, not discouraged by these failures. Continue  to experiment, explore, innovate, discover, enjoy and pursue your goals – despite repeating failures. If there are no failures in your life – it means, you are not experimenting enough.

Ø  Should we jump from a high mountain – as an act of courage. No. That is not suggested. But, don’t be afraid to jump from a small mound. That you can. You need to. Your legs and the whole of your body get stronger by that. Courage is mid way between cowardice and rashness. Jumping from Mountain top is rashness. Fear to jump from the top of a small mound is cowardice.

Ø  But every time – you must strive to go on raising the bar. Challenge your limits frequently. Fix new goals to conquer. You will see all the limits vanishing slowly and steadily.

Ø  Courage, of course, needs purpose and direction. You need worthy Goals. You need a Plan of action to achieve them. You must lay your own Path. Your goals must be sufficiently big, noble and ethical.

Ø  Man can progress one step at a time. There is no need to jump 100 steps at a time and break our legs. That is rashness. If you can ensure this steady progress – your life will be a great thriller –and highly enjoyable.

Ø  Courage is really very simple. You seek simple answers to simple questions. Complexity always confuses and terrifies  - by its lack of clear direction. Complexity is not needed. Simplicity is.

Ø  In the whole of human history – we find that courage is the one quality that underlines all true leadership. That’s why, it is said – one man with courage is majority.

Ø  Nothing can frighten this one man – when he is possessed by courage and refuses to be frightened. We are not talking about some nobody – we are talking about You. And me.

Ø  Courage is the first of all virtues, and all other virtues squarely depend on it. You can’t be truthful, without being courageous. You can’t love unconditionally - without courage. You can’t explore life without courage. You can’t oppose injustice without courage. You can’t be a friend without courage. You can’t be a good enemy – without courage. To live or to die well – both require courage. Life depends on courage.

Ø  Courage gets enhanced by Hope. But, it does not necessarily depend on hope. You must be courageous – even when there is no hope. Courage itself – is the only hope many times – and the best of all.

Ø  Courageous man goes farther than all others – in terms of time and effort – to achieve what he desires.

Ø  Are you a creator or critic in life? The courageous man approaches life as a creator – others approach life as critics. The critic can always find a hundred reasons to find fault with the acts of the courageous man. He can find hundred reasons not to do a worthy thing. But, victory always goes out to the courageous man. The creator made this world. Every creator did.  The critics can’t even enjoy what the creator makes for him.

Ø  Difficult times – inevitably bring out the best in the courageous man. He transforms from ordinary to extraordinary during such times.

Ø  Loss of courage is worse than loss of wealth, loss of honour and even loss of life.

Ø  Lord Krishna told Arjuna in the Bhagavd Gita that – lack of courage is the worst quality that a man can have. It is neither a manly nor a womanly quality. One must shun it, at all points of life. The whole of Gita is an exposition of Courage.

Ø  How can the Government help and how can it destroy - people’s courage? Initiative and Independence of the spirit of people, according to Lincoln, build courage in people. A nation which wants its people to be courageous must ensure that its people enjoy sufficient initiative and independence in their lives. A nation can destroy the courage of its people by destroying their initiative and independence – and thereby, destroy itself, when faced with problems.

Ø  Do you know – to love some one, to love many, or to love all, requires great courage. To hate, you only need timidity and cowardice. To see only obstacles, and not the Path to the goal - you only need timidity, cowardice and the mindset of the critic, without that of the Creator.

Ø  To be a Buddha, to be a Gandhi, to be an Anna Hazare, to be a great lover – you need Courage.  To differ from any of the courageous heroes honestly and find newer paths – also requires courage. To see that a Great goal can be achieved in your own way – requires simplicity and courage. But, to see a hundred obstacles and only obstacles in achieving it requires timidity and cowardice.

Ø  Choose therefore - courage. You as an Individual, and as a nation.

This is what I said in my other Blog Post – 101 things to do –No.4- be Courageous. Be a dare Devil. Apply it to Gandhi. Apply it to Anna. Do you not find that – all these qualities fit them well! Gandhi never asked the nation to follow him. But, the Nation did. He went and sat in his Satyagraha. Others came in and sat along with him.

Ditto, with Anna. He, and only he, announced his Fast up to death first. Others followed. Give permission. If not, I will, anyway do it without permission. Do you send me to Jail – to be company for other recent additions there. No problem. I will continue my Fast in Jail.  Do you give me Ramlila Maidan. I will do it there. Do you say- you cannot agree for an effective Lok Pal. I will continue till you agree. The whole Parliament asks me to break fast – but without agreeing to a strong Lok Pal – no problem, I will continue my Fast. I have 3 simple demands.

Lok Ayukth, Citizen’s charter, Lower bureaucracy under lok Pal. Why? Corruption must end – from PM level to the chaprasi level. You say, it is difficult. So be it. Achieve the Difficult. If not, people’s lives are difficult. It is your difficulty versus the People’s difficulty. You can’t give this to me today? Fine. Give me a parliamentary assurance. It went on like this. We all know. Even Anna’s most closest supporters were losing hope slightly by the flip flops of the Politicians. But, Anna was determined to get what people need. The struggle matters – not just the result. It will any way come.

Now look at the issue. Corruption must be rooted out. All agree on that. Is it not a simple perception? Is it not our country’s worthy Goal? It is.

But, what are the objections? The constitution does not permit. The laws do not permit. The structures do not permit. It takes lots of time. It is not as simple as you say. It is against federal structure….Objections and objections…But, tell us, is rooting out corruption the country’s goal or not?

If it is our worthy goal – change the constitution. Change the laws, change the procedures, change the structures, convince the states, but if a state wants corruption, bring it down..but, don’t say – corruption will stay because of this, this, this reason.

Is this not Anna’s Goal? Is this not your goal and my Goal? Is this not the Goal of Parliament? Yes. It is. And, it has to be.

Fix the Goal which is of paramount, utmost importance for the people, for the nation – and change all other things that come in the way. Lay a brand new path, if needed. Remove all obstacles in the path.

One thing that I need to acknowledge in all this is – we must salute our Higher Judiciary. It was never an obstacle. It in fact has been removing all obstacles. There are many Gandhis and many Annas in the Judiciary too. Likewise, there are Great Parliamentarians in all Parties. I only exhort them not to merely see the obstacles and keep them as they are – in the path of removing corruption. Remove the obstacles, Sir. It is a Historic Fight.

Anna wasn’t against any one. No one is against any one in India. We are all for one Goal now – Remove Corruption. Do all that is needed to achieve it.

 * * *  Jai Hind * * *