Indian mass is rising. The country is growing impatient towards corruption. The mood is getting increasingly upbeat. We, as a citizen of world’s biggest democracy, do not want corruption. Better, we do not want to tolerate corruption anymore! We will fight all the corrupt with our mass resistance and we will defeat them. That would be the pinnacle of the Indian awakening, the shiniest platitude for the country’s civil society. Anna Hazare’s potent start and Baba Ramdev’s selfless stir would take us there. We are just a stone throw away from the golden era! Let us all make it happen!
The above thoughts make everyone who loves this country feel energized- feel happy- feel optimistic. The government machinery seems to be yielding to the pressure. The light at the end of the tunnel seems seductively near!
So, should I expect the billions of dollars of black money to come back and fuel the economy? So, every village will have roads, every child will have education? No more dead mothers on the labor rooms? Jobs for all? A responsive government working as a vigilante superhero?
I don’t think so.
Not because Anna and Ramdev are corrupt or have their ulterior motives of power, political aspirations etc. Not because the government and the politico are hell bent to cling on to the last drops of power and money through the use of every tricks ranging from cheat and deceit to force.
In my opinion, it will just not happen because the method chosen is gravely wrong.
We grew up reading stories of good vs bad as children. We aged over watching Bollywood flicks of good over bad. Naturally, mentally we indulge in this good over bad role-play at all times. I am sure you are on the good side, just as I am, just as anyone else is.
But I am a corrupt guy. Well educated, well mannered, well to do, well established- but corrupt for sure! I have routinely fudged my small bills here and there just to save some bits and scraps of income tax. I buy stuff from shops and never insist on receipts- ensuring the shopkeeper can indulge into the same tax invasion. I have paid bribes in hundreds of places- a corrupt selfish act. So, am I corrupt? Hell yes! With more money at my disposal, I probably would get more corrupt.
How about you? Can you stake your reputation on the fact that if someone dug up your life, you will come perfectly clean? And here we are- you and I hoping that keeping a few days’ fast would eradicate the malice?
I said that this method is wrong, that the method of eradicating corruption is far tougher than what we perceive. By supporting Ramdev or Anna is like fast-food- it quenches the hunger but does not make us healthy. It makes hardly an appreciable difference. Why? Because till the time you queue up to vote and vote the guy just on the merits of your religion or caste all you are buying into is nepotism and hope of a favor from your own kind- a recipe for corruption. And then you make the redoubling mistake of backing a non-representative group to correct a representative group. It’s like hiring your driver to chasten your father!
Till the time we hope that the “other-than-state-actors” that we are backing are selfless and expect an undemocratic movement can autocorrect and bring about a golden tomorrow, our hopes are as meritorious as finding men on Mars tomorrow.
Bottomline, there is no reason to be disgusted of our politico as they are our reflections. They are corrupt because you and I are corrupt. They do not want to change because we do not want to change. And because we do not want to change, we want a magical solution that Baba Ramdev will get us there- without us making an effort. So, lets support this movement because “at-least-it-will-achieve-something-good”. Ironic is the case that we are fasting to make a point, as if the million odd deaths in this country for lack of food each year were not good enough to make a point.
Thanks to our ways, we love escapism and any promise of it. If there was a pill that could eradicate corruption, I believe we would totally take it. Baba Ramdev is surely a hope. For he can cure all kinds of cancer through Yoga…for he can make your hairs grow prescribing you just to rub your nails…for he can turn gays to straight by Yoga. He is my favorite for inventing that “anti-corruption pill”. But even if he invented that pill, it would still not work.
Why?
Because we can’t eat!
We are on a “fast-unto-death” deal- remember?
The remedy is there, we can’t take it. What a shame!
-Manasij Ganguli
manasij.ganguli@gmail.com
Tags: Anna Hazare, Baba Ramdev, Corruption
June 7, 2011 at 9:00 am |
Manasij.. perfectly written.. well explained. hat’s off to you.. I have seen people blindly supporting BRD, we don’t look within ourself and blame others. we wake up suddenly when some BRD goes on Anshan, but the bad part is we sleep back very soon. A line from movie wednesday (remeber we saw at shipra), A stupid common man… thats all and this will remain true for years to come…
June 8, 2011 at 10:28 pm |
Very well written.. very well depicts how serious matters get politicized…liked specially the reasoning in the end… shameful indeed but very true..
July 4, 2011 at 7:58 pm |
main reason for corruption is population…less supply than demand…what do u think Mansij?
August 17, 2011 at 3:33 pm |
Well said. I’d say, Indian masses need some thing to ‘pass time’ every now and then.
On a second note, never new Ramdev’s yoga can turn gays to straight. that makes gay an illness ?:P
August 17, 2011 at 4:09 pm |
Perfect analysis, just remembered the cover page illustration of a new Kolkata based magazine Kindle on this issue..an ultramodern girl,mouth open and an Anna pill in tongue,to be swallowed…..and the caption was `Ecstatic on Anna`! We are always on the lookout for the more dramatic and less tiring options…and just a point..it can not be said that Ramdev cure anything by Yoga or Pranayam.. these are meant for the highest possible development of human body and soul..and no proper guru have ever boosted to cure by himself..they just shared the the knowledge in the most selfless ways..unlike these modern `baba`s!
August 17, 2011 at 5:32 pm |
It is not that I haven’t practiced corruption. I have xeroxed books, have bribed traffic police, have watched pirated movies, etc. But I have offended someone’s rights while doing so. Agreed, that corruption has become so obvious part of our lives that we don’t even feel subtle reaction against it. But, had my upbringing witnessed contract killing as omnipresent as I have witnessed corruption, will that make me justify any contract killing? And I am not comparing apples and oranges here because both (contract killing and corruption) are criminal offences. And a crime is a crime. One may be severe than the other (although corruption has resulted in some outcomes even worse than contract killing) but severity of the crime only dictates that severity of the punishment and not the application of law against crime.