When Anna Hazare publicly declared his fast unto death starting August 16 on his conditions of incorporating Jan Lokpal Bill prerogatives into Lokpal Bill, many cynics including the government, political class, and self-proclaimed intellectuals thought this movement will fizzle out soon in a week or so, without considering the degree of public anguish and desperation that was still abounding in the collective public memory due to constant expose of big-ticket scams in media in last couple of years. Even the think-tank in Manmohan Singh cabinet did underestimate the consequence of apprehensive arrest of Anna and put him in Tihar Jail where the most corrupt politicians were lodged in, before he started his fast at JP Park, and this faux pas of government fueled the public anger to such a critical level that whatever tactical measures government ventured to engage in, pathetically turned out to be an absolute flip-flop. And in all those 13 days of fast, Anna's message was reverberating in every city of India and beyond the border. Millions of people came out to street to show their solidarity with Anna's anti-corruption movement and those who couldn't avail themselves physically on the street fired up their messages on social media to keep the Anna trend bolstered. The largest democracy of the world was experiencing its most testing time.
All political parties were engaged in a deja vu of tug-of-war to fish in troubled water. However, the public support was restored unconditionally in Anna's courage of conviction. Perhaps, that's the potential game-changer in this anti-corruption movement which pushed this government and other political parties to rush in to an unprecedented special session in the Parliament to arrive at a reasonable resolution on three exclusive points raised by Anna. Though there might be technical loopholes in the resolution process which would prop up government's argument in the Standing Committee for playing tricks in future, but the larger fact is that however crafty the government maybe in persuading other political parties to go askance vis-a-vis Anna's measures, they can't ignore the public anger anymore.
The precedent has been set. The transition of parliamentary democracy to a participatory democracy has taken wings. There may be many obstacles the future governments would face while passing a bill that would affect the public because India is a well-diversified society and hence incorporating the views from various civil society groups could accentuate to a greater degree of confusion.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
The Anna Phenomena
Some sections of society may call it “mass hysteria”, some may call it “blackmail of government” as well, but the essence of the movement against corruption led by Anna Hazare clearly lies in the fact that when the political masters of this country fail to establish themselves as the true champions of the common causes of citizens, whether it's good governance or justice for common man, then a huge vacuum is pushed into the political silos where someone like Anna tries to fill in, not because that Anna is the only messiah of desperate citizens who are fed up with issues like corruption, but because the hidden aspirations of common man somehow strike the right chord that Anna fairly understands even without having a grandstanding political acumen. And that's the USP of Anna as a champion of causes.
There is no denying the fact that Anna's movement against corruption is people's movement which should have been driven by politicians; however, after 65 years of Independence, this political class irrespective of shades has miserably failed to connect with people's expectations from them. Eventually the hiatus between people's aspirations and political commitment has gone increasing over the years and at this juncture the fault lines have even significantly become susceptible to deficit of trust between them. In effect the people of this country have found someone objective to their imagination of a hero promising a Utopian world, which might be possible in letter without spirit, but the public mood at this point of time is even more porous to capture the rhythm that Anna has composed – a corruption-free India.
Well, the transformation of Anna as the idol of youth power or the champion of anti-corruption movement is somewhat a choreographed version of electronic media that in all probability for a better TRP and in the name of breaking news have reduced to ghetto-blasters of pre-Independent era when message was more important than the messenger. And that message is Anna's passion for cleansing a system that has deliberately marred the aspirations of citizens. When the carcinogenic systemic corruption has affected every section of society, neither any government nor any political party has substantially attempted to address the real issues in a democracy, rather they have drifted away from the ownership and accountability that the citizens of this country often imagined a prerogative of those in the corridors of power.
Now that after 65 years of Independence, the people of this country are experiencing a deja vu of events that were a phenomenon of colonial era when the voices of people were suppressed by the highhandedness of British rulers. And the irony here is that being in the largest democracy of world, the fundamental rights of people are snapped when the whims and fancies of the government undermine the very essence of democracy. The rise and rise of Anna in the public imagination is a consequence of grave mistakes committed by the politicians of this country. Anna is no more just a popular mass leader of this country, he is a phenomenon derived by the collective conscience of a nation that's seriously experiencing a trust deficit in political leadership.
There is no denying the fact that Anna's movement against corruption is people's movement which should have been driven by politicians; however, after 65 years of Independence, this political class irrespective of shades has miserably failed to connect with people's expectations from them. Eventually the hiatus between people's aspirations and political commitment has gone increasing over the years and at this juncture the fault lines have even significantly become susceptible to deficit of trust between them. In effect the people of this country have found someone objective to their imagination of a hero promising a Utopian world, which might be possible in letter without spirit, but the public mood at this point of time is even more porous to capture the rhythm that Anna has composed – a corruption-free India.
Well, the transformation of Anna as the idol of youth power or the champion of anti-corruption movement is somewhat a choreographed version of electronic media that in all probability for a better TRP and in the name of breaking news have reduced to ghetto-blasters of pre-Independent era when message was more important than the messenger. And that message is Anna's passion for cleansing a system that has deliberately marred the aspirations of citizens. When the carcinogenic systemic corruption has affected every section of society, neither any government nor any political party has substantially attempted to address the real issues in a democracy, rather they have drifted away from the ownership and accountability that the citizens of this country often imagined a prerogative of those in the corridors of power.
Now that after 65 years of Independence, the people of this country are experiencing a deja vu of events that were a phenomenon of colonial era when the voices of people were suppressed by the highhandedness of British rulers. And the irony here is that being in the largest democracy of world, the fundamental rights of people are snapped when the whims and fancies of the government undermine the very essence of democracy. The rise and rise of Anna in the public imagination is a consequence of grave mistakes committed by the politicians of this country. Anna is no more just a popular mass leader of this country, he is a phenomenon derived by the collective conscience of a nation that's seriously experiencing a trust deficit in political leadership.
Friday, August 12, 2011
London Riots: Beyond the Logic of Racial Discrimination
Violence as the worst form of human attribute is the last resort of socially and economically suppressed people across the world. In the history of social evolution, whenever there has been a severe violence while protesting for civil rights, the intensity of violence only unearths the fact that how an otherwise neglected society was simmering under the exploitation of powerful and mighty for ages together and now that they have a legitimate chance to vent their anger, the situation has turned ugliest. No one questions those ruling class as why a particular section of society has been neglected for long and why their concerns have never been heard. In the most rhetoric form, it can be compared with the a high-magnitude earthquake that many would think an improptu reflex of earth structure, but the reality is that many decades of push and pull that controls the tectonic plate movements is only a reflection of extreme restraint that was building up a gigantic devastation below the surface. And the recent London riots only subscribe to this principle in socio-economic tectonic reactions which are often invisible on the surface but they are quite active underneath.
London is burning. Buildings and plazas are set ablaze; shops and stores are looted; rioters are engaged in running skirmishes with police; and the prime minister of UK, David Cameron, is on his most disturbing political phase of life. Everything is happening in sequence as it's scripted by the most creative black force of nature. The violence is spreading from city to city. London is seized. The worst fear is that whether it would jeopardize the security of Olympic Games scheduled for the next year.
Now that the riots have been transformed from a racial stand point to economic concerns, the Britons are in an absolute fix to understand the genesis – whether the riots are truly emotive explosion of a particular race against which police acted partisan or there is something deep inside the entire socio-economic structure that UK has adopted for centuries is finally hitting them back hard.
In the recent history of London, this is the most extensive, gruesome riot that has surpassed the boundary of racial logic and has expanded to other cities. As many television channels and newspapers paint this incident as the outcome of racial discrimination, the truth seems otherwise.
What's more intriguing is that rioters are not limited to a specific race or social group. While PM Cameron is squarely blaming on the parentage of rioters, he completely forgot the logic that how a neglected section of society for ages together was facing the brunt of bad governance and once given a chance the suppressed anger took an uncontrollable trajectory where the privileged section had to pay for the faux pas of political decisions.
Every society has its own narratives. Undermining their ethos and concerns is a dangerous proposition that the British government is facing today. A deprived society when exploited for years together, the consequence becomes dangerously devastating. And to suffice this argument sample this: According to one EU study, 17 per cent of Britain’s youth are classified as NEETs (Not in Employment, Education or Trainings), and there are over 600,000 people under 25 in Britain who have never had experienced a day of work. Can the other nations learn from the mistakes of Britain?
London is burning. Buildings and plazas are set ablaze; shops and stores are looted; rioters are engaged in running skirmishes with police; and the prime minister of UK, David Cameron, is on his most disturbing political phase of life. Everything is happening in sequence as it's scripted by the most creative black force of nature. The violence is spreading from city to city. London is seized. The worst fear is that whether it would jeopardize the security of Olympic Games scheduled for the next year.
Now that the riots have been transformed from a racial stand point to economic concerns, the Britons are in an absolute fix to understand the genesis – whether the riots are truly emotive explosion of a particular race against which police acted partisan or there is something deep inside the entire socio-economic structure that UK has adopted for centuries is finally hitting them back hard.
In the recent history of London, this is the most extensive, gruesome riot that has surpassed the boundary of racial logic and has expanded to other cities. As many television channels and newspapers paint this incident as the outcome of racial discrimination, the truth seems otherwise.
What's more intriguing is that rioters are not limited to a specific race or social group. While PM Cameron is squarely blaming on the parentage of rioters, he completely forgot the logic that how a neglected section of society for ages together was facing the brunt of bad governance and once given a chance the suppressed anger took an uncontrollable trajectory where the privileged section had to pay for the faux pas of political decisions.
Every society has its own narratives. Undermining their ethos and concerns is a dangerous proposition that the British government is facing today. A deprived society when exploited for years together, the consequence becomes dangerously devastating. And to suffice this argument sample this: According to one EU study, 17 per cent of Britain’s youth are classified as NEETs (Not in Employment, Education or Trainings), and there are over 600,000 people under 25 in Britain who have never had experienced a day of work. Can the other nations learn from the mistakes of Britain?
Monday, August 8, 2011
Stage Set for the D-Day
When India is experiencing inscrutable pain of endemic corruption in public life, the government's motive to reject a strong Lokpal Bill draft, as suggested by the civil society led by Anna Hazare, and hence table the sarkari version of the draft in the Parliament only vociferously corroborates to the fact that the UPA-II led government is sorely hoodwinking the public in the pretext of assuring a better anti-corruption draft, which, in actuality, is a bundle of safeguards for the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. The government's version of the draft precisely excludes PMO from the purview of Lokpal by suggesting a fundamentally flawed argument that if Lokpal indicts a PM in power, the functioning of the council of ministers under the leadership of PM could be an utter disastrous for the governance, which is arguably a deliberate attempt to protect the epicenter of corruption.
In last 64 years, we have noticed that how two prime ministers of the Congress party were being entangled into high level corruption and the citizens of India just turned mute spectators of political drama that entirely telescoped the people's mandate. There is nothing indispensable in this world. If certain political parties still assume that the governance at the Centre could take a toll post impeachment of PM, then there is certainly a vested party interest in restricting PM's inclusion in the Lokpal.
Similarly, excluding MP's activities in the Parliament from the ambit of Lokpal is a clear indication of providing immunity to the conduits of corruption in public office. It's no new phenomenon in Indian Parliament that horse trading and cash for question are a legitimate practice for many MPs. However, we still live in fool's paradise by providing immunity to MPs' actions in the Parliament.
Another point of conflict here is that when maximum corruption occurs at the lower rung bureaucracy, only including top bureaucrats, which is a 0.5% of the entire government officials, in the Lokpal is only an attempt to dilute the powers of a strong Lokpal. If we analyse the effectiveness of premier central socio-economic policies such as Jawahar Rozgar Yojana and NREGA at the state level, it would be quite oxymoron to exclude the lower bureaucracy from the purview of Lokpal.
And most ironically, government's proposal to provide legal assistance to the accused for hearing even before the official chargesheet is filed by the Lokpal is a gross contradiction of a sound anti-corruption bill. This will only create enormous problems for the whistle-blowers.
If after so much public outcry against corruption, the government still takes every measure to protect corrupt people in the system, it's better not to have a toothless Lokpal. And that certainly provides enough reason for Anna and his team to burn the Lokpal draft as a reflection of their annoyance against government's decision. The government should not read this public sentiment as a contempt of Parliament. Well, Anna's call for a country-wide protest against corruption starting from August 16 will certainly force this government to think twice before passing this bill and equally interesting is how the Opposition and other political parties are engaging themselves in the Parliament to hard bargain the points proposed by the civil society. The stage is all set for a high-decibel political drama. Let's wait and watch.
In last 64 years, we have noticed that how two prime ministers of the Congress party were being entangled into high level corruption and the citizens of India just turned mute spectators of political drama that entirely telescoped the people's mandate. There is nothing indispensable in this world. If certain political parties still assume that the governance at the Centre could take a toll post impeachment of PM, then there is certainly a vested party interest in restricting PM's inclusion in the Lokpal.
Similarly, excluding MP's activities in the Parliament from the ambit of Lokpal is a clear indication of providing immunity to the conduits of corruption in public office. It's no new phenomenon in Indian Parliament that horse trading and cash for question are a legitimate practice for many MPs. However, we still live in fool's paradise by providing immunity to MPs' actions in the Parliament.
Another point of conflict here is that when maximum corruption occurs at the lower rung bureaucracy, only including top bureaucrats, which is a 0.5% of the entire government officials, in the Lokpal is only an attempt to dilute the powers of a strong Lokpal. If we analyse the effectiveness of premier central socio-economic policies such as Jawahar Rozgar Yojana and NREGA at the state level, it would be quite oxymoron to exclude the lower bureaucracy from the purview of Lokpal.
And most ironically, government's proposal to provide legal assistance to the accused for hearing even before the official chargesheet is filed by the Lokpal is a gross contradiction of a sound anti-corruption bill. This will only create enormous problems for the whistle-blowers.
If after so much public outcry against corruption, the government still takes every measure to protect corrupt people in the system, it's better not to have a toothless Lokpal. And that certainly provides enough reason for Anna and his team to burn the Lokpal draft as a reflection of their annoyance against government's decision. The government should not read this public sentiment as a contempt of Parliament. Well, Anna's call for a country-wide protest against corruption starting from August 16 will certainly force this government to think twice before passing this bill and equally interesting is how the Opposition and other political parties are engaging themselves in the Parliament to hard bargain the points proposed by the civil society. The stage is all set for a high-decibel political drama. Let's wait and watch.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Politics of Price Rise
Constant price rise has seriously affected the common man in India. Every year people bear the brunt of a two-digit inflation and the government shamelessly claims that they have taken every measure to curb it. While the prime minister of our country is a noted economist, the failure of the government to check the inflation only reminds us that politics always overshadows the wisdom of intellectuals. It hardly matters how powerful intellectuals take over the top job, the compulsion of politics is more important than the welfare of a nation.
So if the debate on price rise in Parliament on Wednesday was unassumingly hot, there is nothing unprecedented in it. The Opposition always looks for an opportunity to stall the parliamentary procedures, and price rise is certainly the right topic to choose from hundred others. But the problem here is that not a single political party in this country has the right think-tank to understand the problems of people. Politics has always been the facade of bad governance, and especially in India, politics is even nastier than that. So blaming a single political party will not yield any result. The problem lies somewhere which people never know.
For instance, when there is a hike in oil prices, which may be a genuine requirement because of price rise in crude oil, the Opposition makes furor over the issue by mixing other stretched imaginations that food price will affect the poor since transportation cost will sharply go up. All false arguments and distortion of facts and nothing more than that. In reality, when the oil price rises just 5-10%, the food prices rises 50-100%. So where is the logic? Isn't this a pretext to betray people by spreading wrong message?
We understand that hike in oil price has impact on transportation cost, but that's not rational to claim that x% rise in oil price will trigger a 5x% rise in food prices. These are certainly emotive issues since they impact the life of poor people in this country; however, rise in food prices has many other parameters as well which are invisible to people. For example, illegal hoarding of food grains and vegetables is a matter of apathetic bureaucratic issue, but every year this happens so infallibly that the the nexus of traders and bureaucrats almost takes the entire advantage of price rise.
So the point here that the recent uproar in Parliament on price rise is absolutely a non-issue. Rather the government should dig deeper into the unholy nexus between businessmen or traders and bureaucrats so that a sure-shot solution can be availed to the people of this country. For that we certainly need a strong Lokpal Bill as an anti-corruption solution. The government must internalize the fact that so long as the steel frame of this country is not bridled into a strong checks-and-balances act, the price rise Frankenstein will engulf the entire system.
So if the debate on price rise in Parliament on Wednesday was unassumingly hot, there is nothing unprecedented in it. The Opposition always looks for an opportunity to stall the parliamentary procedures, and price rise is certainly the right topic to choose from hundred others. But the problem here is that not a single political party in this country has the right think-tank to understand the problems of people. Politics has always been the facade of bad governance, and especially in India, politics is even nastier than that. So blaming a single political party will not yield any result. The problem lies somewhere which people never know.
For instance, when there is a hike in oil prices, which may be a genuine requirement because of price rise in crude oil, the Opposition makes furor over the issue by mixing other stretched imaginations that food price will affect the poor since transportation cost will sharply go up. All false arguments and distortion of facts and nothing more than that. In reality, when the oil price rises just 5-10%, the food prices rises 50-100%. So where is the logic? Isn't this a pretext to betray people by spreading wrong message?
We understand that hike in oil price has impact on transportation cost, but that's not rational to claim that x% rise in oil price will trigger a 5x% rise in food prices. These are certainly emotive issues since they impact the life of poor people in this country; however, rise in food prices has many other parameters as well which are invisible to people. For example, illegal hoarding of food grains and vegetables is a matter of apathetic bureaucratic issue, but every year this happens so infallibly that the the nexus of traders and bureaucrats almost takes the entire advantage of price rise.
So the point here that the recent uproar in Parliament on price rise is absolutely a non-issue. Rather the government should dig deeper into the unholy nexus between businessmen or traders and bureaucrats so that a sure-shot solution can be availed to the people of this country. For that we certainly need a strong Lokpal Bill as an anti-corruption solution. The government must internalize the fact that so long as the steel frame of this country is not bridled into a strong checks-and-balances act, the price rise Frankenstein will engulf the entire system.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Delhi's Date with Slutwalk
If we look at the history of heinous crimes against women especially in Delhi, one slutwalk falls miserable low an agitation against the constant assaults against women over centuries. Some people argue whether a slutwalk can change the perverse mindset of men against women, but the logic remains so long as there is no movement against any social evil, society at large takes it for granted a birth right to tread the wrong side of the law, and hence to shake up the status quo a protest like this is essentially desired. Well, yesterday's slutwalk around the Jantar Mantar area of New Delhi if vociferously reflected something was nothing other than a bold attitude of participants towards those nincompoops of our society who fundamentally think violence against women is an indication of their chauvinism.
Over a period of time Delhi has been the most unsafe place for women. When a woman is born the fight for her survival begins simultaneously. Our feudalistic mindset has become another anathema for her tribulations. Whenever she establishes her legitimate presence our male chauvinistic society always takes it as an offense. As a pluralistic society we have failed to understand the fact that the growing violence against women is an obnoxious index of our alarmingly rising insensitivity. The more we tolerate the crimes against the women, the further we destroy the balance of social fabric. Is there any resurrection from this impending danger?
Of late the same society has sensed the urgency of a change in attitude towards the women folk. Perhaps, that's quite evident from the recent slutwalk in which the men also came forward to participate in the campaign. Now that's undoubtedly a plausible change in the male chauvinism that otherwise was centred around “I, me, and myself”. Every one is equal irrespective of gender. The message has certainly percolated down the society that the time has come now for a complete overhaul in our narrow mindset.
We must take cognizance of the fact that any advanced civil society doesn't carry room for any amount of social discrepancy. In the name of frivolous tradition and culture we can't sacrifice the tenets fundamental civil rights that are essential for our progress in a liberalized world. We must shun our conservative mindset to embrace the reality of 21st century. And I wish many such slutwalk campaigns would bring in a visible change in our attitude towards civil rights of women. Long live slutwalk!
Over a period of time Delhi has been the most unsafe place for women. When a woman is born the fight for her survival begins simultaneously. Our feudalistic mindset has become another anathema for her tribulations. Whenever she establishes her legitimate presence our male chauvinistic society always takes it as an offense. As a pluralistic society we have failed to understand the fact that the growing violence against women is an obnoxious index of our alarmingly rising insensitivity. The more we tolerate the crimes against the women, the further we destroy the balance of social fabric. Is there any resurrection from this impending danger?
Of late the same society has sensed the urgency of a change in attitude towards the women folk. Perhaps, that's quite evident from the recent slutwalk in which the men also came forward to participate in the campaign. Now that's undoubtedly a plausible change in the male chauvinism that otherwise was centred around “I, me, and myself”. Every one is equal irrespective of gender. The message has certainly percolated down the society that the time has come now for a complete overhaul in our narrow mindset.
We must take cognizance of the fact that any advanced civil society doesn't carry room for any amount of social discrepancy. In the name of frivolous tradition and culture we can't sacrifice the tenets fundamental civil rights that are essential for our progress in a liberalized world. We must shun our conservative mindset to embrace the reality of 21st century. And I wish many such slutwalk campaigns would bring in a visible change in our attitude towards civil rights of women. Long live slutwalk!
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