Crying FOUL on Corruption

Post the unprecedented people support to crusader Anna Hazare where the yuppies, puppies, rich, poor, middle class and the entire spectrum of Indian society came together to give a resounding “NO” to corruption, we slowly and surely have the political class and so called opinion makers trying to queer the pitch on the necessity of the Jan Lokpal bill. First, we have politicians and so called intellectuals trying to read too much into the statement made by Anna on the development in Gujarat and Bihar. We have the Sarabhai’s shouting about how human rights have been trampled and there is no development in Gujarat. Looks like the big industry houses are stupid to commit Rs. 15 lakh crore in the vibrant Gujarat summit held this January. This caused so much concern that the UPA Government has let the income tax goons loose on the Gujarat government asking for details of proposed investments. Is the income tax department within its rights to ask for such information? That is a separate question – but it defies logic and does not look like anything other than an instigated attempt at harassment. If an opposition government has to face such nonsense God save the common man!

Now we have politicians coming out of the woodwork like worms and stating that why are politicians being targeted? Will civil society run the Government? Why not bureaucrats and other civil servants? Doctored CDs are cropping up to try and discredit members of the Lokpal panel, and the dirty tricks department of all political parties have suddenly been activated to tarnish the reputation of panel members. This was bound to happen as the stakes are too high - the prize is getting one’s finger into the budgetary pie of a fast growth economy. The blatant loot of the nation will have someone questioning and prosecuting those guilty – that has hithertofore been the lot of the ordinary citizen – never that of the politician/bureaucrat! That is slowly beginning to happen – wouldn’t that scare the crap out of you if you were from that class of people who were on the loot! I betcha it would! So why blame these cry babies?

The moot question still needs to be answered – why target politicians? My answer is if the head has cancer what can the body do? This question may be answered by – the people elect the politicians – so they are to blame in a democracy! That is fair. But is there a screening process or an educational entry barrier for candidates? We do not have a process to have basic clean candidates at the outset – because that would completely derail the gravy train. We have degrees being bought, honorary doctorates being handed out as freebies to people who do not even have basic education – so a lot of stuff needs to change before things in tomorrows’ India improve.

It is easy to blame the other guy ALWAYS. The change needs to begin with oneself. Have you stopped slipping that fifty buck note to the traffic cop who caught you for jumping lanes/signals? If not, then you need to change first – no point just talking. YOU NEED TO BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO BECOME.