The Anna Hazare agitation

The anti-graft agitation led by Anna Hazare has reached a crucial stage. The fast of the 74-year ex-Army man has entered into its 12th day. According to the doctors overseeing his health he is weakening by the hour. He could be declared critically ill if he his fast is not broken soon.

Looking into the gravity of the situation the government has brought the topic for discussion in the parliament and members of parliament have started discussing the points raised in both the houses - Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha - and they seem to agree (some conditionally) on all the issues raised by Anna Hazare and his team.

Now, it is the afternoon of 27th August 2008 and by the looks of the way things are moving in Parliament, if there is voting and the parliament votes in line with Annaji's expectations, today could be the last day of his fast, though the agitation is likely to continue until the bill is actually enacted.

Why the government is not approving the Jan-Lokpal Bill?

What is Jan-Lokpal Bill?
Jan Lokpal - Anna Hazare and his team claims that this will the strongest deterrent so far for anyone indulging in corruption in India.

In fact, Manmohan Singh's UPA led government at Delhi appears to be ready to risk its rule in Delhi to ensure that Jan-Lokpal bill does not see the light of day. One wonders why, I asked this question to many of my acquaintances, and below is the answer I liked best, and I quote.....

How can anybody be accepted to approve a bill
that can send him to prison?

and I feel this chap is right.

It is a common belief most politicians in our country are corrupt. How else can they afford to spend crores on their election campaign for each election after election? Most of the politicians who are being asked to pass the jan-lokpal bill in parliament will be prime candidates for investigation.

In other words, an effective Lokpal Bill will mean a prison sentence for most of our politicians - and this is one thing they are not going to approve.

So once again... what is Jan-Lokpal Bill?
Jan Lokpal - A bill that the UPA led government is his trying hard to derail.
Jan Lokpal - A bill that even the opposition parties are not willing to support in its present form.

Hats of to the team of Anna Hazare

The team of Anna Hazare that has planned the hunger strike campaign deserves a mention.

Hats of to them. I would certainly like to know more about them.
Anna's team has been several steps ahead of the government, so far.

The check-up by Dr. Trehan by the Team of Anna on the night of 17 August 2011 was brilliant strategy. The health of Anna Hazare, was the major factor that the government could have used to deploy force against the campaign. This has been beautifully countered by Team Anna by getting their own doctor to check him up before the government doctors could get to him. The doctor brought in to do this job - Dr. Trehan - is a highly reputed one and someone his government counterparts won't counter very easily.

The government that was basking in the success they enjoyed in crushing the Baba Ramdeo anti-corruption protest has been completely humbled by the Anna Hazare and his team.

Senior Ministers in the Central Government and veteran politicians from the Congress party, Kapil Sibal, P. Chidambaram, Ambika Soni and Manish Tiwari, who have been the face of the government in its attempt to crush Anna's campaign, have repeatedly put the government to shame during the last 3 days, with their statements and arrogance.

Well it is not their mistake, up to now they just had not faced a true crusader who has no personal political ambitions.

When people like Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Kisan Baburao Hazare raise their voices the nation listens - it is about time our politicians understand this.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh let me down!

I was elated when Dr. Manmohan Singh became Prime Minister of India. He had entered the high office with a reputation of integrity and honesty. I had felt that he will do something to address the core problems of the country. I really had very high expectations.

But, today I am disappointed. He has failed the nation - and failed badly.

Here are some his main failures - as I see them.

• The size of the financial irregularities (scams) in the government just makes the common man dizzy - and what does the government do - it tries to defend the accused. The scams of the present government are in thousands of crores. 
• Smaller scams to the tune of 10/20 crores have stopped surprising us.
• It took the Supreme Courts intervention to make the government do something in the Hasan Ali, 2G and CWG scams. No action has yet been taken against Sheila Dixit who has been named in the latest CAG report.
• The government has done nothing to find out the names of the account holders in Swiss Bank. One wonders what is the hidden motive for this inaction. I think the government will act after a year or so - once some significant people have withdrawn all their monies and closed their accounts. 
• He and his government have done little, almost nothing, to fight the menace of corruption. In fact, it supported corruption by taking stern action against those who have raised their voices against it. 
• The midnight by the police against Baba Ramdeo and his followers, which include women and children - is a shameful example of the extent to which the government can go.
• The most recent example is the action against the peaceful protest by Anna Hazare. The crusader against corruption is not being allowed to exercise his right to protest in the manner permitted by the constitution.
• To top it all, Dr. Manmohan Singh stood up in parliament on 17 August 2011 and tried to justify the arrest of social activist Anna Hazare. Is he so naive to believe that the common man will accept his argument.
• Dr. Manmohan Singh and his team has failed even on his home turf - economics. The top economist of the country has not been able to control inflation - the cost of living for the common man has gone up multifold during the regime of the current government. 
• He and his government talk of food for all, but in reality, but are they serious? If yes, then why is so much foodgrains not being distributed instead of being kept in the open to rot. 
• In the regime of the current goverment, the rich have become richer and the poor are getting all the freebies and facilities. 
• The common man has become the biggest sufferer.

It is not surprising that the common man has taken to the streets behind Anna Hazare. Anna has become the new symbol of hope.

Anna Hazare - the crusade against corruption

Rallies, hunger strikes and other forms of peaceful protest against government policies is the constitutional right of every Indian. These along with non-cooperation were the very weapons that Mahatma Gandhi had used successfully against the Britishers.

Is it not the government's job to ensure a good and corruption-free administration for the betterment of its citizens? But, strangely  the Government of India is using its power to stop those who are fighting against corruption.

Now, it has arrested Anna Hazare for wanting to sit on hunger strike in protest against the government's attitude on the Lokpal Bill issue. Earlier, it swooped on Baba Ramdeo's hunger strike in the middle of the night, where the peaceful demonstrators were sleeping. Television news channels have shown the cops using force - lathi charge and tear gas - to evict the protesters.

Does it not appear that the government is using its might to protect the corrupt?

The phenomenon of corruption in India

Now-a-days, corruption is the hottest issue on the top of every news source, be it television, papers or the net. Government officials are being caught with red-handed accepting bribes and / or amassing wealth beyond their known means of income.

Most claim that corruption is on the rise, but I do not agree with this. I think that the exposure of corruption is on the rise. People, specially those placed in high government offices, who indulge in corrupt practises are being exposed at a very high rate.

Suddenly, it appears that the saying that nobody is above the law may actually have some substance it in. People who were once considered above the law are being sent to jusdicial custody - this includes even cabinet ministers, top bureaucrats and film stars.

Still I feel one thing is lacking - and that is conviction. The rate at which the convictions are coming in is very slow or almost negligible. I am not on expert on the legal system, but still I can say that something is amiss. We are unable to convict and execute known criminals merely on technicalities.

Celebrity criminals who have been convicted by lower courts are roaming free. The world is still waiting for the punishment of the 26/11 criminal who was caught on the fateful day to be executed. So many government personnel who have been trapped by the investigating agencies are out on bail awaiting their turn to be tried in courts.

The government really needs to address the issue on a war-footing. One must realize if the rate of convictions go up, it will also act as a deterent for people indulging in criminal activities.

Inflation inflation inflation - Result of a failed government

The government is falling out of favor with the common man, and why not. The government seems to care only about the very poor and the very rich.

There is not a single policy in the government's arsenal that works for the common man and now to beat it all, the roof breaking inflation. Prices of everything that impacts the basic living of the common man has just shot up.

• Petrol gone up and going up twice a month.
• Onions at more than Rs 60/- per kg are out of reach of the average man.
• Eggs, clothes, vegetables you name it and you will find that the prices have at least doubled in the last couple of years.

What is the government doing to control the prices? Hmmm... Let's see.

The leaders - PM, FM, AM, HM, EM et al conducted meetings - that end without conclusion.

They have encouraged corrupt practices by not taking any action against even the apparently corrupt like the CWG organizers, Madhu Koda et al who inflate simple projects and gobble up crores of public money.

Last but not the least, the government has brought in futures trading of commodities on the bourses. Futures trading allows traders and investors who have nothing to do with consumption of the commodity to decide its price. The investor just puts in a fraction of the amount and blocks the price. These guys just sit in their AC offices in some posh locality in front of their trading consoles and keep hoping the commodities that they have bid for increases.

Above all, the government has encouraged the rich corporate houses in their act of profiteering while on the other hand it takes action on small traders accusing them of hoarding...

• Cement sold by Raymonds was at Rs 75 to 80 per bag is now at more than Rs. 200 bag after the company was taken over by a MNC - has the cost of raw material and electricity shot up so much?
• Corn-flakes used to available in the market for Rs. 10/- to 12/- per kg, but recently an MNC has come into the market offering the corn-flakes for more than Rs. 80/-. What is the level of profiteering?
• MNCs are offering products with hi-fi price-tags for items which are available in the Indian market for a fraction of the price.
• The same medical tablet is available in the market right from Rs. 2/- to Rs.20/-. What is the level of profiteering?

There a host of just examples of profiteering based inflation of prices of commodities.

Mind you the common man has started to realize this. If the government does not show definite performance it will reflect in their votes.