A Government "Of The People, By The People..."

Originally written on 26th December 2011

Barely a week to go, 2011 in it's fading moments. A chill winter in Delhi and the rest of the northern regions.

Mumbai, relatively pleasant with just that right nip in the air to make an evening seem just right for a peg of whiskey.... 

Someone sent me an e-mail which had, among other things, the following thought inducing sentences:

• A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can count on Paul's support. - Bernard  Shaw
• Democracy must be more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. - James Bovard, Civil  Libertarian (1994)
• Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. - P J O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian
• No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while Congress is in session. - Mark Twain (1866)

I've wondered, often, about how our famed Indian democracy works. We will, shortly, have yet another opportunity to see it work - with elections to 5 states (Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur) announced to be held between January and March.

 

We have the Lok Pal Bill being discussed/debated inside Parliament. We have the Lok Pal Bill being discussed and debated OUTSIDE Parliament by Anna Hazare and his team. My personal take on this?

 

I USED to have a very high opinion of our Prime Minister -  and, even today, I still believe that he is personally "clean" and not corrupt. His fault seems to be that he is surrounded by "politicians" (synonymous for corrupt people?) and his inability to rein them in.

 

I started off, initially, having a very high opinion of Anna Hazare.

 

 

Today I believe he is personally clean and not corrupt but, like Manmohan Singh, surrounded by people who are less than clean, manipulated and unable to differentiate between the idealists and the hypocrites. I also have very strong reservations about someone who believes that it is perfectly all right to tie up and beat anyone who imbibes alcohol. (Sigh, go back and read such perfect weather for a whiskey!)

 

For all our middle class vehemence and indignation with which we condemn corruption, for all that disdain with which we sneer at the corrupt, conniving politicians and that new bad word "crony capitalists".... what do we make of the fact that in Karnataka, a state that has a Lok Ayukta, a state where the Lok Ayukta succeeded in getting the Chief Minister to step down.... what do we make of the fact that in the recently held bye-elections in Bellary the voters re-elected B. Sriramulu (the alleged corrupt MLA, an associate of the infamous Reddy brothers) by a thumping majority?

 

Should we conclude that "democracy" in India is "like that only"? Will a Lok Pal Bill really change things for the better? Or, do we really need to revisit the Westminster model of democracy? Do we need to redefine the basic tenets of representative elections?

 

Will we continue seeing crooks and their kin "making" laws for us, for generations yet to come?

 

On a parting note, I understand "Team Anna" had asked for a discount in the rental fees for the use of the grounds at Bandra - Kurla Complex - I wonder is THIS not asking for "discretion", the very same thing that we are all fighting against? One rule for others but a different rule/yardstick for ME?