Turning a deaf ear to public opinion can awfully backfire

The 74yr old cheerful and optimistic Gandhian, Anna Hazare, has surely set a precedent not only for the people and governing institutions of India, but also for democratic nations across the globe, testifying that, if you have a will, and that will is lead with honestly and perseverance, no power play can really stop you from driving oneself and the masses towards realizing that noble cause. More importantly, who says that it is impossible to adopt non violent means of protest to exercise freedom of expression? Looking at the peaceful means adopted by Anna and his team, we certainly can conclude that the Gandhian method of Satyagraha works wonders even in this 21st century of modernization and capitalism.

Anna Hazare defied the government’s toothless Lokpal bill which was hastily tabled in the Parliament without considering the anti-corruption workable draft by the civil society group lead by Anna. This was not the first time that the civil society warned the government about the namesake bill. The tug-of-war between the government and civil society has been on for over six months now with the government not relenting an inch to even listen to what the civil society has proposed. This was the first goof up that the government committed.

This lead from one error to another leading to the biggest blunders of almost mysteriously kidnapping the anti-corruption crusader, whose only fault was that he wanted to protest against rampant corruption that was rotting our system and dwarfing growth of its people. Sadly, the government didn’t foresee what was coming with Anna Hazare’s detention in Tihar prison. In a democracy, the government simply can’t stifle opinions of people using arrogance of power. No matter how big or small, you just can’t ignore public outcry.

And this is what democracy is all about. International media has wrongly likened India’s anti-corruption movement with the Arab uprising and the jasmine revolution. When in reality, the anti-corruption protest in India only reinforces the power of our democracy. What Anna and the people are able to do today, is only because we are the world’s biggest democracies. The people of a totalitarian regime can’t even think of adopting these means of protest.

With the domino of errors that the government has committed, it missed out on the opportunity to engage in some intellectual debate on civil society’s version of the bill. No doubt Anna Hazare is a leader of the masses, but the bill drafted by his team certainly is not error proof. Even the Anna team has never said that their version of the bill needs to be tabled in the Parliament. All they requested was for a healthy discussion, a debate, and most importantly a referendum on the anti-corruption bill. Agree that the Constitution does not have a provision for a referendum and it would be unconstitutional to have one. But in the same breath, the Constitution is a living document and it can be amended.

As I am writing my opinion piece, Annaji who is on an indefinite fasting protest is making his way from Tihar prison towards the Ramlila grounds surrounded by huge people frenzy who can’t stop raving about the Anna metaphor. The government must be shamed right now looking at the mounting followers of Anna Hazare…but unfortunately they got themselves there by making those many ungrammatical errors. Had our respected Prime Minister used his wisdom to anticipate the upshot of his acts, he would have a face to show. Sadly our PM rather listened to his ill advising coterie who left him faceless.

A strong anti-corruption bill will certainly not bring an end to corruption in days or a few years from now. It is indeed a sustainable process which should not only monitor and punish the bribe taker but also the bribe giver, who is equally accountable. As stated by PM, we agree that, there certainly is no magic wand to eradicate corruption. But had Mr. Manmohan Singh whirled his anti corruption wand 3-4yrs back, the problem would not be as big as it is today.

The magnanimous India Against Corruption (IAC) movement spanned out by Anna (our hero) gives a message to each one of us to stop stomaching discrimination and exploitation, but rather exercise our right of freedom of expression. More importantly the movement also scribbles the fact that the right to freedom does not give anyone the right to riot. The peaceful and Gandhian methods of protest used before our independence is pretty much promising even today.

Looking at what this 74year crusader has done, it certainly is time for all our retired friends to stop living a withdrawn life... rather gather themselves to awaken the masses to fight evil the Anna Hazare way. The youth are too busy in their hectic day-to-day lives and it is only our retired folks who can motivate the youth to pause and act against the evils ingesting our system.

Post script

Folks, did you catch visuals of Anna Hazare’s marathon run to protect himself from the crowds? After seeing those visuals, I have ditched Milind Soman as my Marathon mentor. I’m now going to follow Annaji all the way to Marathon 2012. He surely can give anyone a run for his money :-) Even more Anna lost 3kgs in 3days of fasting and am planning to take this as my dieting tip. Anna Sir, way to go!

Thanks for visiting my blog. Do write to me with your reactions, opinions or critical comments at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.

The Armageddon of Terrorism

Two successive terrorist attacks traumatized the people of the world recently. The financial capital of India, Mumbai, was blown apart in a matter of 10mins by bouts of serial bomb blasts on 13th Jul 2011, and so was the capital city of Norway, Oslo on 22nd July 2011. The attacks left the people of Mumbai shaken and stirred, arousing anger against the governing authorities demanding their right to security. While the people of Norway although were initially shocked by these attacks, remained calm and resilient.

So, why that difference in reaction to almost similar catastrophes? Mumbai which houses a population of approximately 20.4 million people accounting for about 20% of India’s population alone, has been struck by terrorism not once, not twice or three times...but this city that I love so much, has been brutally hit umpteen numbers of times. While on the other hand, for the people of Norway, which houses about 20% of Mumbai’s population of approximately 4 million people, it was a first and hopefully (and surely) the last kind of brutal attack after World War II.

No doubt that the whole wide world is being terrorized and neither you nor I really know about what’s in store for us tomorrow or even the very next minute. But then, in between uncertainty and cruelty like this, there is 'hope' and 'faith'. ‘Hope’, that similar attacks like these will not repeat itself, and ‘faith’, that the internal system will be strengthened and would be intolerant toward such ruinous mishaps from repeating itself.

The people of the United States of America may criticize the debt crisis and the rising figures of unemployment in the US...but I don't think a single American has or will ever complain about the feeling of insecurity after the 9/11 twin attacks in New York city. The twin attacks certainly jolted the people of the nation, but it surely didn't shake their faith in the government. The people are assured that henceforth, anyone trying to plan such attacks again on American soil will have to be a superhero with supernatural powers. So much is their faith in the security system of the nation! Each global citizen anywhere in the world wants to have that same feeling of security.

Instead of assuring people of better methods for curbing such attacks from revisiting us, a man who supposedly has inherited the right to become the future PM of India says that the centre can prevent 99% of terrorism but the remaining 1% of it is bound to happen. Now how would anyone react to the arithmetic justification of this situation…that to, when it is coming from a government representative? Did this supposed PM-prospect mean that the 13/7 attacks in Mumbai, which took 25 innocent lives and left so many limping (for life), belonged to the 'inevitable' category of attacks. Shameful justification! When you don’t know what to say or do in a hysterical situation, it is better to simply shut-up!

Why do these cruel bloody attacks happen in the first place? Why would any sane individual or cluster want to take innocent lives of people they have never met nor have anything to do with? Even if we suspect insanity to be the reason behind these attacks, how can such illogical people make flawless plans and execute them with sheer precision then?

Bridging inequality in society

Don’t we need to first stop pointing a finger towards a particular section of society as soon as a terrorist attack strikes anywhere in the world. Why are Muslims being stereotyped? Is it really fair? When the Oslo twin bombing happened, speculators all around the world tried to scrutinize Islamist group influence/ involvement in the attacks. When in reality, the lone terrorist who bombed this beautiful city was an anti-Muslim extremist and a contrarian to the local immigration policies. The more we pigeonhole our Muslim brethren, the more we isolate them from the rest of the world, and the more divide we create. Someone’s religion is certainly not an indicator to judge whether he/she is a terrorist. It is the circle that a person lives in and the way he is programmed to think and behave that makes a person do crazy things. Isolation and discrimination are also the two deadliest evils.

Ask the lone terrorist who took Mumbai to ransom on 26/11 - Ajmal Kasab - why he aimlessly shot down so many innocent people, and he spontaneously replies saying that he fought for ‘jihad’. Interrogators did ask him what is the meaning of jihad and he said, "It is about killing and getting killed and becoming famous". Muslim clergies rubbished this, saying that, anybody who says that jihad is a ‘holy war’ needs a life. Jihad instead broadly means, striving hard by putting in your best efforts to achieve a goal by overcoming one's own weakness.

Terror surely is growing not only in India but around the world and it is time that each nation comes together carrying a single agenda to fight terrorism right from its roots. It is easier to celebrate martyrdom than to fix responsibility or make changes, so that more people don't get martyred. We need to act now!

Increasing security and a joint global anti-terrorism plan is the way forward. No nation can fight terrorism alone. It has to be fought in consultation with each other. Fighting terrorism is not only the business of the nation that has become victim to frequent attacks, but should be a concerted effort across nation pan-world. Just like we aim to become a world with zero nuclear weapons and also aim to reduce global carbon footprints to zero, shouldn’t we also aim for ‘zero- terrorism’ as well?

God Bless our world!

Post script:

I have been to Norway once and the first and the last thing I remember of it is the sight of the landscape 30mins before touching landing strip. Just one word to describe it…“Heaven”. Besides that, Norway is the only nation in the whole wide world which has been uncontroversial with peace and equality being her topmost priority. Truly a country which not only bestows humanitarians with the Nobel Peace prize award for their outstanding contributions in Peace, but also a nation that walks the talk.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Do write to me with your reactions, opinions or critical comments at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.

When you say nothing at all

We love you Mr. Manmohan Singh. We love you and respect you for who you are and where you come from. But we are frustrated with the silence and the no-show policy that you have adopted since the beginning of your Prime Ministerial era. I can end up in a quarrel if anyone raised a finger at your morals and values. But what do I do Sir, when people say that you are unfit, you are a lame duck, that you are remote-controlled, and that you lack political authority? Sir, the gloom on your face, the truth in your eyes, the stillness on your lips, says nothing at all.

Your silence and nothing-to-say style of leadership says nothing to a billion people who are waiting to be a part of the growing economy. People of this nation do not understand what’s happening with the checks and balances that fuel our economy. All we see is an expose of a new scandal perpetrated by your most trusted officer at the top every single day. We find ourselves stuck in a puzzle of despair and isolation. Please speak to us Mr. Prime Minister.

I know chhoti-muh-badi-baat (small person giving intellectual suggestion), but Sir, you need to free yourself from the surrounding magnetic forces of your so-called advisors who are feeding you with information that is the maligning the prosperity of this nation both socially and economically. The officials you have trusted and you swear by have back stabbed you. In return the very same trusted ministers have made an empire of their own. We have no complains with ministers who have become cash rich through their hard work and the remuneration they earn. But swindling public money in hundreds of crores is certainly something that needs to be investigated and punished at the spur of the moment. Nonetheless, the checks and balances and action plan of these swindles need to be communicated to the people. Why don’t you speak to us Mr. Prime Minister?

Every time a Minister from your office is caught in a new scandal, you ask them to resign and subsequently shuffle your cabinet. Is cabinet reshuffle the only way to fight the menace put forth by your Ministers? To action upon anything, why do you have to wait for the Supreme Court to issue a notice against your administration or wait for the CBI to press an action against you? Why don’t you take proactive steps of intolerance in matters concerning public money. Get moving and talking Sir. You can’t walk the talk if do not talk in the first place.

Why are you axing your own feet Sir? Or like some say, are you in dire need to create negative publicity for yourself…so that you have genuine reasons to step down mid-term and surrender the PM’s chair to the legacy in waiting? Even if this is the reason, why are you putting the nation and its people at stake to take this political advantage.

Saat samunder paar (over seven seas), the President of the United States – Barack Obama – who won the elections by campaigning through the electronic media, is effectively communicating with his people almost every single day. Exploring the electronic medium, Barack Obama speaks to his people through You tube, emailer, Twitter townhall, and has also been tweeting to his people frequently. We understand that India does not have 100% internet connectivity and electronic medium literacy, but Sir, there are so many other effective channels of communication that you can explore to reach out to the masses across different strata of society. Why don’t you reach out Sir?

It was a happy moment when you recently pledged to speak to your people more often. But to our disappointment, you even attempted your maiden speech half heartedly. In this age of electronic media and live coverage, how could you call five print editors behind closed doors to do an interview with you Sir? Why couldn’t you speak to us as the cameras were rolling? Doing this would increase people’s faith in you and harbor a feeling of hope in their hearts. You even missed this chance Sir.

Post script
Shri Manmohan Singh admits that he works 18hrs a day, seven days a week. Well only wish he worked less and rested more…he would have communicated better. All work and no play makes Singh saab a reclusive man. Barack Obama on the other hand is seen spending time playing golf and dashing inside ice-cream parlours and fast food joints. In the same breath, Barack Obama also finds Osama and shakes up the terrorists outfits terrorizing the world. Hope very soon we all get to see Singh saab enjoying some pani-puri’s at a nearby stall. Just hope!

Thanks for visiting my blog. Do write to me with your reactions, opinions or critical comments at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.

Jumping jacks take centre stage

What on earth is happening, may I ask? What started with a noble effort to install an effective anti-corruption and grievance redressal system by the 15th Aug 2011 deadline, ended up in a fish market like ceremony, in which everyone including politicians, bureaucrats, aam-aadmi and spiritual leaders are resorting to the Satyagraha movement at the drop of a hat. Some leaders of course genuinely resort to Satyagraha, for bringing about a positive change for the betterment of the nation and her people. While some immature souls, misuse the fast-unto-death format of Satyagraha to fulfil their political and personal ambitions. And in the midst of all this mayhem, our leaders at the centre make the civil society’s cry look like a farce.

Without a wink of doubt, the man who was honoured by the highest civilian award (the Padma Bhushan), Anna Hazareji, is selflessly working towards introducing the Jan Lokpal bill and is fighting tooth-and-nail to lawfully also bring the Prime Minister and the higher judiciary under the ambit of the Jan Lokpal. But as they say, too many cooks spoil the broth. The civil society’s protests for enactment of a strong Jan Lokpal bill, which took off with great gusto nationwide, lost its fizz with Yoga guru Ramdev Baba’s jumping-jack act on the Ramlila grounds. I still fail to understand how did a spiritual leader cum yoga guru even think of frog leaping to the fast-unto-death format to fight black money. Isn’t Babaji better off teaching the world some asanas and prayanam for healthy living? Well, I don’t have my doubts to that question...he certainly is the best!

Detractors would dispute saying that every individual in a democratic nation - whether a soldier or a yoga guru or for that matter you or me – has the right to protest, as long as it is for the benefit of the masses. But then, shouldn’t the person leading the movement also know the A B C of law making. You cannot be a drop-out there right.

India shining or India bleeding (corruption)?

Every citizen of this nation is riding on the hope of a better life that has been promised by the elected government. The common man is intelligent enough to understand that a populated developing country like India needs a lot of planning and infusion of funds to correct the loopholes in the system. And that, there is indeed no magic wand to give India this makeover. But then, how would the so-called promising central government who needs time and public taxes to allow this change to happen, explain the filth of corruption scams that it is entangled into. How long will the government hold a blank cheque on people’s income and spend it as and where they like.

“In a fully free society, taxation—or, to be exact, payment for governmental services—would be voluntary. Since the proper services of a government—the police, the armed forces, the law courts—are demonstrably needed by individual citizens and affect their interests directly, the citizens would (and should) be willing to pay for such services, as they pay for insurance.”- As said by Ayn Rand.

It’s true that citizens willingly and voluntarily pay their taxes to be able to see the betterment of the nation. But citizens also want to know how and where are their taxes being utilised. In order to spare public money from being pocketed by crooked bureaucrats, politicians, businessman, and alike, there is a need of a transparent system devoid of any government representation that will look at the functioning of the system from a third party perspective.

Domestic distractions
The central government which has been rocked by allegations of corruption is busy submitting dossiers in response to the umpteen numbers of investigation cases filed against its name. Of late these distractions have paralysed decision making and stalled development projects, leading to increased inflation and lower growth. The Jan Lokpal is one such instrument which will bring fear in the minds of corruption seekers (and givers), guaranteeing proper utilisation of public funds.

Finally, fast-unto-death is surely not the right path to put forward people’s demands to the centre. But what else can the people who are riddled with a new corruption scandal every single day do then? Do civilians silently look at these high profile corruption cases being exposed in front of their eyes or do they need to react to this before things go out of hand and the nation goes back in time. The people respect the Parliament house and are proud of the nation’s fantastic democracy. There are lot of expectations from the Parliament and this is the time the parliamentarians in the house pull up their socks and start work. And if they cannot really do the tough job of cleaning up the mess and starting anew, it is time they step down.

Post script:
These days, the rich and the famous are busy raising funds through unconventional means. To get snapped with the first lady, Mrs. Obama is charging a whopping $10k as fundraising for her husband’s re-election bid for presidency, while Wikileaks has auctioned a chance to lunch with Assange on eBay. So, don’t you think it’s a good idea to auction a chance to dine with Kalmadi or Rahul Gandhi, in order to restock the repository (in India) that has been drained by corrupt ministers. What an idea Sir ji!

Thanks for visiting my blog. Do write to me with your reactions, opinions or critical comments at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.

Man! I feel like a Woman!

The remarkable triumphant win of Mamata Banerjee and Jayalalitha at the recent State Elections in Kolkata and Tamilnadu respectively, reminds me of the song – Miss Independent - sung by my favourite hip-hop singer Ne-Yo. Women indeed are celebrating “Being Independent”...going all out without any inhibitions or setting any conditions to explore the unexpected.

Undeniably, we are living in a patriarchal society. Be it an organisation, system, government, institution, or filmdom, the decision makers are indeed the menfolk. Well, the very fact that the Chief Ministers office in Kolkata didn’t have a ladies toilet for 34 long years is proof to this testimony. So, isn’t it a goosebumps moment to see our womenfolk make it to the helm under the influence of their own intelligence, capability and mass appeal...and not mere quotas or sifarish.

Recently the Maharashtra Assembly unanimously approved 50% quota for women in local bodies and also promised reservation for women in elections to panchayat samitis, zilla parishads, municipal councils and municipal corporations in the State. My question is, do women really need a quota in the first place? And, is it right to empower women through quotas?

I have never supported quotas for women and even more in this age looking at the way our Sonia Gandhi, Sheila Dixit, Sushma Swaraj, Mamata Banerjee (Didi), Jayalalita (Amma) to name a few, have grabbed the top positions lock-stock-and-barrel based on merit and mass appeal. And then with Indra Nooyi (Indian born American) who is a topping on the cake with her role as Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo Incorporation...what else could any woman ask for. And yah, mind you, these are no exceptions or accidents. They in fact, represent real grounded women who can turn things around with sheer will power and focus towards the betterment of society and markets.

But this is certainly debatable. When I thrashed the very need of quotas for women in politics, many beg to differ saying that women indeed need quotas because there are many a Pushpa’s, Ramkali’s, Anandi’s living in interior villages who lead miserable lives oblivious to these ladies. But then, why should we have incompetent women onboard to handle tough jobs that she is not capable of...just because she is a woman. She would eventually not only lose her job because of underperformance but would undermine the ability of other capable women in society and in the neighbourhood.

Undeniably, women have different social needs than men and it is this area that our systems and institutions need to cater to a little differently. A woman serving in the army can be trained to fight for the nation with the same intensity and passion...but her physiological needs and care is different for which, additional privileges need to be provided to her. In the same breath, if we say that women are physically weak and that makes her incompetent to be a combat soldier, we need to justify why women have not made it to the top in corporations and institutions in which mental strength and aptitude is all that is required. Why that disparity then?

Is it the fear that women need to be committed to a family, need to take care of kids and is someone who will go on maternity leave and paralyse business if given top responsibilities. But aren’t these a passing phase? Shouldn’t we support women at such times by providing her with flexible working hours? Why stereotype women as a homemaker 24x7, 365 days a year huh! Surely this mindset needs to be changed.

Ultimately, it is not a question of man or woman. It is a question of merit. In the end, gender should not be looked at how good a person is and what she /he can do.

We need to equip our girls with the sharp sword of education by making it easier and fees-free for her to enrol. Nevertheless, even women who have missed out on the opportunity to study as kids can be trained on the job to become independent. We need to stop keeping our girls ignorant, insecure, hungry, and being treated as an unwanted child at birth. This surely will make a big difference!

And yah...why should boys have all the fun huh!

Thanks for visiting my blog. Do write to me with your reactions, opinions or critical comments at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.

My Ezine Author profile at http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Mearl_Colaco

Hey Listen…Osama, not Obama is dead!

The hullabaloo of events that gripped the world the day after Labor Day, the 2nd May 2011, will be written in history books forever. Well this is the day when Mr. Poker face - Barack Hussein Obama - made his milestone speech informing the people of his country and to the world that “Operation Osama” conducted in hush-hush by the United States has successfully killed the man behind the devastating 9/11 attacks in America.

It was only a few days ago when Obama released his birth certificate in the public domain to silence detractors, specifically the Republicans about their allegations upon him of being a foreigner. That was really a silly thing to do...isn't it? Well today, the same cynics who were suspicious about Obama’s birth place doubt Osama’s death, and now are desperately seeking the death certificate of the fugitive. Just imagine leaving decision making to people who are more worried about the birth and death place of the other? Heaven knows what would happen. Phew!

The social media, Twitter, broke the news to the world before any other media channel…calling for a revolution in breaking news in real time. Minute by minute tweet updates were made by a civilian sitting in Abbottabad about 2km away from the mansion in which Osama Bin Laden was killed. While the whole world is talking about the mysterious hideout mansion in Abbottabad (50 kms -31 mi- northeast of Islamabad), I am still struggling getting my pronunciation right….Abort—taa—baad right? It surely is a tongue twister. As the name suggest, the place certainly aborted the most (un)wanted man in the world…but the sad part is that his followers – the Al Qaeda men - still remain at large.

US voluntarily took ownership of the attack and denied any involvement or assistance from Pakistan’s military or Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agencies in this evasion. Moreover, even Pakistan categorically denied any prior knowledge of US raid. Well, even when these clarifications are made, I fail to understand why sections of media and few officials are extensively analyzing Pakistan’s involvement, and are going head-over-heels to prove Pakistan’s aid to US in these attacks.

Nevertheless, even if Pakistan aided US in operation Osama, so let it be. If Pakistan do not want to admit or speak about it, so let it be. Sometimes, there are things better left unspoken! Rather, the world should be more curious to know why Pakistan is fostering terrorists on their land. What is the kind of support system that Pakistan has given Osama Bin Laden and his men for so many years? Why is Pakistan ISI and military covertly patronizing terrorist outfits?

I don't really think this is the time to spend our resources and energy towards unproductive analysis. In fact, we need to strike while the iron is hot by tying up with US forces to strike at the LeT group which is also breeding on Pakistan soil. This is also the right time to paralyze the already injured Al Qaeda network. In the same breath, we should also urgently withdraw nuclear capability accessible on Pakistan soil…because nuclear prowess can be completely misused by the terrorist groups already proliferating in Pakistan.

It is certainly true when Pakistan reiterates stating that they too are victims of terrorism. But sadly, innocent people of this country are the ones who have become victims of terrorism and not the governing authorities or the military or the ISI who in fact are cultivating these ghastly terrorist acts on Pakistan soil and the world. The world needs answers to these questions….Why?

Of late, immature statements by a supposedly renowned writer are flying around about, “why Pakistan should be declared a terrorist country”. Surely, some people have lost their minds. Where would innocent people of this country go if Pakistan is declared a terrorist country? Even more, the aftershocks of doing such a drastic thing will affect progressive and successful countries in the neighborhood, like India. The US is surely doing a good job eradicating perpetrators terrorizing Pakistan and the world. But we must remember that the US will do their job and leave the state immediately. The backlash of such attacks will have a direct impetus on neighboring countries which will have to pay the price of it all in return.

Sanitization of Pakistan is indeed the first step towards stabilization. We all know that Pakistan cannot fight terrorism single-handedly. It needs cooperation of the world to liberate itself from this evil spirit that has engulfed their democracy. Revamping the ISI, military and the governing authorities is what needs to be done first to detoxify the system.

Well, US got justice by killing the mastermind behind 9/11 attacks on US soil. Like the US, even India hasn’t forgotten the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai which took away innocent lives. But can India do what US did is the big question? I believe the war on terrorism can be fought with co-operation from the world and it is next to impossible to fight this war single-handedly. What do you think?

Post script
Although I reviewed my write several times to avoid slip-up’s between the two similar sounding names – OSama and OBama- I apologise for bloopers if any. Please note that the good guy in my story is Obama and the bad one is Osama.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Do write to me with your reactions, opinions or critical comments at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.

Anna’s “Aabra-Ka-Daabra Effect”

Who exactly is Anna Hazare was the first question I asked myself on 5th Apr 2011, the day when the frail and plain speaking 72yr old man dressed in plain white clothes pulled off his ‘fast-unto-death’ tryst to fight against the growing filth of corruption in India. I faintly remember hearing of this Gandhian then, but more importantly I wanted to figure out the magical aura inside him that infatuated such huge people support across the social strata pan India. Wondered whether it was the “Aabra-Ka-Dabra Effect”...because after all Annaji’s movement began at the Jantar-Mantar in New Delhi naah!

Giving more power to the people
At a phase in life when most of the septuagenarians hang their boots to celebrate retirement, Anna Hazare is selflessly working for the people and still going strong since the last 30yrs. The entire nation supported this gutsy guy who not only demanded the introduction of the Jan Lokpal Bill (Citizen's Ombudsman Bill) but also humbly fasted until the civilian demands were met. I couldn’t fast like Annaji, but also couldn’t resist being a part of the “I am Anna” campaign against corruption. Thousands and thousands of people like you and me came out showing their solidarity all through the 4 days of the movement...and then...can the government of the largest democracies of the world even think of giving a deaf year to the people’s humble demands....I don’t really think so!

Well finally, the Jan Lokpal Bill which is an effective anti-corruption and grievance redressal system against corruption will be drafted and then passed by the government accepting all civilian demands for making it a 100% accountable and transparent document. Indeed, cheers to this not so young man who sacrificed for the progress of a young India.

India is not an Egypt
It was pretty heartbreaking when the Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement was drawing comparisons with that of the uprising in Egypt. It is like unintentionally belittling or undermining the fight put forward by our freedom fighters to give us our democracy way back in 1947. The anti-corruption movement in India is simply a rightfully honest demand that the people are putting forward to the established legislative, and then using the means of rallies to communicate our needs...vis-a-vis Egypt’s uprising for actual democracy.

Power of wired networks
The captain of the Pakistan cricket team must have criticised Indian media for its negativity, but look at what media has done to make this movement a big success. Undoubtedly, media traversed across the nation to churn out stories of the masses. Evenmore, tactfully pressurised the government to act now or loose people’s confidence in the system forever. Besides media, social networking and micro-blogging created a flurry of opinions, bringing together the unity of thoughts towards the greatest non-violent people’s movement after the Independence Day movement fathered by Mahatma Gandhi.

Joining hands with the UN Convention
It is indeed time for India to be a part of the UN convention against corruption which crimilizes not only basic corruption such as bribery and embezzlement of public funds, but also trading the proceeds of corruption. The Convention which came into force way back in Year 2005 saw the approval and participation of 140 countries across the globe...except India which raised its hands rather than shaking its hands in partnership with this first legally binding international anti-corruption instrument.

Finally we got to walk the talk
So more power to the people, more power to India incorporation, more power for economic growth, more power to foreign direct investments, more power to spending on health and infrastructure, better and transparent utilisation of taxpayers money...but all this made possible only if we as individuals abstain from accepting or giving bribery, sifarish (reference), or anything that will chain the very purpose of this movement.

It’s really-really tough, but I will try. How about you?

Thanks for visiting my blog. Do write to me with your reactions, opinions or critical comments at simplymearl@live.com or leave your inputs in the comments tab below.