Thursday, October 18, 2012

IAC buckle up and move fast...


Indian masses have a very short vision and very short memory. We forget things at the drop of hat. The importance of things and issues change and varies very fast. In the garb of being flexible we waver easily. Even I am accused of the same. Our culture and ways of life has to be blamed on this . We have always been told to accept things and agree to them eventually. With this in mind, we need to understand the importance of the Anna Hazare movement and then India Against Corruption (IAC).

What happened to the Anti-Corruption movement and demand for Jan Lokpal and where it stands today in the so called civil society is a testimony to exactly what I mentioned above. The Anti-Corruption movement with Anna Hazare at the helm started with much fan fare and tom-tom last year. Common people in thousands and lacs turned up, took leaves from office and work and joined Anna and his anti-graft crusaders at Ramlila grounds in August last year. You speak to anyone; he or she seemed to be much swayed by this Gandhian who took to fast unto death to get his demands for Jan Lokpal listened / agreed to. I was there in Delhi at that time in August last year and it seemed, all the roads in Delhi led to the famed Ramlila grounds.

However, what happened to the movement after that? To me, it did lose steam and became a fight of a handful of gentle souls. We the common people of India couldn’t take leaves from work every now and then to support these fast campaigns. With political arm twisting, it seemed a never ending story for sure. It was very clear that the political behemoths where such laws are prepared and approved will never allow such a strong Jan Lokpal Bill to be passed. And IAC was eventually left with no choice but to roam around in these political circles.

And slowly but surely we all started forgetting the movement and began to accept all that had happened, as a flash in the pan.

Today, with IAC having decided to move towards forming a political party and participate in the Indian Democracy, the pangs of corruption started making noise once again. Over the last few weeks, IAC has come out in open and announced acts of corruption in the main government party as well as in the main opposition party.

To me, it seems IAC is more concerned with making noises only about corruption which are bound to forget very soon. Everyone knows there is corruption and we all meekly accept it too. What is needed is not just anti-corruption movement, but a movement with clear policies and their implementation for the benefit of the common man.

If IAC can come with a clear ways to address key issues lying in front of the country and their ways to implement them, I am sure, people of India will appreciate it and accept IAC’s plank of a political alternative.

IAC’s stand on corruption and their way (Jan Lokpal) to address it is well known. What is needed is their stand on other key matters like growth, foreign money (FDI), foreign policy, terrorism, internal security, especially the matter of region-hood or state-hood, etc. Key among them would surely be how growth happens and is distributed equitably. I am sure, if there is enough equitable growth, demands for state-hood will die down with time too.

Mr Kejriwal and company if you are serious in offering the Indian populace with an alternative during the next elections, you need to buck up and buck up fast and come out with clear stand and policies and their implementation and of course your party’s vision for the nation.

Mr Kejriwal, you need to be aware of the 2 very important facts – Indian masses will soon forget your valour in unravelling the corruption with damad-ji and adhyaksh-ji, if you continue treading the same path. And if you are not serious and careful of your future as a citizen, activist and politician in Indian democracy, you might get lost in the labyrinth called Indian Politics.


All the Best!!

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