I SUPPORT ANTI-CORRUPTION, BUT I DO NOT SUPPORT ANNA HAZARE

Extracts from my Facebook notes and discussions: I SUPPORT ANTI-CORRUPTION, BUT I DO NOT SUPPORT ANNA HAZARE by Sridhar Patel on Friday, August 19, 2011 at 2:54pm At the cost of being unpopular, let me be clear: I am a 100% supporter of any anti-corruption movement but, I DO NOT SUPPORT Kisan Baburao - Anna Hazare. Corruption is the biggest leach of Indian society, polity and economy. Agreed. But people who are naming this as the second Independence movement, do you know the difference between Independence movement and a social cleansing mechanism? There is a need for better anti corruption law, but, I DO NOT support Anna, his ways and his theatrics. You have done your part, woke the urban society. Thank you for that. But that is it. Agreed that the entire political spectrum in the country is corrupt, but, you and your team should not cross the line and try to be law makers. If you want to be a law maker, get elected and get into the House. DO NOT try to do it using the blackmail tactics. You do not even represent the entire civil society. Do not forget the Aruna Roy's version of Lokpal is far better than yours but did not get as much air time and remains largely unheard of. Do not try to take the place of the new Father of the Nation. There have been better contenders for that (JP) who could not fit in those shoes.You wont too. History will remember you as the one who got the urban masses educated on the need for anti-corruption bill. Be happy with it. YOU DO NOT DESERVE BEYOND THAT. In response to a friend's comment on this post where he said that I seem to be a Congress supporter, I wrote: I am equally irritated with both the family run businesses (one of Gandhi's and the other one being Sangh). I do not like the 'Rahul Bhajan Mandali' along with the guy himself who lacks experience and is no different from any other person if that family tag is removed nor do I like the octogenrain who ideally should have retired by now along with his senior but who is still sitting in the Lok Sabha with the single wish of doing a 'house warming ceremony' at 7RCR. But I have always liked certain individuals and I do not have any qualms about it. I do not even think twice when I say that AB Vajpayee and PV Narasimha Rao were the best PM's that India ever had. Both of them have had cases of inaction against them (one where the Centre was sleeping when a centuries old structure was being demolished with 'ek dhakka aur do, babri masjid tod do!' slogans running high and the other where the External Affairs minister of the country escorts a dreaded terrorist and a bus over the Gangetic plains and Punjab lead to the hills of Kashmir). They made history in more than one way. Yes, Man was the best FM our country had in the recent times but his self confessed helplessness and coalition compulsions have deprived him of being a good PM. There is no ways about the black money, 3G, CWG, Air India, and all the other scams and the rampant corruption that is running the show. I also mentioned in my note that I do not subscribe to the rampant corruption of this government and nor do I support the ways they are using to handle situations. Especially the way jokers like Ambica Soni, Kapil Sibal, Singhvi, and the gang are handling the government. I guess they never heard of the saying 'It is better to shut you mouth and let people wonder if you are a fool, rather than opening your mouth and confirming that'. As I said, I do support the anti corruption awareness of the day and thank Anna Hazare for that. But, nothing more. That does not mean that I want an anti corruption bill which is not the best around and which can jeopardize the working of any government. I want a government that works on its own and looks after its people any day vis-a-vis a government that would not act and cannot act on anything because even the judiciary comes under a 'super power' called Lokpal. If that is the case then why would you need a parliament, a judiciary or an executive? Lets do away with all of them and create one Lokpal. But what after that? Who will monitor them? If you want judiciary to monitor the executive and a parliament to monitor the judiciary and a Lokpal to monitor the parliamentarians (including the PMO) then that is fine. But if you want to do away with all the existing structure and bodies and get even the judiciary under its perview, then I am sorry. I wont subscribe to it. There should be checks and balances. Correct. But, there should not be any Frankenstine monsters around. We are better without them. I was sharing this with one of my other friends the other day, and I say that here again - corruption has become a part and parcel of our lives. The same people (including you and I) who brag about corruption do not mind bribing a constable for a 'petty traffic offense'. We find it absolutely fine when we say 'do this bit of work and I will give you an extra chocolate' to a kid. We do not even spare God when we say 'I will break a 100 coconuts if you do xyz to me'. We do not realize that all that is ALSO bribing. If you want to fight corruption, start it with a 'No' at home. I said that I thank that guy (Anna Hazare) for the awareness that he generated with the urban folks. But he does not deserve beyond it. If he wants to be a law maker. Let him be one. It is easy to sit in Ramlila Maidan and give a speach. It is a totally different story to sit in Parliament and discuss a bill. If you are saying that MP's are corrupt, I ask who got them there and who made them corrupt in the first place? If putting the bill for discussion in the parliament is the aim, then, why can't an MP (Agnivesh is a strong supporter of his and an MP too) put the so called 'Jan Lokpal' as a private member bill? Then the parliament will have to discuss it. But no, that will take the fizz out, the TRP's will fall for these news channels, and Anna will have to go back to his crusade of agricultural reforms, creating water banks, fighting for the rural issues in the Maharashtra heartland and he is good at that. But, the only problem being he won't get this publicity and attention to do theatrics. Think! :)