Yesterday was a very sad day. Just on 15th August we celebrated our Independence Day- a day when we got free from the harsh Colonial rule.
And the very next day we lost our freedom yet again. The Anna Hazare arrest has shocked everybody. Isn’t this bad...a politician can give derogatory speeches before election, but a 74 year old civilian cannot even protest in peace. Are the laws different for common men and politicians? If yes, then why do we call India a democratic nation?
I never supported the Jan Lokpal Bill because somehow the idea of bringing the PM and Supreme Court under the scanner did not appeal to me. Also, the PM and CJI are not elected by the people of the country...we only choose a winning party. It is the winning party then, which decides who should be the PM and the cabinet ministers. So, basically we do not really have the right to prosecute them. There might be more loopholes too...which only my lawyer pal like Neha can explain.
So what should we do?
1. Firstly, we must understand that we have the power to vote. But by voting...I don’t mean just standing in the long queue, getting your nail inked and punching the buttons against any party. By voting I mean studying the agenda that they present before you...checking their credentials etc. I know it is a very tough and time consuming task...but definitely a little research would not hurt.
Just check how the residents of Juhu had elected an independent candidate named Adolf as their corporator during the last BMC elections. Needless to say, he has done a lot for Juhu. Now, other areas too are taking lessons from Juhu for the next BMC elections.
2. Tata tea had come up with a brilliant caption two years back, which said ‘woh khate hain kyunki hum khilate hain’...isn’t that true? Stop bribing officials for everything. Getting a license, ration card or passport is our right and no one can deny it. I know it is a long battle, you may lose a lot...but in a way you are helping your nation in fighting corruption.
3. India has an Act called the RTI Act. It means you have the right to seek information from the government bodies in case of delay/irregularities in their functioning. Again, the procedure is long and even the response is vague or delayed...but there is no harm in filing it. At least it would make the governing bodies sit up and do their work properly. I would suggest that you use the existing laws rather than just fighting without understanding a word about the bill.
Use the existing laws, try to be patient and fight the system with patience...bunking offices and colleges or mouthing anti government slogans will not work. Of course, now the government is scared of our anger...but still please do not disrupt normal life under the pretext of protesting.
Tell me honestly, don't we pay traffic police, telephone wala and god knows who all to get our work done? I know even if this law gets passed, people will not use it. We have never filed for a RTI or a PIL...do u think we will use this one? I am sure we won't. The best solution is what Narayan Murthy said...Legalize Bribery.
