Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Countering allegations,conspiracies and attacks

Participatory democracy = a process emphasizing the broad participation of constituents in the direction and operation of political systems.
Citizens are not just voters. Democracy does not just come once every five years. The participation of citizens in the daily activities of democratic functioning is the hallmark of a vibrant democracy. And any democracy without a fifth pillar - a powerful and responsible civil society, would be lame duck.
A demonstration of a powerful civil society was visible when Anna Hazare and the citizenry of the country used peaceful coercion to kickstart a process of reforms. After 42 years, 6 rounds of rejections in the Parliament and complete ignoring of the entreaties of some of the eminent people of India - all avenues of normal democratic engagement were exhausted. There was no way except for Anna Hazare to stake his life for the nation, as Gandhiji had done before independence. If columnists and political leaders call this act as premature and blackmail, so be it.  
Anna Hazare's demand is for participation of the civil society in the formation of a committee to draft a strong anti-corruption bill. After the Bill is drafted, it will necessarily have to pass through all the democratic institutions including Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. It will not bypass any of the democratic structures.
You may go to Azad Maidan in Mumbai any day of the year and you'll find scores who are sitting in hunger strike, unheard and unseen. The only reason, the government took cognizance is because of the moral stature of Anna Hazare, the right cause and tremendous public support. No government is going to listen to people who fast, without these criteria. Therefore, to assume that Anna Hazare's fast has set up some precedent is incorrect.
Annaji somewhat irrelevant remark on the grass root development in Gujarat and Bihar has been twisted to mean support to Narendra Modi's communal action and being pro-RSS and anti minority. Suppose I praised someone's shoes- does it purport to supporting everything that he does, including wife-beating? :)
Finally, Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan are both eminent lawyers and were part of the drafting of the Jan Lokpal Bill, along with Santosh Hegde and Arvind Kejriwal. They needed to be part of this technical drafting team as they had originally drafted the bill and would know the relevance and justification of each clause as they negotiate with the government.
Finally, here are some people trying to work on nation building in an organized and selfless manner and some of the media and activists are doing their utmost to scuttle their path. Why can't we ever think straight, for God's sake?

22 comments:

shehla Masood said...

Its high time lets all be united and fight this menace called Corruption to show our love towards our motherland.
For heavens sake can we think without isms and work for the progress of our country.

India Against Corruption said...

Very well written. To the point and tearing down each and every allegation.
But wait, we have just started, we are going to see many many more tricks and attempts so subvert this movement.
Lots of money is at stake here and the corrupt will not give up so easily....

India Against Corruption said...

Check this Blog too :-
Its "Why Anna Hazare can save Indian Democracy"

http://oneordinaryindian.blogspot.com/2011/04/why-anna-hazare-will-save-indian.html

raviprakash said...

१-कपिल सिब्बल-लोकपाल बिल वहां क्या करेगा जहां पानी,बिजली,मकान नही है?
अन्ना ने कहा-तुम्हे परेशानी हो रही हो तो इस्तीफ़ा दे दो नही तुम्हारे खिलाफ़ हम आन्दोलन करेंगे...इतना सुनते ही सिब्बल को पसीना आ गया थूक कर चाटते हुये बोला-मैं तो कडे लोकपाल बिल की बात कर रहा हुं.
२-लालकॄष्ण अडवाणी-अन्ना हजारे को नेताओं का अपमान नही करना चाहिये.
अन्ना हजारे-तुम सही होते तो मुझे आंदोलन की जरूरत क्यों पडती..इसके बाद अडवाणी अपना सिर खुजाने लगे..
३-दिग्विजय सिंह-अन्ना हजारे और उनके साथी कहीं से चुनाव लडके दिखाये.
अन्ना हजारे-मेरे पास पैसा,शराब और साडियां नही है तो चुनाव कैसे लडू?.....इतना सुनते ही दिग्विजय सिंह बोले-पैसा और शराब नही है तो क्या हुआ शुरुआत तो करें इंतजाम मैं कर दूंगा.इस पर अन्ना हजारे बोले-जन लोकपाल बिल के पास हो जाने के बाद तुम्हारा मैला तुम्ही से उठवाऊंगा..इसके बाद दिग्विजय सिंह बोले-मैं अन्ना हजारे का समर्थन करता हूं.
४-चुनाव मे मैं और सभी राजनैतिक दल काले धन से चुनाव लडते हैं बिना काले धन के चुनाव सम्भव नही-प्रकाश सिंह बादल मुख्य मंत्री पंजाब
अन्ना ने कहा-चुनाव में सुधार की जरूरत.काला धन आने के स्रोत भी बता दें बादल.मेरा ऎजेंडा है कि चुनाव में यदि १० उम्मीदवार है जनता को लगता है कि सब के सब चोर हैं तो ११ वां विकल्प होगा इनमें से कोई नही यदि इस विकल्प पर २० से अधिक वोट पड गया तो दुबारा कराओ चुनाव तब तुम्हे तुम्हारी औकात समझ में आ जायेगी..
५-बाबा रामदेव-लोकपाल बिल कमेटी में वंशवाद की बू आ रही है..एक ही परिवार के दो सदस्यों को नही होना चाहिये..
अन्ना हजारे-कमेटी में कानून के जानकारो की जरूरत है कमेटी को योग नही सिखाना है.
इतना सुनते ही बाबा ने पलटासन करते हुये कहा-मैं नही कह रहा लोग मुझसे पूछ रहे हैं.मुझे कोई आपत्ति नही..अन्ना बोले-जिन्हे कुछ पूछना हो वो लोकपाल बिल के पास होने के बाद पूछे.इसके बाद रामदेव शीर्षासन करते हुये रहे गये.
इस तरह की बयानबाजियां देखकर देश की जनता को आंदोलन के लिये अन्ना ह्जारे के साथ तैयार रहना चाहिये.यदि हमारे देश के गद्दार नेता भ्रष्टाचार पर रोक लगाने के प्रति तनिक भी गंभीर हैं तो उन्हे अपनी निरर्थक और हास्यास्पद बयान बाजी पर लगाम लगानी चाहिये क्योंकि अब साफ़ हो चुका है कि किसी न किसी स्तर पर गद्दार नेताओं द्वारा यह कोशिश लगातार की जा रही है कि लोकपाल बिल पर जो पहल शुरु की गई है उसको विवादग्रस्त बना दिया जाय

AAM AADMI said...

Well said mayank bhai. We need to stick to Annaji What ever it may be..

krishna said...

I respect your views sir.! I once lost hope against corruption, Now i see a well beyond the mirage..! Hoping for better India.! :)

Unknown said...

Very well said, sir... And we will stand with Annaji and remain prepared for reactions.. We must remain UNITED, at whatsoever the costs. Political parties are not much afraid of the Bill, but they fear the UNITY of the citizens from all the walks of life.. Jay Ho.. Jay Hind ... Vande Mataram ..

Piyush said...

Media is also playing vital role in raising misunderstanding among peoples who support anna hazare....dey r trying to hype every news dat raise controversy on anna hazare works...sometime sying der is clash among team members...hyping every statements through which dey can make new masala story....if anna hazare says he is happy to see development of gujrat n bihar..wht wrong does he say...y diverting his statement towards another subject....plzzzz people be united n nxt time throw away the govt...who doesnt deserve to be our leader

kicking.and.screaming said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Surya 252 said...

Very well said, sir.
We r wd u.
Don't u think there shd hvbeen atleast 1 or 2 from opposn rather to all 5 from da ruling party.

kicking.and.screaming said...

"The only reason, the government took cognizance is because of the moral stature of Anna Hazare, the right cause and tremendous public support. No government is going to listen to people who fast, without these criteria. Therefore, to assume that Anna Hazare's fast has set up some precedent is incorrect."

Dear Mr. Gandhi,
Youre going to get a hundred people telling you how wonderful this post of yours is.
But if I were you, Id' drop the Gandhi from my name- I refer to the excerpt from your post that I pasted above.

Wearing a Nehru cap does not give Hazare the moral stature that you are giving him. There are several others who are committing their lives or large parts of it to 'nation building' and wearing khadi is optional. Everyone from Telangana separatists to Karnunadhi, go on a 'fast unto death' every once in a while. Irom Sharmila has been doing it as well.

I wonder how you can take things out of context like this.

The Government is not indebted to one Hazare. I voted as well. And I resent his assumption of his morality. I resent the selective nature in which people like you exercise your morality and the ease with which you call some causes noble and worthy of the government's attention, and others as being not. I resent that you think that Hazare's morality is a justified claim to turn our democratic processes on its head.

And a comment to India Against Corruption, who is all too eager to give 5 stars to anyone who says jai Anna, this blog has not been "To the point and tearing down each and every allegation." Its only just another person saying what you want them to say, and from my experience you have not entertained a fair debate on your forums at all. So google subversion and democracy, will ya?

BALLIATEWARI said...

It is a fact that we all who support or are members of INDIA AGAINST CORRUPTION have to be united to get this bill passed and serve our motherland.
Any rumblings from the politicians have to be fought politicially

Anonymous said...

If i say A is beautiful, i am not saying A is intelligent also, people those who are seeking clearification from Annaji are may be having single point agenda of secularism(though its very important)and not able see the perpose of present movement-INDIA AGAINST CORRUPTION.Annaji has talked about so many other important issues,time has not come to talk about all.Please till this aim is achieved,dont set another agenda; however important it is.We should all focus on one and only agenda that is INDIA AGAINST CORRUPTION, under the leadership of ANNAJI.Jai Hind!Bhanu

Unknown said...

@Miracles...very well said. I think these 'isms' is what brought us to a stage where every valid issue effecting common people, but is not tied to 'ism' is ignored. Unfortunately, almost every good men/women who is in public life and have spirit to fight the establishment is tied one of these 'isms'. Their tunnel vision of 'isms' has made them blind. Also, we are unfortunate to have only two 'isms': one that represents far right and another that represents far left. What we needed sorely was a 'civic activism'!! Hope to see that come out of this movement with a great strength!!!!

Unknown said...

@India Against Corruption ...there is another article at rediff.com that is much more powerful and 'elitist' to counter those in 'elite intellectual strata'!!

Sorry Mayank, You lost out to that elite guy at rediff!! But please, please continue blogging for people like me. We need many more bloggers like you to counter those 'elite intellectuals' who seem to be blind to common man's problems.

Unknown said...

Ooops....forgot to give rediff link:

http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-anna-is-no-gandhi-but-his-agitation-was-needed/20110413.htm

Babin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Babin said...

Hi Mayank sir,Great post.
Ideally, Lokpal should be fully independent, but if the govt do not agree, I hope it should be only made loosely accountable to the parliament, not cabinet/government.

Sir, is there a way to send in suggestions for the draft Lokpal bill to the drafting civil society members like Arvind Kejriwal or Bhushans? do you know their contact details?

I have some suggestions written up but don't know who/how to send it to... please see below links to my past blog posts regarding India's institutions...

http://olakka.blogspot.com/2006/02/fight-corruption-with-powerful.html

http://olakka.blogspot.com/2006/02/fight-corruption-with-powerful.html

Anonymous said...

i want to point out one thing..many ppl are saying that IAC is undermining democracy in india..but i think otherwise..last winter entire parliament session was lost for demand of jpc...but why did opposition demand jpc? Because they did not have faith in existing anti corruption mechanism..they did'nt think that CBI will do its job...IAC is striving exactly for an independant anti corruption authority...so after it is formed opposition will not have to watse an entire session..it strengthens our democracy...

Anonymous said...

i want to point out one thing..many ppl are saying that IAC is undermining democracy in india..but i think otherwise..last winter entire parliament session was lost for demand of jpc...but why did opposition demand jpc? Because they did not have faith in existing anti corruption mechanism..they did'nt think that CBI will do its job...IAC is striving exactly for an independant anti corruption authority...so after it is formed opposition will not have to watse an entire session..it strengthens our democracy...

Anonymous said...

i want to point out one thing..many ppl are saying that IAC is undermining democracy in india..but i think otherwise..last winter entire parliament session was lost for demand of jpc...but why did opposition demand jpc? Because they did not have faith in existing anti corruption mechanism..they did'nt think that CBI will do its job...IAC is striving exactly for an independant anti corruption authority...so after it is formed opposition will not have to watse an entire session..it strengthens our democracy...

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