I am 26 and I love my country a lot. I am one of those guys who have goose bumps every time I hear a proud thing about my nation. I was one among those guys who had decided to brave the lathis of policewalas at India Gate on the lucky day when the government agreed to pass a jan lokpal bill.
But what makes an Indian as me not impressed by what is happening now? It’s the way every citizen large or small in this country believes that the law belongs to him. Yes I badly want a law or agency that decides to punish offenses of corruption large or small. But does that mean tomorrow I can call my 100 odd friends who in turn call their friends and create a group of 100000 or 1 million or more people. And then decide I want to fast unto death because I want a bill that grants me the power to question anyone including the Supreme Court justice, the president and prime minister of my country. Sounds very interesting at the same time very ambitious too. That to me as a true Indian does not sound very convincing because I feel it kills the very essence of my nation. We are a sovereign socialist secular democratic republic. And I would not like any tom dick and harry to change its very essence. My country is not perfect and I believe no country is.
On what grounds is this fight being fought? Before I wrote this piece I spoke to around 24 – 30 people out of which only 4 knew the exact draft of the Jan lokpal and all of 4 of whom were not very convinced. What is wrong in the government elected by my people telling the new set of law policy makers that they cannot be the be all and end all in the corruption cases, when I am proud citizen of a country where judiciary is a body that is independent? How can it be right for a person to penalize anybody over the powers of judiciary by passing a bill? Isn’t there a gross mistake in that concept? If passing a Jan lokpal bill is right can I go ahead and start a movement to pass a bill that gives any citizen or a set of so called ‘responsible’ citizens of my country the power to kill any body who has committed a grievous crime against the nation. If Jan lokpal is right so will it. How can this so called committee have the powers of police, judiciary and the government? Then trust me that it is not the beginning of a perfect INDIA it is the beginning of autocracy in a peace loving democracy.
If Anna Hazare feels there is a true need to change the system, he has the support of ‘every’ Indian today, let him to be a part of the system and change it. Start a party, fight elections become the person to make the change. I will be the first person to vote for you sir. But with all due respect I cannot accept the fact that you will stay outside the system and fight for a new system in place.
The governments’ failure as a system is my fault as a voter who voted them to power. Sorry I will not put the blame on the system and ask for it to be replaced. That’s not how my country runs, there are people responsible and we have chosen them, if we don’t like them change the people not the system. And if I may question why is that only people in government is being brought under the purview of this bill why does it not include industrialists, irresponsible media personalities and others who are outside the government and can cause damage to the financial status of this country. If there is a need to fight against corruption then fight it completely don target one section of the society because they are actually soft targets.
If the drafters of lokpal are sure that they have a flawless system in place then if someone has a complaint against the lokpal why should it not be investigated by someone other that their own committee. Why is it that any flaws from their end will only be investigated only by them?
The bill in itself may have a lot of positives and a lot of open and loose ends. It does not convince me that one agency can be given absolute powers in a democratic country. I might as well live in Iraq or Iran where someone else decides I should live and I don’t have the right to question. The very beauty of this country is that today we are still very much a democratic. If you feel you don’t have options think hard our constitution under article 49(O) of the 1969 act gives you the right to nullify vote.There is a law already for all possible crimes in this country, the point is we have the entire system in place but instead of using them to the full potential we are just going with the wave to create a new system with unwarranted powers.
I would like to end my lines by quoting one of the greatest crusaders of a non-violent struggle Aung San Suu Kyi once said “It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.” And the lokpal talks of absolute powers think of what your doing carefully. Lets not create a Frankenstein to kill a rat causing plague instead lets find a remedial cure standing within the available choices. I know my choice it’s your turn!!!
