Anna Hazare: How long?

Not first time in my generation, I saw people moving and not that first time I saw so many people united for a cause. Not far back, just remember the 26/11 terrorist attacks? We saw so many people angry and we saw what happened later.

But first time I saw people from all wake of life in India not only angry but I saw them on streets and roads as well. Whereas, in the case of 26/11, people were angry but they did not come on road compromising their jobs and routine tasks.  It was a pure government failure that those Pakistan sponsored terrorists barged into the financial capital of India, did the damage and we, the common Indians thought; may be this is the destiny of this country and preferred not to do anything spectacular. There were few demonstrations and frustration on the system. Few of the people marched with candles and debates ran in news channels but it did not touch the core of the heart of a common Indian and within a week the life returned to status quo.

 Then the series of corruption scandals errupted on the horizon. Right from commonwealth games to 2G spectrum and a new scam often with each passing day, the list got bigger and bigger appearing never to end. People moaned again and again, complaining the agony in different forums but unfortunately the government already neck deep in those scams, by then already gone dump and blind, had not courage and will to fix the problems and as usual we were left to our fate which never seemed to change the course and the country India ….alas…Gandhi could see it.

               Dear Bapu, perhaps nothing has changed in these 65 years! The dream you saw about this nation is dying slowly. The entrepreneurs who took the center stage in 1947-48 have their advanced DNA in present generation of politicians and bureaucrats who have forgotten what they were supposed to do. You were lucky Bapu, you preferred to close your eyes because you could have died otherwise with shame; how your few of fellow Indians are looting the country you fought for your whole life.

               These are not the thoughts I am writing here something  different. Every Indian silently think of this and mourns. But when you are crying in heart, when you are bleeding onto the system and agonized because the life has become more difficult due to someone else and angry because you cannot do anything alone, you tend to surrender yourself to the God because that is the only entity where you find the true solace. And when this surrender occurs at a larger scale, it is meant to be answered, may be that is the reason why we pray in large groups, in mosques, Churches, pujas and in gurudwaras.

               May be the silent prayers of millions of Indians were answered when a 74 year old and hardly known Kisan Bapat Baburao Hazare decided to rise against the goliath corruption. And people realized that he was the man they were waiting for. It was his one call, to rise up against the impossible and I see a phenomenon never happened before. The sea of people all around me could have not been moved on a fake cause. It seems that finally we have a Gandhi here who is truly for us and who can fight a war for us which just few days back, seemed a day dream.

               It has already 11 days he is on fast and each passing day the movement is growing bigger and bigger. The BJP, left and few other parties seem to sit up and take the note of the mood of one and all but that is politics, not sure they are genuine, but the government has gone well beyond shamelessness whose prince appeared today after months only to doubt and criticise the demand of the same people who elected his party in power.

              What a pity? Government does not sense that if the Janlokpal is the demand of the democracy what is wrong to put it on table? When 9 out of 10 people go with Janlokpal why it cannot be implemented if democracy means majority?

For last 11 days a 74 year old man is on fast and the policymakers who are in his age bracket have gone numb to realize how fragile an old body may be at this age? For most of his life, Anna has fought for someone else and been on fast regularly. Even if he has remained winner there, the fasts have taken their toll. He is not equipped with some supernatural powers. He is simply an ordinary human with extraordinary vision and determination but yes his body also demands same calories.

But as I said, already on 11 day on fast how long his body can push? He is already minus 7 kilogram and still counting.  Only determination alone cannot sustain the pressure on his starved organs.

I feel strange these days when I have my food on the table.  Every bite seems asking some uncomfortable questions? How it feels to be hungry for 11 continuous days whereas I started to crack in just one day that too at the age of 33!

            Did government give a thought on it? Yes. It appears that they have taken Anna for granted. Perhaps they want to believe that Anna is used tosuch things. But have they considered for god sake; what if something goes wrong with Anna?  Do they realize what will be the consequences? Do they know it is a 74 year old body; a seasoned but more prone to organ failures? Will they take blame collectively? And how can you forget that at the same age when people respect each other more than anything else, an old man deserves more care and attention? Have Dr. Manmohan Singh, Kapil Sibbal, PranabMukherjee gone insane? How can they eat and sleep in such enormous situations?

For now, I want Anna to break his fast. It is making my life difficult with each new day. The primary objective has been achieved and let the fight be continued with a new strength.  It is not he should remain on fast for the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats, but have food for a common Indian who see a great crusader in him, a source of strength and want to see him healthy and smiling.

It was touching to see an arrested man this day shouting in parliament gate for Anna’s fast “ A man is on fast for last 11 days and nobody cares”: I felt my hair rising!!!!

Indian Army has blown the fuse

When I wrote in my previous posts about the corruption in Indian Army I have so many reasons to write that. I respect the feelings of the millions of Indian people who still regard Indian Army as an institution which emphasizes the value of honesty and a sense of duty. Despite the scams in Indian army in recent times, many of us continued to believe that the number of corrupt people in Army are numbered, contrary to which I do believe that since the organization system of Army is such that only few can corrupt, the anybody at that position has proved that Army has equally corrupt organisation of India. Just go through the post below which I happen to see this morning in the tehalka website and you will have another sigh ‘Oh no….Not again!’.

The same old story of corruption

Gone those 1,76000 Crore rupees; courtesy to this man.

It is not very welcoming news which I am referring hereby as a ready recokner. This day of 01 Dec 2010, in the front page of a well known international newspaper of united state of America, the news is being published about the so called honest Prime Minister of India. A newspaper, which would tell the rest of the world except already knowing India, that how much corrupt our India has become, justifying our overall standing in transparency international index. And we the Indians, would perhaps give just one thought momentarily “who cares” or “India main aisa hee hota hai” and again busy in our life!!!What a fate this country has.

Indian Army sharing dais with corrupt politicians.

It is a bright morning here in Mumbai. At last; the rising Sun here makes me feel that it must be cold in north India in these early hours of the day. It is still hot in Mumbai, God knows when will winter knock. Personally I miss the winter of uttarakhand; the extreme cold when you can’t stop yourself sitting idle for hours in the cozy mornings and late in evenings with hot cups of tea time and again.

On leave for two weeks it feels great when you damn care what time you leave bed. But the tragic part is that such days are only numbered whereas most of the life, you keep on fighting for your rights and growth opportunities, which most of the people do legally whereas few illegally.

This morning it was very sad while going through “Times Of India” Mumbai edition. The place in the newspaper which proudly and exclusively meant for the politicians on this country had to make place for the once coveted general of Indian Army.

Indian Army lost the reputation, values and ethos.

           

            Perhaps this was the best gift we could offer to the most powerful man on earth on the eve of Deewali as the US president Mr. Barak Obama is visiting India in the same city from where a new scam is brought to the notice of people of India. 

            This is not new news if you know that India, as the 87^th standing nation corrupt free nation in the “Transparency International report; has further slipped 3 placed below from last year. But news may that the belief of a common man has entire shaken on the involvement of the top brasses of Indian army and Navy in the “Adarsh Scam (sorry….Housing) Society. Scams after scam have beyond the point proven that today Indian army has become the most corrupt organisation in India. A million plus strong and second largest in number only behind to China, the organisation has fallen to the generals who did not speared their own martyrs who lost their lives for a cause known as “nation first” and for a cause that their generals could live a comfortable lives. And our generals did respond this way. They occupied the flats which were meant for the widows of those martyrs.

Common less wealth games 2010

Last few days have been very dramatic. I have done so many things nonsense, seen few good results in dalal street and on personal front these days; I am fighting lesser with my wife, my daughter is out everyday with few innovative dialogues every now and then like “ Papa has prepared hen this dinner, son shouting from 4^th  floor every day shouting to streetwalkers with a monologue “Aie jee” etc.

            Besides al these things, I have been talkative on some other fronts which have not been my cup of tea. Take the example of Common wealth games which, in my opinion are left with only “Common game”; wealth has already been taken care of you know.

            So when the article about these games published in Times of India, I as an Indian citizen, could not stop me from preying my nose (I feel it as of now!) and ended up with the comment on this negatively, I am being bullied by few of NRI’s and  thank god there are few of the people who are defending me vigorously.

            It was about the level of corruption in the organizing committee of these games. Frankly I am hurt to know that money has been blown to organize these games and in return what we achieved was shame and an outlook defeated and unable to organize such the events. As in the case of Comonwealth games, items have been procured or are taken on rent at the cost those could have been purchased. Prices are at the funniest level and infrastructure has it’s own story to tell.

            I just wished, had those culprit been little sensitive to corrupt the games to some extend, we could have digested as we know our Indian way of life. Sadly corruption has become the non detachable part of India and we have to live up with it. But if you are trying out to fool around the system, it is simple irritating. And the frustration within backfired in the comment in that article.

            Anyway, I thought of myself how much I am being affected by the corruption in my day to day life I figured out like this:

1.         In the early morning, I see a newspaper which I never wished at my doorstep or someday it too found missing, when I asked the paperwala he tells me that the specific paper I am subscribe to did not reach in time.

2.         I wanted mother dairy milk but here it is some brand I never heard of. Next day before I say anything he is here with mother dairy again.

3.         Proceed to office where in way, I found the policeman milking some defaulter.

4.         Office is the best place you yourself can see how things are adjusted at their best.

5.         In lunch hour you see a new scam on TV by some Kalmadis,  Rajas, Sorens, Lalus, Mayawatis. Jayalalitas, Reddys, raths, huddas, every now and then.

6.         In evening the auto charges on the basic of chart which authenticity has always been suspicious.

7.         The panwala keeps those 50 paisa and forces you take one moth freshner you wish or not.

8.         The cable connection is missing, when contacted cablewala suggests me to buy his set top.

9.         As per ‘Transparency International’ we stand pathetic 85^th on corruption free states.

            Now if I wrote on the article that we Indians are corrupt in general; what is wrong with it?