Can we say sayonara to corruption forever ? Thank You Annaji ! All the fizz and the buzz of the last two weeks has finally died down, the news and the talks on TV were indeed getting monotonous and overbearing and we, the Indian public have had enough of it, to last us a life time and now the forever hungry Indian media will have to wait for yet another fast or yet another scam to feast on.
Anna’s loud and aggressive tirade against corruption is a worthy cause which people of all walks of life have embraced, with open arms and clenched fists, there is no doubt that corruption has been a curse that’s been usurped and promoted by our erstwhile and present political luminaries to such an extent that in the last few years, scams have been surfacing like mushrooms, on a mushroom farm, curtailing and barricading the social and economic growth of the states and the country. There is absolutely no doubt that our politicians especially the Congress, tried to bulldoze the bill with it’s dictatorial mindset trying to emphasize that bill making was their congenital right as elected representatives and the public should have to live with it, come what may, but with Anna’s obstinacy and the dissenting voices clamoring for a change, growing steadily louder by the day, a remedial legislative action had to be taken for damage control, but unfortunately the damage done by the Congress attitude and the delay is certainly well beyond repairs. Corruption, like bigotry can take on more insidious forms, if allowed to incubate and spread, not that they both are a new found phenomena, what I want to say is, if both are allowed open space and time, they can be equally dangerous for the wellbeing of the people as well as the country, so every marginalised group will have to be brought under the ambit of this bill and we will also need to stigmatize corruption as the perennial appendage of all evil and shame by punishing the guilty with firmness and harshness, no matter who, leaving no doubt of its far reaching and dire consequences, instead of just ostensibly promising action against those professing and promoting corruption. Even though Anna’s crusade has been supported by majority Indians because of its critical issue, there has been criticism too from some quarters because of his RSS background and the Modi issue, but these however cannot dilute the efforts of this seventy four year old to fight corruption. Knowing our politicians, we understand what they stand for and why they stand for, so BJP’s double feet plunge in support of Anna in the last days of fast can be very easily identified and analyzed without much of an effort. So also some politicians form either side of the great divide have made statements and showed their presence in support of the anti corruption crusade of Anna but we all know why, elections are just round the corner. Anna being a simple man with a simple mind could be vulnerable to manipulations from our highly skillful manipulators in all forms and colours and I only hope Anna and his henchmen and women are wise and cautious enough to identify the hyenas on the prowl in their midst. If the Bill has to be a success we will have to be vigilant and cover every loophole that may allow corruption to proliferate under it’s very nose and eyes undetected and above all, to facilitate the effectiveness of this Bill we ourselves will have to say no to corruption and become incorruptible, but even then the monumental question that perturbs me most is, will the Jan Lokpal Bill be the one Bill army, a solution to all our myriad problems ? With this bill, will we be able to say sayonara to corruption forever ? Freddy Agnelo Fernandes
