I firmly believe that Mr. Anna Hazare is an honest man of integrity and character . I also think it is very wise and apt to attempt a political alternative that will provide an avenue to a honest self respecting person to be part of politics. How long in a democracy can we call politics filth and walk away from it ? If it is filth and stinks then people of character have to get in and clean this and fill it with fragrance of their character . However, the agenda of Team-Anna appears too vague for a concrete change. The question is, can everything be left to public? If public were sensible and thoughtful will we be in the state that we are today?
If you Leave alone exceptions, we can divide public in three categories. One that is just a herd not even capable of thought, this lot does just what is told to them for a stomach full of meal and a bottle of hooch or a 500 Rs note. Second, is the class of privileged and totally nonchalant who drink water only from Aqua-pure bottles. This lot talks and discusses pollution, politics, depreciating value of rupee and stocks over cup of coffee in their air-conditioned living room, However, they do nothing and say nothing in public as they always flow in the direction of wind to gain mileage from situations .
The third is class that comprises of people unable to decide whether collective benefit of corruption free civic society over individual benefits are more important ? . This lot may shout slogans for change but don’t change their own conduct, they want to remove corruption but bribe for reservation in train and admission in school. The definition of good leader for them is the one who will promise cheaper electricity, free rice and privilege for their cast. The talk of development of infrastructure, an efficient bureaucratic channel, and corruption free safe society is not on their list of priority, cheap journey and not the safe journey is their concern. Why they fail to understand that it is our own money that these dream mongers use for their political gains?
Over these three , there are exceptions who file civil petitions, write letters, demand explanation from authorities and work as volunteers for improvement of roads , traffic , environment and try to eliminate wrongs around us .Truly, these few carry the burden of rest of us and these few have to act like true alarmed and concerned managers and not like indifferent saints even when they get abused, bullied and questioned about their intentions. We need more of leaders , more of heroes but as Walter M. Schirra once wrote “you don't raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes.”
Lastly folks, before you question someone’s intentions behind attempting something sensible and good at least appreciate that person is that he or she is trying to do something that you are not even thinking of doing. Why for many , what ‘satyamev jayate’ was conveying is more important than the money that was charged by host Aamir Khan? Folks, there are people fasting for a legitimate demand who are almost on the verge of collapse and you guys continue questioning what they stand to gain politically from it ?
Look within and ask yourselves what have you done in your life to make a better society then wax eloquence about faults and intentions of others. Cynicism is not intellectualism, virtue lies in attempting to correct mistakes and not in just finding mistakes .So, for a change let us try to focus on issues and not people …
"Cynicism is not intellectualism". I couldn't agree more. How i wish the media and the people could hear those words loud and clear!
ReplyDeleteThere is a massive hue and cry doubting the intentions of Team Anna off late.I fail to understand what is wrong about politically sound people having political ambitions anyway? Every Tom, Dick and Harry has "political ambitions" these days! Infact, we, the citizens of India should feel lucky to have dynamic people like Team ANNA have political ambitions .
At least I'm relieved. Our country's future is safe. :)
@ megha , thanks for visiting and for thoughtful comment .Ghalib the famous urdu poet has written a very apt couplet which says
ReplyDelete"Nuktacheen to hazar milte hain
kash mil jaye nuktshanashs koi "
which in English means "you will get thousands of fault finders but quest is for the one who will rectify the faults".
It is sad that a person who left a cushy job for a cause and who is diabetic was fasting for nine days and was on the verge of collapse and people were estimating political gains that he might get from this . was he demanding special status for his cast ? was he demanding some kind of glorification for self ? Such insensitivity specially from educated people hurts and angers me . These seers of visions , hearers of voices from almighty, think that they have a right to sum up everything and everyone in a line. If one is truly having some intellect then they should not criticize what they cannot understand.
Everyone should look within one self and think what they have done for their country. calling names to politicians , criticizing system and corruption is not enough it is time to do something about it . Anything , any small something ...except wishy-washy baseless criticism....
I would say nothing is as straight and narrow. There are wheels-within-wheels-within-wheels. If you remember, under the garb of ‘social justice’, our education system was destroyed and our political system was (and still is) weakened, among sundry other take-downs. Moral of the story: ‘Shikhandi’ need not be a person, can be a ‘cause’ as well.
ReplyDeleteAs for these saintly people: I, for one, am keen to know their views on the assortment of self-proclaimed ‘vigilante’ groups that want to impose some regressive and warped version of ‘our culture and traditions’ on society, and have been manhandling and molesting women under this guise. So far, we have heard nothing. And this so-called ‘vigilantism’ is a very good example of corruption – heinous corruption, apart from being outright criminal!
Without change of mindset, and that too the mindset of millions of people; towards better civic sense, changing decades-old or perhaps centuries-old prejudices, perceptions, et al … how will ‘corruption’ end or even be minimised? To my mind: Monetary corruption is just a by-product of all the corruptions that we have in our mind, thoughts and hearts – and these have eaten into our moral and social fibre.
Each person needs to change – for the better, in some or the other way. Or at least a substantial part of the population needs to change. It can be towards developing a better attitude vis-à-vis women, the elderly, or the physically or mentally challenged, the 3rd gender, respect for work - all kinds of work; towards developing a better civic sense, better traffic manners, et al. Positive change will happen automatically – at least to an extent, and these would in turn set off positive ripple effects.
My humble two pence is that: If we have to choose, we should choose wisely, and not just anybody - since we are dissatisfied with the current lot. We need to be very careful and vigilant.
@ Roshmi ...The basic building block of any society, any group, any nation are its citizen .... people that inhibit a given piece of land, their thoughts and actions decide what the nation will be or will not be...yes, for any positive change this basic entity called citizen has to upgrade .....you see, we live in a collectivist society where herd mentality prevails and there is a drastic need for good and honest leaders ... Believe me there are just few....very few.... who will rise above their own benefit and really stand vertically for cause ......we need to respect , encourage and support such people ....there is no guarantee that these people when tamed in circus of politics will be any better than others ....but why not give it a try? There cannot be anything more detrimental or dampening than people questioning intentions of a person who has set out to do something ....one can criticize deeds and words but what way some of these intellectuals get to know what the intentions of other people are ?
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to stress two things through my post ....
one, People should stop questioning intention of Anna ,Kejriwal and team and rather focus on the issues they are raising....
second, I would really want team Anna and people like them to act like CEOs of a profitable and vibrant organisation and come up with a solid and workable plan for a progressive India rather than leave everything to public because ordinary public is nothing more than a herd of sheep looking for greener grass ..... aspiration of people are so petty and it is almost impossible for any honest self respecting man to come to such low level ....free mobiles, free rice, free electricity, reserved jobs, reserved admission is what people want and who would want to be leader of such wanting lot who is just wanting and not doing much to earn what they want... They should categorically say what they can do and what they cannot rather than talk this let people decide for them ....that s what I meant by title ..ONLY IF PUBLIC COULD....
I agree with your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteBut if you remember I made the ‘Shikhandi’ allusion in my earlier comment. It was not out of context. I see a discreet parallel b/w what happened over 2 decades ago and what is happening now. Given the changed times and reach, it is only differently packaged.