As I write this post, the second indefinite fast to death has been started by Baba Ramdev Yoga guru and star of Aastha channel in his struggle against black money.Predictably there time around there is viewer fatigue as we just emerge from Anna Hazare's campaign against corruption took place in Jantar Mantar which was described by eager beaver journalists as India's Tahir Square moment and Anna Hazare as the next Mahatma.
Both eulogies are over exaggerations and India is a not a banana republic or run by despots like Murabarak or Saddam Hussein or Col. Gaddafi. I have read the Jan Lok Pal and it has some major naive assumptions and some cunning clauses to get permanent authority to civil society members without accountability. I doubt how many of us have really read the Jan lok pal draft before deciding to support Anna Hazare.
Points I disagree on the Jan Lok Pal Draft - full draft link
Fasting for complex nations issues is not going to solve issues as quickly as eating fast food.
Both eulogies are over exaggerations and India is a not a banana republic or run by despots like Murabarak or Saddam Hussein or Col. Gaddafi. I have read the Jan Lok Pal and it has some major naive assumptions and some cunning clauses to get permanent authority to civil society members without accountability. I doubt how many of us have really read the Jan lok pal draft before deciding to support Anna Hazare.
Points I disagree on the Jan Lok Pal Draft - full draft link
- Lokpal will collect 10% fine on each case of corruption detected and it goes to a Lok pal fund which will disbursed to improve Lokpal infrastructure - (undermine the financial/fiscal responsibility of the govt.)
- Selection committee to include all Nobel laureates of Indian origin - ( why should people like V.S Naipaul, Prof Venkat Ramkrishnan and Dr. Amartya Sen who have long left India to pursue own interests aboard be allowed to part of such a key decision making process)
- Selection committee to include Last 3 Magsaysay award winners - ( no surprises includeArvind Kejriwal, P. Sainath and Kiran Bedi amongst others)
- Lokpal be a super cop, quasi judiciary and even hand out sentences demean all the Indian institutions.
- Section 27 – Protection where the Lok Pal will have complete judicial immunity for acts of good faith - (such a naive assumption Lok pal will be above aboard in such a so called corrupt nation)
- Indian Constitution and institutions are so rotten that we need a new extra-constitutional body to be pointed by persons having external accreditation's from Nobel Prize and Magsaysay awards
- The assumption all our elected representatives are corrupt and Indian voters are not sensible enough to vote for the right candidate. Mr. Hazare said if he stood in an election he would lose his deposit
- His flip flops on Narendra Modi shows his lack of a consistent political view
- His left wing friends like Swami Agnivesh who is a known Maoist sympathizer and Medha Patkar a known anti dam/development activist who have agendas of their own
Points I disagree with Baba Ramdev List of Baba Ramdev's demands
The cure worse than the disease ??
I agree government has been losing credibility and instead of an constructive opposition which can take on the govt. the fringe voices like Anna Hazare, Baba Ramdev and people like Arundhati Roy are getting even more footage and media space. My greatest fear is these misguided “civil society” members are wanting quick fixes and little accountability, and by targeting the political class institutions there are only creating anarchy in the nation.
- his bizarre demand to ban 500 and 1000 rupee notes, and to declare an ordinance on bringing back black money to India and promoting Hindi at the expense of English . With due respect he is no expert on economics.
- his clear right wing linkage with the RSS and people who were involved in the Ram janam bhoomi moment like Sadhvi Ritammbara
- He is still to come clean on his source of wealth, his private jets and 18 crore 5 star satyagraha at Ram lila maidan.
- her constant glorification of the Maoist moment knowing full well bloodshed is never a long term solution is mischievous and dangerous.
- her support to the Kashmiri separatist moment, in fact she seceded from the Indian republic and declared her self an independent mobile republic way back in 1998.
The cure worse than the disease ??
I agree government has been losing credibility and instead of an constructive opposition which can take on the govt. the fringe voices like Anna Hazare, Baba Ramdev and people like Arundhati Roy are getting even more footage and media space. My greatest fear is these misguided “civil society” members are wanting quick fixes and little accountability, and by targeting the political class institutions there are only creating anarchy in the nation.
I agree there is rampant accountability issues with the political class but the ballet gives us the opportunity to make a change. Democracy is still the best way forward.You need to toil and work closely on the ground, Mamata Banerjee's example of her diligent efforts to end the 34 years of the Left rule. Off course time will decide Mamata's legacy but for a woman with no god fathers and no corruption charges on her as of now yet she represents to me a glimmer of hope and trust on Indian democracy.
I strongly feel before we run out and start chasing any leader proposing a quick fix to nation problems and using anarchy instead of working to strengthen the Indian democracy we must question their motives and tactics as much as we distrust the political class.
With all respect I invite the leaders of the civil society to engage the Indian voters directly and enter the political system to gain authority and accountability of all Indians.It may take 10-20 years not a 5 day media circus to affect real change.
I strongly feel before we run out and start chasing any leader proposing a quick fix to nation problems and using anarchy instead of working to strengthen the Indian democracy we must question their motives and tactics as much as we distrust the political class.
With all respect I invite the leaders of the civil society to engage the Indian voters directly and enter the political system to gain authority and accountability of all Indians.It may take 10-20 years not a 5 day media circus to affect real change.
Fasting for complex nations issues is not going to solve issues as quickly as eating fast food.
