"This is a write-up from sometime last year, in the heat of the Anna Hazare Movement. This wasn't published in time, so posting it now. Better late than never."
I never have been too interested in politics, be it National Politics or office politics. Though it usually has a direct impact on my life, I have always preferred to bury my head into books or other things that distract me, just like an ostrich would. Not that I am completely oblivious of it, but it doesn't interest me to warrant beyond 15-30 minutes of my attention (when I read the papers) per day.
Yet, the Jan Lokpal bill is something I cannot ignore. It is everywhere. My FB wall is clogged with write-ups and one line wisecracks against the government. People who don't understand politics much more than I do, are generously disbursing their judgments on how good or bad the Lokpal bill is to the Nation. Many copy paste the Status messages form their friends pages, and share it on their wall, as a result of similar messages being posted by numerous friends. I am glad that FB just made an update that clubs all similar messages into one status, and can be expanded on click.
Most of the FB Freedom (against corruption) fighters, fight their freedom only with their fingers. A spurt of fetid flatulence would be enough to distract them from their so-called-fight. This category would probably account for 95% of the population. The other 5% (I am usually generous with my self invented fictitious statistics) go a little farther. They probably would spare some time to attend a local "morcha" in support of anna, or would wear a gandhi topi to college, and return home with the feeling of being a freedom fighter from 1947. Delayed rang-de-basanti effect? And then a handful who have actually taken days off and are spending a lot of time at the protests at Azaad maidan etc. How many of them have actually researched into the Lokpal bill, and evaluated the Pros & Cons that come with. Not many I guess. The whole movement seems momentum based. 'Everyone wants to support Anna because everyone wants to support Anna. I don't know two hicks about the Lokpal bill, but the whole nation cannot be wrong, right?'
And then that are the ones that are against Anna. 'We support corruption, but not Anna.' There have been a group of people, a minority though, who say that the Lokpal bill is not the solution. We support anti-corruption, but not Anna Hazare. The Lokpal bill is no good, and so on and so forth.' This again seems like an extremist point of view. The Jan Lokpal Bill if drafted sensibly, could possible be one part of the many other things that we can do to fight corruption. But the problem is that the focus here is only on this one bill. What about the other gazillion areas including self introspection that needs to be looked at.
Anyways lets see where this leads too. Very soon, many would not even be able to re-collect what the lokpal bill was. Well, thats the way the cookie crumbles, isn't it?
I never have been too interested in politics, be it National Politics or office politics. Though it usually has a direct impact on my life, I have always preferred to bury my head into books or other things that distract me, just like an ostrich would. Not that I am completely oblivious of it, but it doesn't interest me to warrant beyond 15-30 minutes of my attention (when I read the papers) per day.
Yet, the Jan Lokpal bill is something I cannot ignore. It is everywhere. My FB wall is clogged with write-ups and one line wisecracks against the government. People who don't understand politics much more than I do, are generously disbursing their judgments on how good or bad the Lokpal bill is to the Nation. Many copy paste the Status messages form their friends pages, and share it on their wall, as a result of similar messages being posted by numerous friends. I am glad that FB just made an update that clubs all similar messages into one status, and can be expanded on click.
Most of the FB Freedom (against corruption) fighters, fight their freedom only with their fingers. A spurt of fetid flatulence would be enough to distract them from their so-called-fight. This category would probably account for 95% of the population. The other 5% (I am usually generous with my self invented fictitious statistics) go a little farther. They probably would spare some time to attend a local "morcha" in support of anna, or would wear a gandhi topi to college, and return home with the feeling of being a freedom fighter from 1947. Delayed rang-de-basanti effect? And then a handful who have actually taken days off and are spending a lot of time at the protests at Azaad maidan etc. How many of them have actually researched into the Lokpal bill, and evaluated the Pros & Cons that come with. Not many I guess. The whole movement seems momentum based. 'Everyone wants to support Anna because everyone wants to support Anna. I don't know two hicks about the Lokpal bill, but the whole nation cannot be wrong, right?'
And then that are the ones that are against Anna. 'We support corruption, but not Anna.' There have been a group of people, a minority though, who say that the Lokpal bill is not the solution. We support anti-corruption, but not Anna Hazare. The Lokpal bill is no good, and so on and so forth.' This again seems like an extremist point of view. The Jan Lokpal Bill if drafted sensibly, could possible be one part of the many other things that we can do to fight corruption. But the problem is that the focus here is only on this one bill. What about the other gazillion areas including self introspection that needs to be looked at.
Anyways lets see where this leads too. Very soon, many would not even be able to re-collect what the lokpal bill was. Well, thats the way the cookie crumbles, isn't it?
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