Thursday, August 18, 2011

For "Parliamentary Democracy's" sake, stop the madness Anna

On the 17th of August, 2011, Dr Manmohan Singh, embittered, harrowed, hurt, heart-broken by the wave of protests against corruption led by Anna Hazare charged Anna for "misleading" the Indian populace. Even though this is not his style, he stooped low and cried foul at Anna, all for a good cause. For the sake of "Parliamentary Democracy".

He reminded the unintelligible billion plus that in a Parliamentary democracy, only the parliament is entitled to enact laws. Nobody external to the parliament has the right to demand what the parliament does not grant. Neither does anyone have the right to protest if any such demands are not met. Such protests are akin to blackmail and tend to mislead the nation.

Oh yes for sure Dr. Singh it is the prerogative of the parliament to frame and pass laws. I agree. Protesting to forcefully bring in a legislation is against the parliamentary process. Agreed again.

Now if you could please tell me. What if the parliament is in the process of bringing in a retrograde legislation or a useless-piece-of-bull-crap legislation with ulterior motives, and people can see through the intentions of the members of parliament? Should they let you bring in the law "in the name of parliamentary democracy" or should they protest?

Mr PM, the difference between your bill and the civil society's is as stark as that between apples and peanuts. Your bill ( the peanuts ) has neither the content nor intent of making any dent in corruption. The news for you is that we, the people, very well understand the differences. We also understand that you want to derive greatness out of passing your good-for-nothing "peanuts". Having got numerous assurances from you, being able to see through the web of diversions you are busy weaving, if this is what we get, should we not protest?

The spirit of the Jan Lokpal was, is and should always be unamendable. "Honesty in service at every level of governance" is the spirit of the Jan Lokpal bill. The discussions between Civil society and government were supposed to decide how to put this spirit into form. Anna Hazare went to you with one form of it. What was expected of your GoM was keep the spirit alive and intact, in a form which would be most efficient. But you gave us a bill which diluted the "spirit of Lokpal bill". That is to say, "We do not need honesty at every level". We understand what your actions mean, pretty well now. Should we still not protest?

Reasons you cite for this dilution are, suppposed administrative inefficiencies that might creep in, dignity of office and other jumbo-crap. What this translates to is, "I need absolute autonomy, I want to be able to dwindle public money without getting caught, I do not want to be accountable to anyone, only then will I try to work and yet, targets may move by decades, by crores of people and by billions of rupees". If these are the conditions you covertly put before us, should we not protest?

When the parliament is so intoxicated with power that it ignores the legitimate demands of people, when parliament is so manipulative that it makes laws to benefit a coterie of few, ignoring the vast majority, when members of the parliament are so unabashedly crude, overtly mideval in handling valid protests in speech and action, democracy has to flex a muscle. When the fight is for "my right versus your priviledge" I would have little respect for any institution, office or person who stands in the way of my right, and holding the prop of your priviledge. If you stand in the way of my right to an honest governance, with your priviledge of autonomy in drafting public bills, should I not protest?

It was high time, someone had to take a stand, someone had to say "Enough". What Anna Hazare and the people are doing could be a travesty of parliamentary system. It could be wrong, but if it is wrong, it is not something they enjoy doing. It is something, they have been forced to do, by you and your Members of Parliament. You are contesting against Anna Hazare for the sake of Parliamentary System, but you should know that it is YOU who is responsible if you feel that the Parliament is forsaken.