Mid-Night Drama 4th June 2011

By now we have got used to disappointing answers by our leaders, especially the PM. On midnight crackdown on Baba Ramdev Dr. manmohan Singh replied with "It is unfortunate that operation had to be conducted but quite honestly, there was no alternative" reminds me of a murder accused breaking down in court. Again he said “government was concerned and serious about fighting corruption” and ‘there was no magic wand to do so”.
Is this the helplessness or lack of intention? Yes there is a magic wand and it's the will and resolve. An honest reply by govt. presenting a solid and time-defined course of action would have resolved the whole issue. In fact it’s not late to do so. Why should People like Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev take centerstage, when it's the duty of our ministers to raise and resolve these issues?
Even bigger question is why do they have such huge public support? It has been more than 60 years since we achieved independence. The issue of corruption and black money is being raised for more than 40 years. Lokpal bill has been hanging for more than 15 years. This only shows the seriousness and concern of our government.
Let’s review the core questions
· Do we believe corruption is evil and we should act against it?
· Do we believe creators of black money are at fault and should be punished?
Corruption is not something that is practiced and preached by few. It has got its root within each and every one of us. There cannot be a scale on how big a corruption should qualify as corruption. We must first ask ourselves:
Will it be ok if we have a society without corruption?
Before answering this think of the costs (keeping only the less wealthy in your consideration):
· No more getting work done with bribes.
· No more special queues at various agencies.
· No more “very best” education for our children if they are not in merit.
· Declaring and filing Taxes truthfully.
These are just the tip of the iceberg, a structure without corruption will change the way we live, we think. How many of us can survive?
Considering we still want to give it a go. I think Lokpal bill can really prove to be the magic wand.
An agency that overlooks key concerns raised by public and judges the intentions of government in a quantifiable way is just what is needed to achieve it.