Only A Law:

December 27/2011: Lokpal is just another new law. Nothing more or nothing less. Let none be fooled that this single Bill, if and when passed by Parliament, would be the ultimate panacea to all evils related to a very popular word—Corruption.
This word is known throughout the length and breadth of this sub continent. We in Orissa call it ‘durniti’. Hindi speakers use the term ‘bhrasthachar’. Down south in Tamil it is ‘oozhal’ while in Kannada the same meaning is conveyed again in ‘bhrasthacharaa’. This way or that it is signifying the same meaning. The point is that this single word seems to keep all and sundry so busy now that many other very important issues of this country, like complete neglect of the farm sector and agriculturists, utter mismanagement of the financial market because, first, for the lack of any economist worth the salt and, second, for not having any specific economic policy with a vision for the future, desperate mishandling of the energy, health, primary and secondary education, exports and allied sectors are like unwanted and totally forgotten subjects in the present time.

It may be argued that these are mundane subjects and talking about them may be termed as a diversionary tactic by vested interests. Could be true. On the other hand, it may be questioned why does someone like Anna Hazare and his Team not take up their own personal issues and claim purity in their lives before pointing fingers at others. All of us, it seems, want our own things to be sorted out first and immediately. Problems of others could be dealt with subsequently. This ‘me first’ attitude makes Indians totally inconsiderate and selfish. Once the natural human tendency of selfishness gets a stamp of authority, then greed is a natural offspring. Greed could also lead to corruption. What we, all of us Indians (past and present), have done to this country is to legalize selfishness at a cultural and social level. We find nothing wrong in being inconsiderate when we break a queue and rush ahead while everyone else waits for their turn. Similarly, most of us think its ok if we can get our children to pass an exam with high marks by copying while another good student gets lower marks. All these and more are justified because we insist we have to survive the rat race. This attitude lets us do anything without remorse or guilt.

There is another theory. It may be argued that ‘corruption’ is a necessary evil. ‘Evil’ because this means of collecting wealth is not only illegal but also immoral. ‘Necessary’ because when a handful of people, not only in India but also in other countries too, possess the bulk of wealth, opportunities and facilities for most others dry up, leading many to believe this may be a surefire way of wealth distribution. Hindoos believe Ma Luxmi, the Goddess of Wealth, is averse to be kept tied down. Her natural instinct is supposedly to travel to everyone equally. Therefore, when some do try to imprison Her, She breaks free. For the Divine, no man-made laws or morals apply. Thus, an argument that corruption is a process of natural law of wealth distribution may not sound extremely hazardous. Now the question may be raised as to who are the people who complain so vociferously against corruption. Are they the farm laborers, middle class entrepreneurs and job seekers or the rich? When Team Anna claims that some 1.25 lac of people have responded to their call of ‘Jail Bharo’, we have to calculate what this is in sheer percentage when considered to the total population figure of 1.20 Billion Indians. In a democracy like India, the highest forum available for the people to voice their opinions is through their representatives in the Parliament. When this Temple of Freedom is all set to deliberate on a lopsided law, it is a mad option to blackmail it into submission by threatening ‘fasts’ and ‘jail bharo’ kinds of protests.

Its true that Time magazine has named the ‘Protester’ as the Person Of The Year for 2011. If Hazare would have been a true protester, he would have promptly disowned any chinks in his personal armor. His own credibility could be questioned when media reports leveled the lowliest kind of corruption charges against Kiran Bedi, a prominent member of his Team, and he kept absolutely quiet. Imagine a person of his character adorning the post of Chief of Lokpal! He would do everything to protect his own flock while gunning for all others who opposed his movement because they saw through his façade. Nepotism could also be labeled as corruption. Hazare’s ‘My Bill or No Bill’ attitude stinks of an inflated ego and his Bombay ‘fast’ of inconsideration. If he thinks all 543 directly elected members of Lok Sabha are dirty filthy smelly scoundrels, then how will the people of this country take it for granted from him that the 09 people destined to become Chief and Members of Lokpal will be free of all human errors is a moot point to ponder. Let us not forget, even for a moment, that all around India, from tiny Burma to Pakistan, Thailand and China to Afghanistan and in many other parts of the world, military and dictatorial rulers hold sway. The year 2011 saw the fall and ignominious end of some such regimes. Our country stands a great distance away from that kind of governance set up primarily because we cherish and hold our imperfect, half baked uneducated democracy as very dear to our hearts. This system has stood the test of time in our country. Creating more policing institutions will gradually make India into a Police state. While the whole world was seen disapproving that system during 2011, we Indians want another Big-Brother-Watching-You kind of scenario installed by adding another feather to that already crowded cap.

Therefore, with a plethora of already existing anti corruption laws (such as POC Act) and police outfits (such as CBI, CVC, NIA, State Vigilance and many others) this nation is fully empowered and sufficiently manned to combat all and every kind of corruption, illegal and immoral acts. What we really lack in is a sense of dedication to our responsibilities and love for the country. We all demand something or the other from society. We demand immediate success and wealth without hard work. We demand laws that will give us complete freedom to do whatever while limiting the liberty of others. In brief, we demand everything without wanting to give anything in return. We expect the nation, the government, the system and all those around us to cater to our own whims and fantasies alone. All these give rise to expectations for free homes (Indira Awas Yojana), free food (Food Security Bill), free passage (opposing toll gates and indulging in ticketless travels) free education and free health care et al.

I am of the view that to eradicate something so sick and deeply ingrained as corruption (in all its inglorious manifestations) we need not just some new law to be bound in leather and kept in the chambers of lawyers and judges, but a change of the current Indian mindset. High level of education, as reported from, say, Kerala, does not make corruption vanish. Presence of acute poverty may not be an important reason for the corrupt to thrive. Excessive greed, opportunism and the get-rich-quick attitude along with the unfair distribution of wealth could surely be termed as not so negligible ingredients for corruption to grow. It would probably be wise to assert here that I am not supporting corruption. My point is that this malaise could only be cured when people become aware and conscious about the ill effects it has on their own personal long term interests. There is no other simpler and faster means to achieve this end. Laws have never changed any society. Every law is wrongly utilized by bad rulers. Tackling corruption may take time but it can only be done by making people change their attitudes. No quick solution this. But then this is not instant coffee we are talking about. The fight against this evil cannot be privatized, that is to say, Anna Hazare alone will not be able to do it. His self aggrandizement trip will end, for good or bad. If he means the slightest good for the nation, he should create a situation to pass on the baton to every Indian. History teaches this is what Gandhi, Martin Luther King and many other socio political reformers did and succeeded too. Ego has to give way to humility. ‘I’ has to bow before the altar of ‘We’.