Watching the "release" of Anna from jail - its an uplifting moment.
The spin doctors of the government - viz NDTV have this as a comment - "Anna's rally a traffic hazard?" This statement says it all - when the popular mood is fired like rarely before, when people have left their work to vent their frustrations against their elected representatives and are protesting against rising prices, looting politicians and corporate leaders and general corruption, our Nero's in government are hiding behind bluster and legalese.
The mark of political leadership is to sense the popular mood and to take a position that allows one to LEAD it. The bureaucrat will fight it, and sulk if not successful. I have always believed that in a democracy, when enough people feel that they need to do something, things change. It appears that we are at one such defining moment in our history. All power to Anna Hazare.
What scenario is likely to play out? The UPA will no doubt attempt to use delay as a tactic - submit the bill to a standing committee for discussion, and hope that the momentum behind Anna fades away.
What can the Anti-corruption camp do? As I see it, the best option is to co-opt the politicians - now that they have them on the mat. I hope Anna asks all his followers to call up their MP's and ask a simple "yes/no" question - are they willing to support the bill UNCHANGED in parliament. If enough answer yes - its game over. If not, we will have clearly identified who needs to be voted out. The finessed argument that PARTS of the bill are acceptable is silly - any law can be amended later. What is the harm in setting up a law and then allowing its functioning to determine how it is to be modified. After all, there is hardly any law that works well when first drafted!
Another scenario that can play out is that the UPA partners withdraw support, and let the government fall. An early election would be the best opportunity for this country to find new leaders. Who will come in is anyone's guess - but we would have restored the primacy of the people over the parliament - something that the current lot seem to have forgotten.
I hope for the first, will be happy for the next, and dread the status quo.
The spin doctors of the government - viz NDTV have this as a comment - "Anna's rally a traffic hazard?" This statement says it all - when the popular mood is fired like rarely before, when people have left their work to vent their frustrations against their elected representatives and are protesting against rising prices, looting politicians and corporate leaders and general corruption, our Nero's in government are hiding behind bluster and legalese.
The mark of political leadership is to sense the popular mood and to take a position that allows one to LEAD it. The bureaucrat will fight it, and sulk if not successful. I have always believed that in a democracy, when enough people feel that they need to do something, things change. It appears that we are at one such defining moment in our history. All power to Anna Hazare.
What scenario is likely to play out? The UPA will no doubt attempt to use delay as a tactic - submit the bill to a standing committee for discussion, and hope that the momentum behind Anna fades away.
What can the Anti-corruption camp do? As I see it, the best option is to co-opt the politicians - now that they have them on the mat. I hope Anna asks all his followers to call up their MP's and ask a simple "yes/no" question - are they willing to support the bill UNCHANGED in parliament. If enough answer yes - its game over. If not, we will have clearly identified who needs to be voted out. The finessed argument that PARTS of the bill are acceptable is silly - any law can be amended later. What is the harm in setting up a law and then allowing its functioning to determine how it is to be modified. After all, there is hardly any law that works well when first drafted!
Another scenario that can play out is that the UPA partners withdraw support, and let the government fall. An early election would be the best opportunity for this country to find new leaders. Who will come in is anyone's guess - but we would have restored the primacy of the people over the parliament - something that the current lot seem to have forgotten.
I hope for the first, will be happy for the next, and dread the status quo.
1 comment:
In 1787, Alexander Tyler of the University of Edinborough wrote that all democracies go through eight stages, two hundred years being the average cycle time. The stages are:
From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back to bondage.
We are dallying, just now embedding deep into apathy stage after about 224 years. And as far as the bondage stage hurrying toward us...hail, the New World Order
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