Rahul Gandhi And Uttar Pradesh

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi today held a very tactical press conference in Varanasi, hours ahead of the end of the election campaign for the first phase of polls in Uttar Pradesh, where stake is very high for the projected--but-disinterested future prime minister of India for Congress party. The press briefing was on expected lines with expected answers but with a renewed anger on display. This apart, today's press conference has four meanings, as I have perceived.

One, Rahul Gandhi has conceded defeat of his party in the upcoming polls just ahead of the first phase of voting. He categorically admitted that he is now focused on the 'course' and not on the result of the assembly elections. It is like accepting that his party stands no chance of forming a government in the state, as being predicted by all the poll pundits and much contrary to Congress's and his own tall claims of returning to power in Lucknow. Today's press conference may work in favour or may hamper his chances more than ever. It could be his last ditch to make an appeal to the voters that he is genuinely concerned about the progress of Uttar Pradesh, but his party can't muster majority in the present political scenario. Anyways, it's a defeat conceded by the commander of the Congress party.

Second, Rahul Gandhi seemed to be closing the doors of an alliance with either the BSP or the SP post-poll. He accused both these parties and also the BJP of providing 'criminal' governance in Uttar Pradesh in past two decades. Should his come to a pass of forging an alliance with either of the SP or BSP, he will have to eat his words, which Rahul Gandhi has not done till date. But, it also leaves Congress in a possible dilemma as to what it would do if BJP gets enough seat to tilt balance in anyone's favour. Will the Congress extend outside support to either the SP or the BSP, should it intends to keep the BJP at bay?

Third, Rahul Gandhi termed BJP a non-existing force in UP. For any political observer, it is too far fetched even to comment on the statement. But, Rahul Gandhi's soaring temper during the press conference while dealing with questions concerning the BJP was more than apparent. Was it an anger resulting due to frustration, that the BJP-led opposition handed over to the Congress in Parliament over the Lokpal Bill? He accused LK Advani of only touring in the name of corruption and not acting. He also challenged Advani and Co that he would get a constitutional Lokpal enacted by Parliament whether they like it or not. But, Rahul Gandhi is wise enough to understand that until his party gets a majority in UP, he can't have his way in the Rajya Sabha and thus the constitutional Lokpal may not be a reality. So, his renewed anger at the BJP, which is according Rahul Gandhi non-existent in UP, may have its source in the Lokpal fiasco.

And, fourth, Rahul Gandhi evaded the question on black money but focused on black flags to hit out at Baba Ramdev, who is obviously not a political force. Does Rahul's outburst at Ramdev signal a bigger trouble for the yog merchant? Only time will tell.

Lokpal Shame In Parliament

An unprecedented drama that went uptill midnight on Thursday in the Rajya Sabha shamefully succeeded in stalling the controversial Lokpal Bill. The Upper House of Parliament saw tearing up of a copy of the Lokpal Bill after snatching it from the hands of union minister V Narayansamy by RJD MP Rajneeti Prasad while his party supremo watched gleefully from the visitorz gallery at 11.57 pm. Another union minister Ashwani Kumar was seen only reluctantly trying to prevent Rajneeti Prasad from doing this giving speculation that the drama was orchestrated by the UPA to avoid an embarrassment on the floor of the house after it failed to muster the required numbers in its favour in the Rajya Sabha to get the Lokpal Bill passed... The opposition has made the same charge with BJP saying that the government is in hopeless minority and has lost moral right to rule.

Amid the din and oppositionz persistent demand for a ruling from Chairman Hamid Ansari on the continuance of the last sitting of the winter session, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die purportedly against the majority opinion in the upper house. At the end, the Lokpal Bill could not be put to vote in the Rajya Sabha and the anti-graft bill hangs in balance with uncertainty reigning supreme.

LOKPAL: A JOURNEY


The Lokpal bill has a very intriguing of its failure in getting enacted. It was first introduced in the Lok Sabha in 1968 when Indira Gandhi was the prime minister. But, it could not be turned into an Act as the fourth Lok Sabha was dissolved. At that time, it had neither members of Parliament nor the prime minister under its ambit. The Lokpal bill was then introduced in 1971 again under Indira Gandhiz prime ministership, in 1977 under Morarji Desai as prime minister, in 1985 when Rajiv Gandhi was prime minister, in 1989 when VP Singh was the PM, in 1996 when HD Deve Gowda was the prime minister, in 1998 and 2001 when Atal Behari Vajpayee was the PM and in 2008 and last time on December 20th this year under the prime ministership of Manmohan Singh. Of all these, only VP Singh, HD Deve Gowda and Atal Behari Vajpayee agreed to put the prime minister under the ambit of the Lokpal. However, the final outcome has remained same in past 43 years and the bill is hanging fire.

Although this bill has been Achilles' heel for successive governments for decades, it is only since April this year that the Lokpal became a part of the national discourse, when a retired soldier turned social activist, Anna Hazare undertook a fast unto death at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. He and his team proposed Jan Lokpal Bill constituting the institution of Ombudsman vested with powers to investigate and incarcerate corrupt officials without government or Parliament's permission. What followed later was a confrontation between Team Anna and the UPA government and formation of joint drafting committee.

The experiment ended in a failure as the government shot down most of the recommendations by the civil society. Anna Hazare accused the government of being non-serious on the issue of fighting corruption. Anna Hazare embarked on yet another hunger strike on August 16. Eleven days later on 27th august , he ended his fast after government conveyed sense of Parliament vaguely agreeing to the basic demands of Anna Hazare.

The Lokpal bill was reworked upon by the standing committee where as many as 16 of the 30 members submitted their dissent note. The Bill was introduced in Parliament on December 20 and the session was extended for three days from December 27 to 29th for discussion and passing of the anti-graft bill. But, what happened on Thursday night during the midnight drama again puts the parliamentarians in dock with an automatic question, whether the elected representatives are serious to fight graft?

Vote Against Congress, if.... : Anna

After having taken on the cetral government with his hunger strike in new delhi recently, anti-graft activist Anna Hazare now goes political. He has appealed to people in all the poll bound states to vote against congress if the Manmohan Singh government does not pass the Jan Lokpal Bill in the winter session. Team Anna has already begun to shape electioneering with a bypoll scheduled in Hissar in Haryana
on October 13th. Next in focus is Uttar Pradesh, where Anna will set up his camp three days before the date of voting. Other poll bound states of Uttarakhand, Goa, Gujarat and Punjab will also see a different kind of poll campaign by Team Anna.

Clearly, Anna Hazare made a bold statement again on Tuesday by challenging the UPA govt once again over Jan Lokpal Bill. His renewed threat to undertake another hunger strike should Parliament fails to enact the Janlokpal Bill will surely compound problems for already embattled UPA think tank.

The veteran Gandhian, who has become a national symbol against corruption, on Tuesday refuted all the charges of him siding with the right wing parties. He said that only people with vested interests level such allegations against him and his team.

And, much to the liking of the congress party, Anna hit out at the Narendra Modi government of Gujarat for putting IPS officer behind the bars for speaking against the chief minister in cases related to 2002 riots. He wished that judiciary should be allowed to settle the case.

Anna Hazare's renewed fight for a corruption free administration on Tuesday seems to cross the frontiers earlier understood by many political observers. On Tuesday in Ralegaon, Anna made it clear that politics over communal violence is also a form of corruption, that people must fight with all their might.

Libya, Anna and India

Another authoritarian regime is about to fall apart for ever. The history is unfolding in Libya. People may call them rebels who raced into Tripoli meeting practically no resistance from Muammar Gaddafi's forces, who had sustained the crest fallen leader for 42 years. Euphoria soon engulfed all. Residents merily mingled with the fighters in celebrations signalling their victory at Green Square in capital, Tripoli. While, Gaddafi is hiding at an undisclosed location and pleading with people and forces to safeguard his regime. But, when the commander is fleeing, it's only foolhardy to believe that his forces will stand any ground in the battlefield. Here, the entire nation has turned into a battlefield. Even, the heir apparent, Gaddafi's son has been captured. Both, Gaddafi and his son, Seif al-Islam face charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court at Hague in the Netherlands.

Now, the rebel forces have a huge task of setting the house in order. It seems that they are right on the money, at least in the capital. They have been reported to be setting up checkpoints in the capital to facilitate administration. This does give a very positive sign of organization on the part of the rebel forces.

The fall of Tripoli to Libyan rebels should serve as the final alarm to the leaders worldwide. People are exasperated, angry and have lost faith in the current mindset of governance as it has failed to deliver requisite services and facilities to them. The world economic order has widened the gap between the haves and have-nots. The governance seems to be patronizing the haves world over and the largest chunk of population has been rendered as have-nots though they toil the most to make their both ends meet. This explains the anger everywhere irrespective of the categorization of the country on IMF and World Bank's chart ot LIG, MIG or HIG countries.

India is no exception. The Indian government must not test patience of its populace any more as the patience is already on its wane in the country, where even handsome earners can't sustain for 3-4 months if money supply stops. Country is getting richer, but the nation poorer. Unimaginable support to Anna Hazare is a live evidence of the phenomenon. Libya must be the final wake up call for the government. India can't afford to become an Egypt or a Libya.

Anna Puzzle

Anna, The Sepoy

Anna Hazare has puzzled not only the govt, his supporters, media but himself as well. He would not have imagined that his call for a strong lokpal bill will get so much of support. In fact, people are not pouring in for the Janlokpal Bill, as drafted by the lawyers of Team Anna, but against omnipresent, all-pervading demon of corruption and for a hope that is floating on the promise of a Janlokpal. Though, people are not fully aware of the Lokpal or a Janlokpal, but it is the hope that has attracted them in large numbers. I only fear that they would get more exasperated in a few months from now, when they would find that framing of laws can not eradicate corruption from the Indian society, which needs stricter implementation of the existing laws and requires urgently getting back to moral schools for strong ethical values to resist temptation and allurement.

Lokpal: Anna Bashing

I don't why some people are after Anna Hazare's life for mustering courage to stand up against corruption. He is not demanding something unusual. And, his demands are not traversing the sanctity of parliamentary democracy, a basic feature of our Constitution. Nowhere in the Constitution is written that a bill can only be conceptualised and formulated by the members of parliament. The essence of our legislative procedure is that a law can not come into existence until and unless it passes the test of parliament. And, by demanding an audience and participation in formulation of a bill is no crime in our country and is not unconstitutional as per our democratic tenets. So, why a plethora of columnists has indulged in Anna bashing? Let the experiment complete its course. Only then, we may be able to judge. Till then, don't jump guns, please. This experiment may open many a mind in this youthful democracy.

Anna Declares War On Corruption

Can a law, howsoever comprehensive it may be, weed out corruption from any society? Answer can not be an affirmative one. Corruption is not an island in itself which can be attacked by the force of law. It has been a way of life, like religion. Don't frown. The comparison may look an erroneous one but it is not. Religion in our country has been an individual way of life governed by a set of social, moral and ethical rules. And, corruption is very much part of our daily conduct, which is regulated by religion, both institutionalised and free. So, comparison between corruption and religion is a valid one. Corruption is a way of life and has been a reality of human kind throughout the history. The civilisational history of human existence tells us that corrupt practices can not be put to an end, it can only be moderated, channelled and curbed to a manageable level.

Anna Hazare launching a brave movement by undertaking fast onto death notwithstanding, the fight against corruption can not end or begin with the fulfilment of his demands. His demands are rather simplistic given the magnitude of the problem. He wants government to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill as drafted by social activists closely working with him. This bill proposes to make ministers, officials and other public authority accountable for any corrupt practice, if and when they indulge in it. It also says that the Lokpal must not require approval from any authority to initiate legal proceeding against a public functionary, who has delved into corruption. These demands are not only simple, rather extremely simplistic and thus can only complicate the matter in the long run. This law even if it is passed... provided there is a change of heart at the highest level of government... it won't serve its purpose and can not either weed out corruption or act as a deterrent to the practice.

Corruption has its roots in our thought process-- a result of our values, education, sensitivity, tradition, poverty, lust, ideals or an absence of one or all of them. So, Anna Hazare declaring a war on corruption may not go a long way in fighting corruption itself, but it can do one thing for sure, that is, to educate the masses of the fallout of corruption. Many more Annas will be required to do a social reformation that might bring corruption at a manageable or minimal level in decades or centuries to come. Or, who knows the fight against corruption may turn out to be an eternal fight between the good and the evil. But, Anna Hazare deserves huge applaud for his conviction at the age of 72, for his relentless fight against social malaise and for the hope that he harbours that one day the nation will be free of corrupt practices!