Political Diary

New Delhi, 12 August 2011

Call of Independence

National Hall Of Shame

By Poonam I Kaushish

"The naïve notion that we can preserve freedom by exuding goodwill is not only silly, but dangerous,” wrote former US President Richard Nixon in his book "The Real War." His wise words of caution are water off a duck’s back as our netagan celebrated the 65^th Independence Day yesterday. Replete with the syrupy speeches of Mera Bharat Mahan and ‘All Is Well’ which resonated to the aam aadmi’s raucous silence!

Epitomizing, a severe governance deficit and a complete breakdown in public authority with a hamstrung Government unable to deliver. Bringing things to such a pass that Indian democracy is funded by corruption today. From the Rs 70,000 crore CWG swindle, Adarsh housing scandal, down black billions stashed in foreign banks topped by the mother of all swindles Rs 1.76 lakh crore 2G spectrum scam. What to speak of terror, skyrocketing prices, rising disparities et al. Testimony once again, that political greed and corruption has become the raison d atre of our feudal democracy.  

One may cynically argue, when was Indian politics about political integrity, any way? As the sleazy tales unfold Manmohan Singh unblemished credibility has taken a big hit. What is the use of having a Prime Minister with impeccable credentials if he turns a blind eye to en masse loot? Especially as Government documents disclose that he and his Office were ‘party’ to all the decisions.

As for the Gandhi mother-son duo the less said the better. Both seem to have lost the plot and are selective about the issues they espouse. Hear their deafening stillness on bribery and sleaze. The Congress is only interested in propagating the ‘Gandhi Mystique.’ Secrecy surrounds Sonia’s mysterious illness and surgery in a foreign country. A celebration of sycophancy at best and adulation at worst.

The main Opposition Party, BJP is boxed in by grandiose pretentions of being a ‘party with a difference’ but is in fact a Party with differences with votaries of the Sangh Parivar pulling in different directions. The Left parties stand decimated and most of the regional parties are facing simmering discontent. All hurting for satta.  

Wring your hands all you want but that does not take away from the fact that morality, honesty and integrity are words non-existent in the political vocabulary. Sadly, legal loopholes are trotted as an excuse for political immorality. While Union Cabinet Ministers trash the CAG’s findings in the 2G and CWG scams.

Besides, instead of finding a solution to civil society’s demands to end corruption, our leaders try to muzzle Team Anna Hazare’s fight for the Jan Lokpal Bill. Preferring to rule by law than govern. Failing to gauge that the aam janata yearns for change. Despite 65 years of Independence our polity has yet to get its act together and become citizen-centric.

Alas, in a chor-chor-mauser-bhai political milieu of you-scratch-my-back- I-yours we have hit rock bottom politically, administratively and socially. Making India reel in disgust and anguish. Look at the irony. The country frittered over Rs 35,000 crore on the 14-day razzmatazz CWG and lost over Rs 60,000 in the 2G spectrum scam yet, has no funds for the sick, diseased and hungry.

Notwithstanding, the statistics about India’s incredible growth story, growing at  over 8 per cent, the aam aadmi continues to groan under the onslaught of spiralling prices of vegetables, pulses, food-grain and sky-rocketing inflation. Look at the irony. Cell phones go a-begging, yet people continue to beg for food. Bin bijli, bin jal, bin pyaaz, whatever happened to the Congress ka haath aam aadmi ke saath?

See Asli Bharat which is in the grip of the Bolangir-Kalahandi syndrome – hunger, poverty and suicides. According to the Global Hunger Index 2010 India is placed at the 66th spot out of 88 countries surveyed. And 12 States fall in the ‘alarming’ category. With 87% of the population living below the poverty line, the struggle to eke out a living is an onerous task. So much for the much-hyped and illusionary deal of roti, kapada aur makan.

Importantly, who will put an end to the miseries of 762.9 million people earning less than Rs 20 a day who satiate their starving bellies by longing looking at the neon signs of sumptuous pizzas and burgers? Or for that matter, the 74 million ‘Nowhere Children” who are neither enrolled in schools nor accounted in the labour force or the 44 million children between 5-14 years engaged in economic activities, domestic and non-remunerative work?

Worse, India continues to be under assault from terrorist. The latest attack in Mumbai on 13 July last was the 18^th attack since 2000 and the terrorists still roam scot free. Questionably, why has no attack taken place in the US since 2001 or UK after 2005? Bluntly, the terrorists know they would have to pay with double measure. Remember, post 9/11 Washington destroyed Afghanistan and recently “smoked out” Osama bin Laden. But India will continue to be under assault given our abysmal security infrastructure and renown for being a “soft” State. 

Arguably, in the face of angry masses our netagan need to realize no hold on power is guaranteed and sacrosanct. India requires a commitment to transparency, tolerance and honesty. A sense of fair play which can be achieved only through public dialogue and honest discourse. Not the symbolic gestures and inane diatribe which total a zero-sum game.

The impotence of the Government to provide good governance based on honesty and credibility should make it incumbent for our netas to do some soul searching. The Government needs to pull itself by the bootstraps. Empty rhetoric and pious promises will not do

As long as the Prime Minister continues to be perceived as helpless pummeled between the aam aadmi pressing for action against corruption and Sonia’s Congress which sees the coarse-correctors as a greater evil than corruption itself, the present crisis will continue. Underscored by the de facto and the de jure centres of power, read Sonia and Manmohan Singh contributing to a political and moral void.

What next? The time has come for our leaders to break the walls of silence and take immediate action lest the country sliding into self-created chaos transcends into a lynch-mob society. Time to apply corrective balm to a vandalized aam janata, connect with its hurt people and assert its authority interspersed with emotional discourse.

Our rulers’ better wake up from their deep slumber of self conceit. Like Tunisia and Egypt have shown when the ‘more equals’ play havoc with the people it is time to overthrow them. No longer will India remain silent. The bugle to end corruption and begin accountability, honest governance, probity and morality has been sounded.

The question ultimately is, will our netas put on their running shoes to prove that nothing is impossible by stalling the corruption juggernaut? Or will they end up running a little harder and faster along the path to corrupt fortunes? Time to take responsibility, amend their ways and address serious issues of governance.

Clearly, the State needs to grasp that an aspiring nation is not seeking retribution but even-handedness, self-respect, honesty and integrity. A battered citizenry demands a self-righteous, competent and morally sensitive Prime Minister who can ease its pain, make it not only realize its aspirations but live them.

In the ultimate, our leaders should grasp that nations live or die by the way they respond to the challenges they face. Only that nation survives which rises to meet that moment and has the wisdom to recognize the malaise and resolve it before it is too late. Will our polity heed the call of Independence? ----- INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)