Fault-lines of a holier than thou approach
By Toki Blah
Of late, India’s image as an emerging super economic power has undergone a bashing. Not so our international grading on corruption. We manage, with a lot of help from elected representatives and Government officials to keep the ‘graph on graft’ on the rise. It’s there because an ever increasing number of people, especially those in power, sincerely believe that there is nothing wrong with pay-offs as incentives to move a file. Elected representatives believe that it is their due, to make up for the high costs incurred to get elected. Government officials because of the high cost to get selected. Let’s face it. Chai ke paise has mainstreamed India as no other concept has but in a country of limited resources and opportunities; where the gap between the have and the have-nots is on the increase; where the poor are constantly reminded of their rights but shamelessly deprived of the same, there is a groundswell of resentment against greasy palms. A call to uproot corruption finds fertile ground everywhere. It’s now a national war cry. Trouble is how to go about it.
Corruption in our corridors of power be it at the Centre, state capitals, district headquarters, taluk or block HQ; corruption as manifest in our political system is something most Indians are genuinely ashamed off. It’s something we can do without but unfortunately despite a surfeit of ‘miracle’ performing God men, shameless greed continues to dog our daily lives. In a rapidly changing world one thing remains constant and that is the people of India’s growing disgust with the corruption that accompany our electoral political system. CWG, 2G, 3G have shown that “when temptation comes, our Neta Jees gleefully walk in”. Anti corruption movements of the country focus on punitive deterrents, which on their own are fine, but would no doubt be more effective and work better if strengthened with preventive measures too. This makes sense but it has not happened because of the absence of anti corruption leaders with a sense of vision and stratagem. Leaders capable of identifying both causes of corruption as well as measures to plug the same. So far there are none in sight.
So what about Anna Hazare and the Jan Lok Pal Bill movement? He caught the imagination and attention of a nation thirsting for an answer against corruption. No doubt about that. We all witnessed the demand snowball into a people’s movement that caused the political establishment to blink in astonishment and to shiver and cringe. For the first time Democratic India identified its electoral political system as the main culprit contributing towards the upswing of corruption in public life. It was a historic movement but tragically, people with little sense of history and less vision let the opportunity for long overdue electoral reforms slip through their fingers. Instead of focusing on the need to provide viable solutions to the problem; instead of concentrating on issues of electoral reforms to bring in better governance, Team Anna took a moral high ground instead. The anti corruption profile of Team Anna quickly metamorphosed into a ‘holier than thou’ demeanour where everyone else was considered corrupt except those on the dais and only they held the answer on how to end corruption. Sounds terribly like something that is happening right here in Meghalaya, and that’s because of the widespread nature of the epidemic, ambiguity of diagnosis and the absence of an effective antidote.
Today a question lingers in every Indian’s mind. What went wrong with the Anti Corruption movement of Anna Hazare? Various theories exist but I guess the real answer lay in the fact that Team Anna erred when they shifted from ‘problem identification to political name calling.’ Painting all politicians and public representatives with the same brush; rubbishing Parliament; questioning the integrity of the highest office of the nation did not sit well with the ordinary Indian. “I’m the one and only one” might do well as lyrics of a love song but definitely does not quite gel as an anti corruption slogan. India might boast of a culture of tolerance and forbearance but believe you me most of us are contemptuous and impatient of self righteousness people in whatsoever shape or form they might come in. The movement rapidly started losing friends. Strange as it may sound the crowds too began to melt away from Anna’s anti corruption platform! The movement began to wane and falter. The unkindest cut of all came when even a corruption tainted Government took up the courage to ignore Anna’s latest ‘Fast onto death’ threat. With that the promise of Good Governance quickly receded once again into the shadows.
By mid July 2012 it had became obvious that Team Anna was becoming an embarrassment to the anti corruption lobby. Anna was left with only two choices- to either press on regardless or to exit. He chose the latter. On the 2nd of August 2012 came the inevitable announcement, in fact two announcements. First was giving up the ‘fast onto death’ agitation. The reason – an unresponsive Government. In the first place the rationale behind Team Anna’s ‘fast onto death’ was essentially to browbeat an unresponsive Government. So if the Government continues to remain unresponsive, was withdrawing the “fast onto death’ agitation the best way to bring it to its knees? Totally confusing. Secondly, if one is not mistaken, a core Team member was hauled up for Breach of Privilege when he called Members of Parliament, thieves, thugs, rapists or something of the sort. Team Anna has now decided to contest the 2014 MP elections. The message again is not only confusing but disturbing as well. Public agitations in India usually serve no other purpose than to leverage someone’s political ambitions. It’s a political ruse all of us are familiar with. It has always worked. But surely these are blasphemous thoughts in the context of the Jan Lok Pal Bill agitation. Surely Anna Ji and Co could never be that manipulative, could they? Sachai to ye he yaar, ajkal kisi ki upor bharosa nahi .
Members of Team Anna have made it clear and in no uncertain terms that they are entering politics as game changers. Their mandate, to usher in a political revolution of sorts and will conduct themselves with a difference. To be honest, the Indian electorate has heard that one before, but to give the team the benefit of doubt, let’s take them at their word. Only problem is the dynamics of electoral politics are entirely different from the compulsions that drive social activists. A party manifesto cannot be confined to a Jan Lok Pal Bill alone. On the other hand the grandiose declaration of touring the length and breadth of the country before coming up with a manifesto for the new party sounds politically naive. Caste, creed, and blatantly prejudiced regional leanings are factors that determine electoral victory in this country. A national party will need to carry, with aplomb, the diverse socio-political interest of the people of this vast country. Given Team Anna’s knack of wasting away hard won national goodwill, it’s difficult to envisage how they can sustain the political interest of whatever constituency they wish to represent.
So what’s going to happen next? The new Political entity has given a fervent appeal to the Indian electorate to come up with suggestions on names for the new party as well as propositions for its manifesto. Some apt sounding names are definitely called for. So how about ‘If Can’t Fight Them, Join Them Conservative Party’ (CFTJTCP) or ‘The National Blow Hot Blow Cold Democratic Party’ (NBHBCDP). As for a manifesto asking everyone for their views is likely to produce a wish list with a thousand and one demands. The thousand and one point programme. Sounds Good. Party manifestoes usually reflect sectors where the party is strong and is likely to succeed in delivering on its election promises. What is Team Anna’s strength? Pressurising Parliament with ‘Fast onto death’ threats automatically comes to mind. Perhaps a manifesto promising to fast on to death in the well of the House every time the party does not get its wish can attract a few votes. But then perhaps we’re all putting the cart before the horse. The new party first has to win seats and right now it’s doubtful if this will ever happen at all.