Indian Renaissance needed

Indian Renaissance needed

People have been writing and talking about the various scams that surround us. There is immense anger, angst and disgust amongst the so called civil society. Amongst all this, the media is having a ball. Histrionics is the order of the day.
Mud slinging has now acquired a new dimension. Today a Manish Tewari hurls a super slander at a Ravi Prasad without even batting an eyelid! It comes as a matter of routine! And the recipient receives the hurling brickbat with a smiling face! Such is the level of shamelessness amongst our people.
Coming to the main issue. It is not the silence of the Dr.MMS but the sheer audacity and brazenness of the small time, small city, small thinking politician who sits smugly on the national scene. I am not angry with the likes of Raja or a Chavan or a Yedurappa. I am not disappointed with the Congress or BJP or CPM. I am not unhappy with the Mushrooming angry young Anchors of the media.
I am devastated by our Civil Society. I am shocked by our apathy and our capacity to bear the pain inflicted by the politician and the political parties! We groan, then cry and later shout. But this is where it all stops. Then we crumble and give up. This is where the politician and his party capitalizes and seizes the jugular vein.
The 2G scam did not happen yesterday. It was a good few years back when this puny, petty politician from Tamil Nadu ravaged in glee. Where were you all this time, Mr. Swamy ? Sushma Swaraj says that she cannot settle for anything less than a JPC ? May I ask why so? Where were you and your JP colleagues all this time? Twiddling your thumbs? What will you now achieve what you have not done so in years? Strange. There is a demand for a JPC when the entire corruption is due to them! Perhaps a JPC should not stand for Joint Parliamentarians Corruption! Just a small sixth sense goads me to say that this JPC is just a means to protect the corrupt parliamentarians- Jab Sainya bhaee kotwal, to dar kahey ka? Were you oblivious of the happenings? Or were you waiting for your share which never came through? Hence the pitch. I suspect this is not because Raja looted but because the share in the loot did not come through! On the heels of the super duper 2G comes the reprimand from the supreme court questioning the very appointment of the CVC! And once again, we see the same pattern. All the political parties raising a limited brouhaha ( for public consumption) and then signing the dotted line. Sushma Swaraj and her BJP is as much culpable as Dr.MMS and the Congress party. I am reminded of he old saying about the status of all the bathers into the Turkish bath! Corruption in India is now a hydra headed and a behemothian ogre of unimaginable proportions. It needs gigantic efforts to tame this ever growing monster.
The time has come when we ought to realize that we live amidst scams. Scams are in various stages in our daily lives. Some become big and some remain small or medium. Some catch the attention of those who could not get their pound of flesh, so they run to the nearest hill top( read TV channel) and shout and dance till they can do no more! And then the Herd mentality takes over. All join in. Some join in because they want to be a part of the pandemonium, even though they know not why they shout!
Indian Society shall continue to unearth scams with alarming frequency. Political Parties will continue to suck the blood of the poor tax payer. Politicians will continue to build palaces in Switzerland.
But this can be stopped. Surprised? Cannot believe me? Can’t blame you. However, before we begin, we need to have the political will at the centre. Regional players like Nitiesh Kumar have shown that if there is a political will, the state of affairs can change. Bihar was trampled under jungle raj for years. Today’s Bihar is perceptibly different from the days of Laloo. If Bihar can change, so can India! Yes, we Can!!!!
I do believe that the effort begins with the Judiciary. If Dr.MMS is serious, let him start with our system of dispensing Justice. Look at those nations where Law is designed to act as a deterrent also. Today, there is no deterrent in our Indian system of Justice. Raja will never be made to return the money he swallowed! Worse, it will take years( if at all!) to convict him! If a crime is suitably punished and within a short time, the perpetrator will think twice. Laloo and his Fodder Scam still goes on. I have even forgotten how many years have passed by! Laloo does not even bat an eyelid!
Have a look at the Sharia and how it can be used. It has proved to be an excellent deterrent and has stopped many a criminal from implementing his evil plans. Even the British have looked up to the Sharia for succor. India needs strong system of governance to back strong laws.
Let us re-look at our law books to review the laws. Rewrite the IPC and the CrPC. Add many more courts to ensure speedy trials. Make the Judges more accountable and transparent. This is where we begin from. Clean up the Judicial stables. Restructure the Courts. Restore the ethics. Once done, the next step becomes easier. It will take time, yes, but then, there are no short cuts when cleaning the nation.
But the above needs the aam admi to stand up and be counted. Let there be a renaissance, resurgence of the society. We redefine our values. Start believing that education is a must for ALL. Stop being a sucker. Prepare to fight it our when the salivating bureaucrat or politician demands his “bakshish”. Stop giving bribes. Stop being a whimp and gather courage. Stand by your values. And above all, castigate and ostracize the cheat from the society. Let there be an awareness that a criminal will have no place in our society. Blacken his face with disdain and banish him. Let values take their due place in our society. Let us sift the muck from the good and condemn the muck in strong and unequivocal terms. Then bury it deep.
Label a cheat. And hit his psyche. Let him suffer. Do not turn a blood sucker into a hero…what we saw for Raja in Chennai!
And finally, when the time comes to vote, do not get sucked in by the age old prejudice of voting on cast and religion lines. Vote as an awakened and aware community. Vote in numbers. Vote for ethics. Vote for Honesty. Vote for efficiency. Vote for your child’s future.
Vote for India.