NO MR. ANNA HAZARE, I AM NOT WITH YOU...

Let us take a quick look at the recent happenings in the Jan Lokpal imbrogolio.

Justice (Retd.) Santosh Hegde has submitted his Report as Lokayukta of Karnataka on corruption in that state. This has resulted in the Chief Minister putting in his resignation.

Hon’ble Justice Dinakaran, the Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court, has put in his resignation as impeachment proceedings were initiated against him for alleged corruption.

These are just two current examples of how even the existing structures are in a position to meaningfully contribute in tackling corruption.

The Jan Lokpala Bill as cleared by the Cabinet, though not perfect and not even to the satisfaction of the ‘so called’ self appointed leaders of the Civil Society, still appears to be a big step forward from the existing position. These Civil Society members want a perfect law to be drafted and passed, and they feel that what they have drafted is perfect.

The insistence of the Perfectionist Group to have the bill that they have suggested passed by 15^th August 2011, without any change, otherwise they will go on hunger strike is not a reasonable stand. Heavens will not fall if the Parliamentary procedure takes a few days or weeks more. Let us respect the parliamentary procedures.

One would like to like to request the perfectionists not to tinker with the constitutional and legal processes of the country. Let the legal process take its course and Parliament decide. This is the democratic way. There is no validity in the argument that the members of the Parliament have lost touch with their voters and there is a ‘big disconnect’. This argument cannot be taken to short circuit the constitutional processes. This can be tested only at the time of the next General Elections. In the next General Elections let the Civil Society members and the Political Parties make this as an issue and request people to vote for or against it.

Let the Bill be deliberated and say passed by the Parliament and we watch its implementation for a short while. One could consider putting a clause in the Act that there shall be a compuslory Review of the working of the Institution of Jana Lokpal after every 5 years so that issues needing intervention could be addressed.

No Mr. Anna Hazare, I am not with you for your proposed fast on 16^th August.

THE GLASS WALL

It was a hot and humid day yesterday even though it was cloudy. I went to meet a like minded friend for discussing about future travel plans. We went to a café and both of us ordered the same drink- Cappuccino, though one small and one large (Never mind that Cappuccino literally means a small cup in Italian!). We got busy discussing travel plans and soon a third common friend joined in. His order too was for Cappuccino. The room was nice and cool with large glass panes up to the ceiling and one could see people outside in the verandah. We enjoyed talking about travel plans. I personally enjoy planning and fantasizing about travel as much as I love travel itself.

Suddenly I saw something outside which attracted my attention. Some repair work, perhaps for the telephone line, was going on and there were about half a dozen people involved in it. One Sikh gentleman, aged around 65, with absolutely grey beard and hair, wearing a vest and a sort of shorts, was doing the digging. I was amazed at the fast speed with which he was digging. This went on for a few minutes and then he stopped and a younger person in his mid thirties took over. After a little while he too stopped. Now it was the turn of a Muslim gentleman who must have been around 60, to do the digging. He had a large grey beard without moustaches and a small white little cap on his head.
He did his quota of the digging and stopped after some time. Inside the cool room, the three of us sat glued to what was happening outside. Soon a small boy appeared on the scene with about half a dozen glasses of tea for these workers. They all sat under the shade of the tree and started chatting and laughing while enjoying their tea.

The sight of tea brought us back to our Cappuccinos, and to our world. Our world, though hardly ten feet away from those digging outside, was bounded by a thick transparent wall of glass and an invisible but strong social wall. We could see what was happening outside but could not become a part of their world.

This incident has left me very disturbed. I am 68 and am in good health. I am doing nothing for the society- the society where people of my age are forced by circumstances to do hard manual labour to earn an honest living.

I don’t know how to handle this.