Survival of Indian Secularism Industry

Secularism in its mutated format of majority-bashing flavour is not an idea in India any more, it has developed into an industry. The entire media thrives on this skewed understanding of secularism. It is used as a protection by a selected few individuals among the vast population of minority to keep on exploiting their supporters. It pays to side with an NGO that supports this violated form of secularism as (a la Teesta) money starts pouring in. This industry provides a cover to many minority institutions to hide their activities of conversion. Human activism as a byproduct of this industry helps many groups in hiding their anti-nationalist intentions and activities. Corruption happens to be the end product of this industry. Seculars are so overflowing with leaders like Lalus, Mulayams, Kapils, Mamtas, Jayalalitas and Rajas that it becomes impossible to find a clean leader among them. And even if with some great difficulty you are able to identify a small fry with a clean history, the culture of secularism makes them difficult to accept that clean individual as their leader.

After the emergence of BJP in India, this nearly century-old secularism industry has been hit very hard. What adds to the discomfort of these seculars is the fact that the nationalist party has no dearth of financially clean leaders who are devoted to their ideology. A clean leader on the top makes these seculars uncomfortable – it becomes difficult for them to breathe corruption. They find no other way but to follow the same old tactics that they had been pursuing ever since Modi became the CM of Gujarat. These elements keep on trying to portray a picture that is very far from the hard reality. They kept on doing the chest-beating on the alleged poor and dismal condition of minorities in Gujarat while the reality has remained opposite to their claims if their status is compared with the other states in India. The rise of minorities in Gujarat during Modi's tenure is an example enough to shut these laud-mouths up but they would not do that as they earn their living on this. I dare these close-minds to first rise above their vested interest and then honestly analyze why an RSS man Modi saved a minority 'Father Alexis' from Taliban – they would immediately realize that RSS and Modi are actually following our true tradition and ancient-pure form of secularism. They consider all Indians as Hindus - a word that helps them in discovering a deeper connect within the fellow nationals.

The AAP phenomena

Why shouldn't we celebrate for getting our power tariff reduced by half and why shouldn't we rejoice for getting water for free? So what if these are being implemented using the taxpayers money. After all isn't that one of the reasons for which the rich are generally taxed? And if it was not meant for that then it was also not for getting this money syphoned out through scams by the scamsters year after year for 65 years altogether? Even if this is a 'loot', shouldn't this be encouraged as the benefit this way, at least, is being handed over to a large number of needy people and it is anyway much better than giving scope to just a few select who were/are looting the taxpayers money entirely for individual gains. After witnessing the uncontrolled and rampant corruption of an unimaginable scale shouldn't it be easy for us to find some logic and an acceptable level of sense in these arguments and anti-reasons? If they can loot why can't we? This is exactly the feeling that is exploding in a congenial atmosphere using the AAP's activism that has caught the imagination of the angry 'young' Aam Admi of India. It comes with no surprise for me that AAP's think tank is finding some kind of resonance with the naxal-activism-cum-terrorism too.

But who is a Aam Admi? Is he rich or he is only poor? AAP seems to have redefined this term. According to AAP, aam admi is the person who needs to pay to get things done in India. It is indeed hopelessly true as Khas Admi, more often than not, do not need to pay anything for which we are asked to pay a bribe. Unfortunately on the other hand, in India the disease of 'corruption' is mutated to such an extent that even those have started feeling its pinch who are used to paying bribe for getting things done in their favour. Here, I am reminded of what Kejriwal said in his historical speech in Ramlila maidan where he took oath for CM. He asked everyone not to pay or take bribe and urged everybody to set the corrupts right by putting them behind bars as 'he would get their work done for free'. Now this bothers me. I want my son to get admission in a school and the school wants money. I can become instrumental in booking the person who asked money for this but for Arvind's sake can anybody help me in understanding as to how would Arvind get my ward admitted. I want a birth certificate for my son to make him a year younger as he is otherwise ineligible for admissions in the nursery classes. I am asked to pay a bribe for getting this done. Now if I help Arvind in grabbing him how the hell Arvind is going to supply that fake certificate for me. I have occupied a government land and have built a house on that. An MCD or a Police personal comes knocking my door saying that if I don't pay him he would demolish my house. Now if I help Arvind in catching this person red handed how will he help me in owning the government land. I need to get a driver's license but I am not an expert driver. A tout contacts me to help me out in return of some money. Now if I get him nabbed who would ensure that I would pass the written test for the driver's license. The list is unending. Even for a regular and legally correct work in a government office that takes a month's time normally how would Arvind ensure that I get it done early if I choose to book the person who was offering me an early service in return to some cash.

The rich have spoilt themselves by getting anything done with the power of money but the Aam Admi among them now aspire to become a Khas Aadmi and hope to retain the same privileges but without having to pay any money for the same. On the other hand, the poor have developed a burning desire to grab these privileges without paying any money. These aspiration-fantasy has been further aroused by AAP's attitude. Now, Kejriwal needs to handle this efficiently. But it seems that he is in a habit of arousing public anger without knowing how to handle/utilize it in a positive manner. He seems to be a master of creating chaos. This was evident at his Janta Darbar and his oath taking ceremony. He is least bothered about those who have a responsibility to secure a CM's life. He is least bothered about creating a space at his residence for his interactions with the public. He is least bothered about the source of finances and is focusing only on how to spend it. He has no plan and vision for development but is overflowing with unimplementable ideas. His idea of holding a Janta Darbar, of throwing open the corridors of assembly for public and terrorists alike and of expecting his ministers to deliver without utilizing a government vehicle and residence are all failing in practical tests. He must find the missing link between a political activist and a political post holder to deliver at this stage.

The complete scenario reminds me of an incident wherein it was reported that an eve-teaser was lynched to death by a mob. If you are fresh with an incident where an eve-teaser had thrown a victim out of a running train then you would also be able to justify mob-lynching to death. AAP movement resembles mob lynching. It does give a kind of satisfaction temporarily. But what do you achieve in this process? Did the lynching ensure them an eve-teaser free society? No....sorry – it made everyone in the mob a criminal. But when you feel agitated to the hilt you enjoy the act of lynching and this explains the explosion of AAP's sphere of influence but who is to be blamed for this ---- undoubtedly the traditional parties who are yet to learn from their over-aggressive anti-poor and unresponsive policies. Arvind has never shown any ability to provide a good administration in his life despite many opportunities that he had and I am sure, Arvind will again expose himself hollow as a bad administrator but his job will be over if he can force others to learn a lesson or two from the phenomena that he has successfully showcased till now.

Parliament: The Dirtiest Den of Corruption

Mr. Manish Tiwari, you wanted us to accept that Anna is corrupt, but then didn’t you wish to use this only to make us accept corruption as your way of life? Mr. Digvijay wanted us to believe that Baba Ramdev has cheated us and amassed an enormous wealth but didn’t he mean to set that only as an example to justify corruption? Not that we do not know that you do not have a magic wand Mr. Prime Minister but what is hurting us more is that you do not even wish to possess one. We need no explanations as we now understand how our ‘honest’ Prime Minister wastes all his ‘honesty’ to save the culprits and we also need no clarifications from him as to why he uses his ‘honesty’ in selecting only a few who can be hanged in the name of corruption. The manner in which this government attempted to expose the source and destination of all money transactions of Ramdev in just a few days and the way it miserably failed to showcase any such result in any of the scams listed as Bofors to CWG/2G, have left us with no options but to believe in the obvious. We all understand that corruption will not end the day a bill is passed in the parliament. We all are not lawyers and that too as manipulative as you Mr. Sibbal, but we know that it will also not end by pleading helplessness in the name of growing economy or by accepting your initial contention that there was no loss of public money in the 2G scam or by using police force in the mid-night on helpless and sleeping people gathered to voice their protest against corruption. And this will also not end by forcing us in believing that the law does not permit any bill to be finalised outside the parliament.
Mr. Sibbal and his party must feel very fortunate as the issue has been taken up by the law abiding Indian civil society. Indian society has always believed in waiting till He appears in a new reincarnation and takes all the laws in His hands to wipe out the evils. We are still peacefully requesting, arguing and urging you to pass a bill in the same parliament that has been evolved as the dirtiest den of corruption. Society has still not taken law justifiably in its hands as Mr. Sibbal is wise enough to understand what is meant by this phrase. Please stop befooling everybody by showcasing cosmetic gestures in the name of tackling corruption and hanging small fries who will never be able to return back even a small percentage of the money that the scams have siphoned out of this country.
Howsoever humid the weather be but dews are formed only when a cool surface is found by the water vapour; howsoever filled up the atmosphere be with a combustible gas but it requires at least a spark to blow it up. This nation is unfortunate that no politician, across the entire spectrum of our political parties, is left with a face that can mobilise the restless mass, who have crossed their threshold limits way back, to come out on the streets and wage a war against corruption. We had to wait for an Anna for this to happen. It is pity that our parliament has turned into a dog-fighting street where political parties fight just for their turn of exploiting this country. Let me enlighten you Mr. Sibbal that those who documented provisions for making laws only in the parliament could have never dreamt of this situation where even in an independent India the parliamentarians are still engaged in looting and siphoning the smiles out of the faces of ordinary countrymen.
It is now more than obvious that our Prime Minister is not even willing to acquire the magic wand as he is rejecting a potential magic wand that is being offered to him by Anna. However we all must feel satisfied that the great puzzle - that whose clothes were snatched by Baba Ramdev when he was being beaten out of the Ramlila ground - is now solved as we witness the government standing exposed with nothing left to hide and all its modesty outraged.

Analysing Corruption

(please visit the following link to see my article on the same subject that was published in the March 20, 2011 issue of the Organiser weekly http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=389&page=24

and http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=398&page=44 )

Let us begin this discussion with an honest admission that we all are corrupt. Let us rise above the level of the blame game in which we invariably engage ourselves if we really want to leash this menace. Believe me, if you are picked up for scrutiny under income tax act, you will never be able to convince them that you never violated any rule unless they are paid for that. If you are under police custody for any reason it will be impossible to plead your innocence without paying bribe. No business can survive in India if all applicable taxes are paid faithfully. None of us will be able to explain/remember each entry in his/her passbook for a period spanning last three years if entries run in thousands. There is no way that one can avoid corruption in India. We must finally admit that it is just impossible to escape corruption in this country and one can only set an acceptable limit for oneself.
Let us try to understand the cause of the existence of corruption and the reasons for its growing acceptability. Let us also try to measure its multi-dimensional spread while admitting its exponential increase in our bid to overpower this bull by catching it with its horns. Let us try to find a way out from this desperate situation.
Hope lies in the conclusion that this state of hopelessness is actually forced one on us. Rules have purposefully been framed with an intention to keep a handle of possibility to prove anybody corrupt despite all his/her sincere efforts. The conspiracy is to make everybody feel vulnerable so that they do not have the courage to raise voice against corruption. It seems we have not changed after becoming independent. We somehow still live in a situation similar to the pre-independence era. The government still identifies itself with the ruler-class and engages itself in enacting rules that simply can never be abided by if one tries to follow all the applicable fine prints. These rules only help them in providing teeth to bite the commoners and get away with any corruption in return. On the other hand we too posses no respect for the rules, the attitude that we used to carry proudly before independence, as we still think that government is an entity separate from us and most of the times works against our welfare. With this sense we feel committing no wrong while draining out the government funds. Another factor that hugely contributes to the unlimited rise of corruption is the absence of social security to the citizens. While high end corruption is driven primarily with an urge for acquiring luxury, the seeds of low scale corruption are generally sown with the social insecurity prevailing everywhere in our country. Many of us fall prey to corruption in our resolve to secure future for all the future family members.
Instead of raising the acceptable limits of corruption by each passing day, let us resolve to wipe out corruption from our attitude itself. For this let us urge the government first to make rules with an intention to make all of us feel that we all are living in an independent country where we are not merely stakeholders but also part of the policy makers. Let us have simple rules to follow. Let us follow 5% tax rule on all our expenditures. Let us abolish all tax saving schemes. Let the government start a decent social security scheme. Let us also end the era of cash transactions. These efforts should be followed by a zero-tolerance regime for all kinds of corruption as we are left with no soft options now. We must feel the importance of independence and confront this menace of corruption by declaring a war against it or otherwise this has a potential to wipe-out our independence.