SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS
1) The minister has to resign his post. (That is not an issue of shame or humiliation because history shows he will come back in another avatar in a year when public memory has failed or they are caught up in a new scam of which there is no dearth. Like Vilasrao Deshmukh, he will even comment on the new scam from a moral high ground) 2)The minister gives back the land that has been illegally grabbed by his kith and kin and continues in office. If all animals in this country are equal we need to amend the criminal law. a) A thief should be let off if he returns the loot. b) Anyone who has not paid any taxes should be allowed to pay it and be free. c)A rapist should be allowed to marry/support his victim and go scot free. d) A murderer should be allowed to support the victim’s family and escape the noose. e) An industrialist who has looted the company should be allowed to return the money and continue as chairman. f) Anyone should be able to resign from the post of husband, friend, teacher, salesman, cook, maid, driver, student etc and get away with any misdemeanour with no repercussions or consequences and no return of looted goods. Otherwise, we are going against the basic principle of equality in a democracy. As there is not likely to be any amendment in nature of the punishment meted out to ministers, we can only aspire for equality by changing the laws for the people. If justice is to be served in the present state of 360 degrees corruption in the county, we need something akin to the Nuremberg trial to set things right. Chetan Bhagat in today’s TOI suggests that Congress clean up their camp by bifurcating honest and dishonest ministers. I am wondering how they can do that if all of the Congress is corrupt by virtue of commission or omission. He also suggests they step down and come back stronger with their choice of honest ministers in the future. If they had that kind of guts would the “unimpeachable” Manmohanji have been in this tangle in the first place? More importantly, who does India choose when Congress steps down? Do we have a stop gap “honest” alternative to rule for 5 years when we wait for Congress to clean up their house? LOL The likes of Chetan should stick to writing their best sellers and not make inane and impractical political suggestions. Kapil’s interview with Arnab was a treat. Kapil was so nervous he began to play lawyer instead of interviewee. He grinned, was patronising, pushed questions at the unprepared Arnab – like Who decides the pricing? In their living rooms people were saying TRAI as if they were on KBC but Arnab was evasive. What fun! Favourite politician’s words: Enquiry. Sub-judice, the matter is under investigation, will wait for report, guilty will be punished. Meanwhile the tainted Kalmadi seems to to traipsing in China and other exotic locations in the name of our country. And Yeddy is still on the throne – the corruption whistle blowers have not been able to give him a taste of their own medicine. Is there a solution to all this now? Only if the media keeps up the pressure and go after every kind of corruption now – not because they could not have done it earlier – not because they are the watchdogs of democracy - but because now the scam mania increases their trp and their natural competition with each other motivates them to go after more kills. The media could employ an army of RTI activists and pay them to unearth every kind of crap there is. Flush it all out. Youth power and more activists a ‘each citizen talk to one citizen’ revolution must be pressed into action to quickly educate the slummies and the ruralees on how Raja’s 1.7 lakh crore money directly hits them first. Newspapers need to devote a section of their precious newsprint to show what the “public” have actually lost – number of schools, hospitals, housing, water etc. Every citizen must act - led by a media moghul like TOI – to create a change. We know all about the famous nonexistent “political will” , does the media have the will to galvanise the forces of common India into a historic revolution? That is the question. Make no mistake, this will not happen without leadership. The time is ripe, will we let the iron go cold ? going by the lukewarm reporting on Yeddy in the last two days – I wager nothing will change. And all our politicians know that – like vultures they are patient birds.
When a minister does a grievous wrong what are the punishments meted out to him?
But in a way Arnab’s underplayed fool brought out more aggression in Kapil. He thought he was cross-examining a hapless victim in court and his attack became more arrogant and reckless. At one point he said something akin to : the PM cannot take letters from any common man who has a delusion of corruption – I mean the poor common man has become so gira guzra. Raja praja was coming through loud and clear. He also seemed to say that Swamy’s 5 letters had more and more attachments, so the PM found it ridiculous to reply. All of us thought here was someone adding on more evidence to attract the PM’s attention. But Kapil kept saying no one knew the “facts”. The CAG was just an interpretation. When asked then should we then not take it seriously? He replies: Yes we must we must.. but now everything was subjudice.
lissi.
who is talking about purifications?
does any one knows what to do?
what for and why likes of kalmadi still enjoying in china inspite of so much halla gulla?
what for Dr MMS is talking about high school days?
will the game of hide and seek ever end?
list is long malhotra.harshad,george,rajiv,buta,qatrochi,hindujas,yadav,pawar,
many of the names i have forgotten, most of us has forgotten,,they are still in hidiing,,fact is they are not in hidding,,they have been hidden,,under the carpet they are still in existance.
For cleaning up we need fear. There will be no end to materialistic greed. We need to change the constitution that gives immunity to these corrupt politicians. The interpretation that when some one wins elections he/she is the choice of the people and therefore all cases should be dropped. What kind of logic is that? Who gives a section of people the right over the minority to decide that the person is not guilty. And we say we have a free judiciary? And this is democracy?
In the future, mankind will look back at these barbaric practices and wonder at the idiocy of people who suffered this injustice and then spoke highly of the people who created such constitutions and institutions like democracy.
We are not likely to have any spiritual upheaval Hariji. That sector is also corrupt.
Thanks God, you’re back Lissome ji! Rediff mein to ab maza hi nahin raha - all and all are gone the old familiar faces.
Yours is an excellent article and a must-read for all politicians and media persons. However, I may add that corruption has been the main charcteristic of our country for hundreds (or thousads) of years and has been responsible for our long period of slavery. We are always taught about Shivaji and Maharana Pratap, but there has never been a dearth of Man Singhs, Jaichands and Mir Jafars who for personal gains would be prepared to sell their country. However, the present phase of corruption is different in the sense that most of the persons in power, from the lowest to the hightest, are involved. For cleaning up, we require a great spiritual upheaval and an end to the never-ending materialistic greed.