Open Thread: Has UPA-II lost the plot?
Dear All: I am opening this thread (hurried post) to provide a space for discussing and debating the developments since last 2 days (and in particular, since today morning)…
The clumsy way in which Team Anna’s plans were sought to be derailed appears to have boomeranged on the government. While senior ministers are busy passing the buck, others are asking where is the “chosen one”? Â What made me furious was this bit of news – if true, this is shameful and disgusting. Â It appears that a citizen’s fundamental right to be treated with dignity has been violated (not to mention Anna’s privacy).
As many commentators have pointed out, Â these actions (seen in the larger context of attempts at personal attacks and the midnight dispersal of the assembly in Ramlila grounds in June) are eerily reminiscent of the days preceding Emergency. Is it time to close ranks?
Is it time to forget our personal disagreements with Lokpal, Team Anna and get their support to oust what is arguably the most corrupt government since Independence – and possibly the most ineffective too?
Is it time for Team Anna to finally come out and say this movement is for cleansing the system & for stemming the rot? And that it will not end until a new set of people get in power – a new set of people who believe in the ideas of minimum government and maximum governance; of economic freedoms, of individual liberties?  I so wish this happens..and if it does, I will be the first one to fast with Anna. Comments, thoughts welcome as always…
Related Posts: Now, not just worried but also angry with IAC and Anna and If its not on Google…Was the Emergency for real?
Thought-provoking post by Rajeev Mantri :
If laws and public institutions don’t keep pace with new ideas and are abused by those entrusted with upholding them, they risk being challenged by unconstitutional means. This should not be looked down upon even in a democratic republic.
Goldwater was quoting the great Roman statesman Cicero when he justified the use of extremism to defend liberty. Sometimes keeping the Republic means employing unconstitutional means, and extraordinary attacks on liberty can require extraordinary actions to defend it.
Rather than rejecting and turning up our noses at prior or current mass agitational politics which may also be unconstitutional and unlawful, we will be better off qualifying and tempering our view, keeping in mind the context of very limited economic freedom in India even today. Without economic freedom, political freedom enjoyed by the average Indian citizen is highly restricted. Therein lies the root cause of almost all unconstitutional agitation for political gain. In fact, when non-constitutional methods are used to enhance liberty and promote economic freedom, it strengthens the Republic.
For or against Janlokpal, the question now is the governments intention to protect the peoples rights. I stand by anna to protect my rights.
http://endangeredindia.blogspot.com/2011/08/i-am-anna-hazare.html
Oust the government to bring in the BJP ? Is it any better? Lets not get hasty. The unfortunate fact is that we have no sane alternative to the government we are saddled with because no national party is any better than the other. In my opinion, the focus should be on getting this government to perform, on getting the guilty/accused put behind bars and on working ceaselessly to create credible alternatives to the existing national parties. The current environment will surely make that task less difficult. In my city, I have recently seen decent, educated, patriotic people contesting local elections for the very first time, and getting elected. We need to turn these isolated bits of positive developments into a wave.
There are lots of interesting provisions in the bill as well.. The better governance that we want.. It may not come all by itself..
examples:
1) Imposing deadlines for completion of office-work.
2) Putting up details of all cases handled.. transparency to the extent of putting up even interviews of all candidates considered for the Lokpal on the Internet.
3)Maximum time for investigations, and trial being one year each.
The bill is definitely worth taking a cue from, to say the least..
Regarding Fasting,
It is a method of protest that Anna has been doing since a long time. It is his method (and has worked!). He and the team currently have their focus on waking up the common public, who hitherto hardly cared.
I too hope they will work on the electoral process later on.
Anna may still himself not stand for a post, since, no-one should as far as possible misinterpret his protest as for a selfish purpose..
If he declares intent to stand for elections, it may be easy for anyone to create doubt in the minds of the people. Such a thing would greatly hamper the protest.
YES, finally you say that, please forget personal disagreements with the Lokpal and stand up against the government..
The root cause is what all of us agree with.
@ Priya VK Singh – Oh the same lines… ‘one government is not better than the other’…. Then why do we have elections? We may as well keep Sonia’s family as permanent rulers of the country and try to reform the family and hope someone in this generation or next generation (in their family) become benovalent rulers??? I am not supporting any political party, but dont get us into the trap of one party is no better than others. That’s why we give them 5 years to prove to us and we retain the right to change them (not necessarily choose the best one, but change the non-performing one at some point)
My question is how long are we going to let the frustration build among the masses by using these Gandhian means. Let’s be honest. Gandhi wouldn’t have won us the independence, as the CONgress wants us to believe, had it not being supported by violent means that began since the days of Jhansi ki Rani Lakshmi Bhai. And let’s not forget the Sepoy Mutiny led by Mangal Pandey. Indian citizens are cheating ourselves with this kind of non-violent movement. Compare this to Egypt. In a weeks time Hosni Mubarrak capitulated. In India we don’t seem to have any alternative means other than wait for elections in 2014. What till then? Keep on enduring with this kind of Gandhian nonsense and candle light march, while the CONgress led UPA-2 Govt is more than happy to send the AICC president Sonia Maino to US for cervical cancer treatment using tax payers money. Complete hogwash!! Worse, those who are supporting the IAC don’t even want to accept that Janlokpal bill is no quick fix to corruption. The single biggest factor that can bring immediate justice is our judiciary. This whole issue of 2nd Freedom struggle points to the same thing as the first one, lack of trust and genuine belief on anyone person. Right now it is just running on hope that the civil society will deliver, while there are many unanswered questions from the civil society themselves. Secondly, many of our urban folks are getting completely misled by the kind of news and views aired by our Media. Thirdly there is a huge void with regard to a genuine leader. So similar is the present situation to the aftermath of Independence, I can’t but help feel a sense of deja vu, which has led India to this particular precarious situation – The late Nehru dynasty cornering all political power and using CONgress for protection. The corruption has only got worse now that almost the entire Nehru family is non-existent making the path clear for Sonia Maino’s dynasty to take over India. At this rate we will soon be seeing clown prince Rahul G girlfriend’s Colombian connect family starting to rule over India and making it a “drug world”.
UPA II is in its mid life crisis due to lack of creative thinking in keeping pace with the evolving needs of common man!.
They have suffered a heavy damage due to
1. Kalmadi’s CWG Scam and how he was able to hoodwink the govt and get his way.
2. 2G Spectrum case – which to be fair there are lots of loop holes from the previous NDA govt and both UPA I and UPA II – but the very fact this came out in public in UPA II is damaging enough when Dr. Singh could not assert his authority over his ministers.
3. Handling of Lokpal issue is at best tardy – though GoM took on the sefl appointed custodians of civil society and their version of the bill. Govt version of the bill is no good either! Had they stressed on implementing existing laws in letter and spirit probably the above two points would not have occured.
4. When one gets on a legislative overdrive it is a sign that the governemnt lacks imagination to serve the people.
5. Intellectually Arrogant ministers holding plub portfolios as opposed to political leadership for the issues
Can the damage be repaired, can’t say yet because the mindset of the common indian voter (without any disrespect) is short lived. If elections were to be held now they are on their way out!
But Opposition have not covered themselves in glory either on all major issues they have ceased their position to civil society to take on the govt. BJP has been dysfunctional at best under Gadkari. States ruled by BJP have not covered themselves in glory either so the moral high ground can’t be captured.
Though the current government is terminally Ill i dont see anyoen else who can form the govt with credibility and impecable honesty and authority. Unless either FTI takes a bold step to put up candidates in various parts of the country or new candidates such as yourselves and me put ourselves up for contesting elections i dont see a futrue.
Timing is just about right, the big churn has just begun, time to create a new polity and new generation of political leadership.
Yes, they lost the plot. However what about Anna Gang?
http://www.wahsarkar.com/2011/08/anna-friends-fast-facts/
Thought-provoking…Anna Hazare and Co. – Coloured Revolution in the Making by Radha Rajan
Not only UPA,corrupt elements are there in all
political parties,including beurocrats.The system mudt be changed,with severe punishments like China,where the punishments
ranges from lifeimprisonments to Death sentences.Here also such penalties are necessary atleast for some majoe offences.
@Shantanu,
Perhaps, you should open a new thread on this distasteful handling of Army Chief’s age by the UPA admin. Looks like they are hell bent on destroying all prized institutions of India including Army and ISRO.
Now that the matter of age is sub judice in SC, the Babus of DM sent this notice without a date:
“he Defence Ministry on January 23 had ordered the AG branch to correct Singh’s year of birth as 1950 instead of 1951 as maintained in its records and sought “strict compliance without any further loss of time and sent a compliance report to the Ministry at the earliestâ€.
It is the height of arrogance of Govt of India, in this case Defense Ministry to change facts to suit their opinion. It should be the other way.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/pioneer-news/todays-newspaper/39060-ag-throws-weight-behind-army-chief.html
I might do that…lets see what happens on fri.