Date: 11 Apr 2011
In a message dated 11/04/2011 10:04:51 GMT Standard Time, XXXXX.com writes: \\\\\\\\\\ A very perceptive observation. \\\\\\\\ To add, a few HIGH visibility and high value crooks (who have already been identified by CAG, CBI, ED, IT Dept) should be tried in fast track courts, in public, and the trial completed, on a day to day basis, within 6 months, an ordinance be passed that those convicted/punished in these courts would NOT be freed, till all the higher levels of legal appeal have been exhausted. Subsequently, these courts will be suitably strengthened, so ALL netas, and babus or "public servants", will have this VIP privilege to be tried by the fast track courts. Ofcourse their ill-gotten assets will be confiscated, and used for public good. \\\\\\\\\ Though the simple Maratha soldier has won the battle, the "Yes minister" babus, lawyers, Netas will easily and readily dilute and get out of their cornered positions. The next time it will be doubly difficult to charge up the people. \\\\\\\\ What is needed is a COMPLETE overhaul of our polity, govt and re-look at governance, policies etc., so that we correct the grievous wrongs, done on purpose, ignorance or incompetence, since get independent, and looking forward into the 21st Century, to be a progressive, humane and relevant nation/people, integrating the best of our rich 5000+ years heritage, todays technological and scientific inventions. \\\\\\\\\\\ \\\\\\ On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 9:07 AM, SXXXXXX.org> wrote: \\\\\\ Friends\\\\\\\\\ We have been having our usual village level interaction in the hindi belts where we operate and Annas movement has been in focus . There are various perspectives to it but here is our frank interpretatrion. \\\\\\\\\\ There is something amiss about all the jubilation on 'victory of the people" as many claimed - for the people were actually missing from their movement! Sainiksangh’s worst suspicions seem to come true that political forces would join up to make a scapegoat of Anna Hazare and use him to defeat his own mission of leading the fight against corruption which poses a direct threat to their survival. It was therefore not 'people' who were busy bees around him deciding the course events and action but the elite- lawyers, bureaucrats ,police officers, celebrities, swamis etc whose loyalty for such a cause can not come from within or without a price. Corruption does not pinch this class where many may even owe their good feeling to it under one garb or another. A peoples movement is something else a popular uprising to send a deterrent message to the establishment and the political class with concrete demands to bring the unrepentant erring to book who remain scot free arrogantly smug with their ill gotten gains still enjoying the privileges of their stations at the cost of the people and nation and whose ranks seem to swell by the day. Notice Pawar makes cynical gesture of just kicking an irrelevant chair! For was shame not the spark for Anna’s inspiration to take on the fight now ? Mere bill, a piece of paper, a bridge too far which even if enacted cannot deliver what is required immediately to root out the deep cancer. To our understanding even the acquiescence for the bill has not been extracted with legal bindings of all parties and on the spot. It requires a peoples resolve with power of masses to deliver a moral ultimatum as a blow without which no heads can roll; the bill would automatically then take its right place. By acceding to window dressing most likely contrived by advisers with back door political collusion a simple unsuspecting Maratha soldier has perceptibly been taken along a detour to buy time and forestall an unparalleled threat he could have posed to the establishment triggering the much needed chain reaction of cleansing politics through electoral reforms before the next elections. Not unexpectedly the whole exercise has for the time being lost its cutting edge if not a damp squib drama for the cynics and victory for the political class. Those upbeat that this is a victory against graft cannot have been more deluded or just taken to illusive exuberance to make a quick point. The truth is reverse. They should know better that graft does not go merely, if at all, by enacting legislative changes, and definitely not by pushing under the carpet what must be done about it when it raises its head, immediately and then. The indicted were to have been brought to book at least the people were waiting for this. The hullabaloo was to see that those in limelight are axed to give a resounding message that masses can rise against those who cheat them. Money gobbled by them recovered to provide for schools , water, health, hoarders , profiteers in the dock to bring prices down. It was the torrent of shame that has come to surface that aroused Anna to take up the cudgel. Why did he not take up the Lok Pal issue ever before? Apparently those drafting his agenda have been deliberately circumspect, dubious and circuitous. They turned a blind eye to the fact that the impact of such missions can bear fruit only if results are borne in real time. They ignored the stark reality that corruption is embedded in the very electoral processes where only bags of money can buy a party ticket or that political power comes from gutters reduced to a game of buying and selling; more the number of parties more the corruption. We are in the business of government of and by brokers. How will Lok Pals cleanse all this unless they are aliens? Ludicrous that the new Lok Satta leader undoubtedly a lawyer should be claiming, as he joined the band wagon, that he is the messiah of clean politics and wants us to gulp this down. The grand movement is now turned into a bureaucratic exercise handed over to committees and scribes exactly what the political class would wish it to be. Corruption is off the chopping block and spin off from this can very dampening for the country Anna’s credibility could get dented in eyes of the people if there is no change in climate of moral accountability and everything is back to business as usual. So will end the revolution but hopefully not. The drive must be transferred to high gear now so that lessons from the faux pas can bring a new direction with more honest team around Anna. Masses have to be given the truth and galvanized . Some had scaled the initiative as a second War of Independence, perhaps prematurely and drawing from events in the Arab world with little historical sense. These must be disappointed but many symptoms of the Anna andolan bear similarity to 1857. Few may know that 1857 seeded ‘globalisation of revolution’ as this was studied elaborately by Frederick Engels in Germany who analyzed the mistakes and published these as news paper articles which provided thumb rules for coming revolutions in Russia , Cuba, Vietnam and China . Our event is yet to be studied even if incomplete which it is but some lessons stand out clear. 1857 was a soldier’s revolt with no higher leadership and generated at rural level in Oudh, Bihar and Maratha lands only. Anna Hazare symbolizes similar leadership content and that is all . The role of youth who have been in the forefront in Arab world is still too unclear but this segment which is squarely affected by corruption can do much more if galvanized which it is not. The role of foreign vested interest cannot be dismissed and must strong symbolically no different from that of the British in 1857. The urban elite , upward mobile appear no differently disposed than what they were in 1857, at least visibly . Anna is apparently out maneuvered by stronger and cleverer opposition at Delhi. Different elements thus stand out distinctly. Anna may yet see resurrection since the cause he has fostered will become more relevant as our political climate deteriorates . Whether he retains some steam is another matter but others must take his place and start watching what miracles Lok Pals can usher once these l make their debut. Change cannot come without an irreversible surge for it. Indians are a status quo mass our spirit for change is obfuscated. \\\\\\\\\\\\ PS my suggestion to Anna in a letter is that he should consider having a back drop of Arjun getting the order of day from Krishna with armies arrayed for war in Mahabharat than that of the Mahatma as was at his fasting site.! \\\\\\\\\\\ regards \\\\\\\\\\\\\ \----- Original Message ----- From: \XXXXXXXXX Subject: Fw: SATURDAY! STORY IDEA: India Against Corruption at Times Square at noon \\\\\ Just received this email from Professor Sreenivasan of Columbia University, and co-founder of South Asian Journalists Assoc. (SAJA) regarding the "India against Corruption" rally on Saturday (tomorrow) at Times Square, New York, in support of the fasting and rallies happening in India. Details provided below. I have been a SAJA member for 10 years now. \\\\\\\\\\\\ Recd. an email from India Against Corruption group last night stating that their website has been shut down by the Indian government. Don't have the latest info on that. \\\\ \\\\\\\\\\\ --- On Fri, 4/8/11, XXXXXXXXXX wrote: \\\\\\\\\ OOPS! It's on SATURDAY. \\\\\\\\\\ Hundreds of Indian-Americans and Indian expats are expected to gather today. You can follow all the Twitter buzz from around the world at #annahazare \\\\\\\\\\ \\\\\\\\\\\ Those of you who missed Tahrir Square and are still not aware of a similar movement happening in India at Jantar Mantar, we will bring the event to your home. India's Anna Hazare (73 years) of age is on a fast-unto-death at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and the crowd is building-up at the venue. Across the country and global similar fasts or protest movements are building up. Jantar Mantar at Delhi is slowly becoming India's Tahiri Square and hundreds of people of Indian origin or with interest in India are also assembling at Times Square on Saturday at 12pm. Detailed agenda available on Facebook Page. So far 500+ people have signed up \\\\\\\\\\\\ Event link India Against Corruption at Times Square ttp://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=112082335541418 For details, please visit, http: //www.facebook.com/iacNY http: //www.facebook.com/IACUSA http: //indiaagainstcorruption.org/ \\\\\\\\\\\\ Contacts in India http://indiaagainstcorruption.org/contactus.php Any help with speedy arrangement from police/city authorities will be welcome because we don't have 30 days to get the approval. We will let Mayor Bloomberg's office and city precincts know about the event. It will be a peaceful assembly/walk without loudspeakers so we don't expect any problems. \\\000000000