Corruption is a malaise which strikes deep into the roots of the society, so said Col Sandhu. One doesn’t even know when and what and where in which subtle form it hits us or has invaded the fabric of the society After the lakh of supporters who pledged support to Anna hazare to rid the country of this sore and it seemed that we were also going to be witness to another Jasmine revolution via face book . Then we all witnessed another greater show of strength where Baba Ramdev the darling of the Yoga-crazy masses pledged to eradicate the dirty word corruption out of Bharat Mata by raising a nationalist force. The flavor of the month (corruption) hyped by the media moved on to cleaner sports where the iconic Pargat Singh also went on a satya-graha to demand cleaner sports. And then it struck closer home. It was close; just a bit too close for comfort where my maid Munni (and not the voluptuous sexy Munni who is the heart beat of all dreams) went on a strike. Her protest was no food no cutting chai till her demands were met.Munni wants to be paid in equivalent to affording a lifestyle where her income is sustainable within her bracket so she can afford the basics in life. Are her demands utopian? Are water, electricity, clean sewers, pure medicines and not spurious ones too much to ask? Is the actual AADHAAR card ever going to reach her ; while she works in Punjab far away from the streets of Calcutta?
The jokes from Basanti to 2G TO22G to Amul baby have moved on to Corruption.
What about the fact that when our kids are growing up in this competitive world where admissions are scarcer than Kohinoor diamonds we bribe them with “things” if the cut is made? Something like holiday homework which is given to be judiciously done by the students is sold off to the ever resourceful market for a sum. Remember, the times when we did lines or wrote essays to get holiday marks or the projects where newspaper cuttings were pasted to compile what had happened in the news?
These days the dealings from the postman to getting the gas cylinder, in our case in the villages getting decent telephone lines is all subject to corruption. On the wall of Dr. Gaurav Chabra Karma on facebook the status reads.. Yuppy Citizen Anonymous Resolution: I personally don’t like Ramdev .. He is so desi and un cool, so I don’t care if he raises an issue of grave concern! India is happy and growing—see everyone has internet! I do love reading witty PSA’s of bollywood celebs on corruption – my role as citizen ends there!! Dare not burst my myopic bubble …. Else I have Face book to retaliate.
Are we all making noises over corruption or will these fasts mean anything? Are we soothing our conscience by making statements and justifying our moral stance by condemning it? Isn’t it the case of the kettle calling the pot black? Aneet Randhawa rightly sums it as..A feast of self introspection is better than fasting anyday.
What about the latest IBN exposes which exposes Baba Ramdev as taking large amounts of money to hold shivirs in towns and even to distribute Prasad? The victim: the innocent poor .When we have corrupted the incorruptible: how do we stand chance in changing the society?
Isn’t the golden rule change, be the change and let the change be? Dr. Nirmal Singh Dhallu remarks, “This method of protest is another form of blackmail that is as ugly as corruption”. The fasting / satyagraha done by the great leaders of yore was done with purity with a sense of purpose where the end result aimed at the general good and not a political tussle which is being showcased nowadays.
In this battle, who suffers is the common man who needs to first change himself to DEMAND a change in this canker which has invaded the society . The roots are deep and the change will not come overnight by holding fasts or inciting violence or by taking political sides to win votes but by the people themselves collectively , in unison.
Meanwhile Munni won a pay raise and ended her fast with cutting chai. I wish life was as simple as this.
Ravneet Sangha
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