A huge cry from the so called civil society of India was heard in different leading newspapers. A few social activists led thousands of others into a movement against corruption through fasting. They wanted Jan Lokapal Bill to come through.
All was well till then. Social activists were doing a great job in enlightening our population about the rampant corruption prevailing all around. But as the fasting progressed intensely, the true intention surfaced. A few people rose to the seat of power for decision-making through backdoor surpassing our democratic process – through selections and interviews. Parliamentary democracy took a backseat. These people termed themselves to be a part of People's Parliament - an alternative to country's Parliament! A sense of movement preached by these few members attempted to create an atmosphere of chaos similar to Middle East and North Africa.
We need to be worried about the series of these developments. India is already in the path of experimentation of its young democratic system. Though cast in the line of our erstwhile colonial rulers’, the repeated collective efforts by Indian people have truly exposed the strength and weakness in Indian Nation – rich cultural diversity, large base of technical manpower and growing economic power on one hand, and fractured society in religious and cast lines, strong influence of crowd phenomena on people be they educated or not, growing regional consciousness among Indians. In spite of all these, we believe in our parliamentary democracy, and are striving to strengthen it for our better future as a Nation.
Now, some people get together with an intention (good or bad) and call that it is voice of the whole country! How do they claim to represent the entire civil society of India? Do they not believe in our existing democratic process?
If they do, they need to reach out to the very people of the country, and enter into the Parliament through electoral means. Everybody in our country has the right to enter into politics and to serve the country. If certain groups of politicians or even the entire conglomerate of the existing political groups go rotten, they need to be eliminated from democratic power structure through electoral process. Go to people. Do not preach Middle East or Egypt scenarios in India; it’s different – we are a democracy already. Do not enter into power structure through backdoor – preach for power and responsibility along with accountability. People enjoying power must be accountable to people of India. As social activists, they should have enlightened the people of India to be more vocal and more conscious about their rights and responsibilities.
If they do not believe in our existing form of democratic system, let them express it clearly and publicly. Do they fear?
The same very people chose a few places like the capital of the country and certain states to receive maximum media attention. Neither these people nor the media choose to go to smaller towns or villages. Are those people not a part of India or are their views irrelevant? Has anybody forgotten the fate of India Shining campaign? Haves or have-nots have the same rights and responsibilities. Geographical privileges must be abandoned if one would advocate democracy. Is there any need for such irresponsible act in the name of social activism? That is why we need to worry.
We already have a democratic system in place. This system seems to be defunct at many times as our entire population is not vocal. Many people live in conditions deprived of basic facilities including their access to information. They are very much the part of our society, and they cannot be deprived of being called civil. We must include them in the democratic process like M K Gandhi had done several decades ago. Please do not make a farce of democracy by fasting in capital cities of the country. Go back to your root!
I take your point, Ashwini-ji – it is, of course, a matter of concern that the unfolding of ‘civil society leadeship’ seems less than inspiring, given the evident lack – if so un-Gandhian – of genuine involvement of ordinary Indians, be they the ‘rural poor’ or ‘urban dispossessed’! There is also the issue of regarding ‘fast’ as no more than a tool for ‘political blackmail’, and thereby anti-democracy.
I would partcularly take issue with the composition of the panel – it is anything but representative of ‘ordinary’ Indians – for whose benefit this is ostensibly all about!
That said, the rather stark reality of Indian democracy in action, is even more worrying than the increasingly visible ‘flaws’ of the Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement! The so-called virtuosities of ‘freedom’ and ‘parliamentary democracy’ – so hard-won, as it was! – can hardly said to have served ordinary Indians to their true potential. If anything, India’s much-vaunted economic ascent of recent years has served only to widen the gulf between the haves and have-nots, and at least one of the principal culprits for this sorry state of affairs is corruption in public life, especially the corrupt ways of so-called democratic representatives in state legislatures and national parliament. That leaves an ordinary Indian with no option but to supplant, if unwillingly, the tenets of democracy (that has failed to bring about change for better), and consider supporting supposedly ‘non-parliamentary’ means such as fast.
Ideally, the anti-corruption movement will become more inclusive, and hopefully, the need to resort to ‘fast’ will vanish – for the parliamentary democracy will improve so much! But until that happens, the sort of thing that AH is doing remains the only source of hope for an ordinary Indian – worrying though it may seem!
Dt Rashmin Tamhne
Thank you so much for your opinion and lucid elaboration of your perception. I greatly value them.
I would then re-emphasize my thoughts about a need for social movement promoting democratic values among people and urging these daring people to embrace electoral means to get into Parliament to convert ours into a functional democracy.
Ashwinibhai
Well written and nice, clear line of thought.
Let me respond & debate some of the key issues in A Farce of Fasting – All in Democracy with some more details …
You write:
‘We already have a democratic system in place. This system seems to be defunct at many times as our entire population is not vocal. Many people live in conditions deprived of basic facilities including their access to information.’
Yes India is a democracy. Of 1.21 billion people.
using the Indian way of measuring, 120 crores people live here. Out of these, 50% of the people – 60 crores are below the age of 25.
We are getting younger and have tremendous potential – possibly the most amongst all nations of the world who are getting older. In that sense, this timespan – 2000 to 2100 would be simply a great century for India.
The flip side is that more than 50% of these people are POOR.
You write:
‘Many people live in conditions deprived of basic facilities including their access to information.’
Let me state it accurately:
60 crores are POOR. VERY POOR. So poor that they do not get food to eat even once a day.
And that is where a FAST assumes significance. That is why Gandhiji adopted it as a non violent instrument of protest.
Anna Hazare did the same and please remember his was not a token one day fast – it was a fast unto DEATH. Let me emphasize that it was NOT a ‘Farce of Fasting.’
Now let us turn to ‘All in Democracy.’
‘We already have a democratic system in place. This system seems to be defunct at many times as our entire population is not vocal.’
How can a person dying of hunger be vocal?
A democratic system has four pillars – legislature, judiciary, executive and the press. Over 60 years, the political class in this country and this includes ALL political parties has completely monopolized the vote market.
Anna Hazare knows this.
Our judiciary is one of the most inefficient institutions in human history. Everyone agrees to this. But the political class is NOT keen to change it. Simply because they are the ones who gain from it. They might cut a helpless image like Manmohan Singh and mouth compulsions but they do not WANT to do anything about it.
And that is why one bill does not get attention for more than 40 years!
Anna Hazare’s fast & movement had and has one single minded focus – ACT on that bill – the Lokpal bill.
Yes we hold elections and elect our representatives every four years. It is the job of the elected representatives to make laws that WORK for people – especially POOR people. Any Indian MUST and CAN have a say in the making of these laws.
Anna Hazare made sure that the voice of ordinary people – (call them civil society if you like) is heard while making laws. That is how the Right to Information came into existence in Maharashtra.
Making laws is NOT about elected representatives getting into a huddle and leaving ordinary people OUT of the process. The law making process MUST include the voice of ordinary people.
Today, for the first time such a phenomenon is taking place. It is important that we the well fed SUPPORT it 100%.
The political establishment does not actually like it!
But they have dirtied our political system so badly in 60 years that it is impossible for they themselves to clean up. And that is where civil society has a role to play. Remember civil society is the very foundation of a democracy.
Let the Lokpal be a reality. And we would have taken the first landmark step which would shape our century.
As I have mentioned in my blog, I greatly appreciate the fasting episode (first paragraph of my blog post above). Till they were enlightening people of India with their view points by means of fasting, it was OK. I support the Lokpal Bill. But who are these handful of people to draft the bill? How are they be called the voice of India? Let them come to electoral politics and gain responsibility with due recognition from people. Why did they jump into power corridor through back door? Why do they just do dramas in capital cities? Is it not true that they want media attention while media mostly moves around the power corridor!
I can very well imagine the extent of highlights in media regarding the fasting episode after India Shining campaign a few years ago. The same set of people who were applauding India due to economic development during India Shining campaign, are now telling India has not grown up economically. Where do they find this information? From field studies? No, they listen what front-line media houses tell and tend to believe. If we meet people away from capital cities, you get a completely different picture of development and view on corruption. People are of view that executives in government and corporate are the culprits. Whom do you believe?
In democracy, elected politicians must be equally or less corrupt than an average citizen. That is why they are elected by us. Let ourselves be better, and elect better people as our representatives. Daring people criticizing politicians must come forward to join politics and bring changes in system.
About Anna Hazare as person, I greatly respect him for his social work in Maharashtra, and I would be happy like many others if he can contribute at national level. But NOT in this way, certainly, at the expense of our democratic system.
About Political Parties, many people from both leading national parties like Congress and BJP have been proven corrupt. Even people of regional parties in different states of India have now been accused of larger corruption charges. But I would not be ambiguous to accuse our democracy and political system as a corrupt one. At least, not now! : )
Initially, I was a fan of this movement. However, now I realize what you are saying. Movement to increase awareness about our rights, evils of corruption and accounting of our elected representatives is the part played leading citizens and organizations working in the welfare of the people as well as nation. However, if radical changes are required, they must be done on an electoral platform. What Anna and group have done is brought an awareness among people. However, with the developments post fasting, it seems to be the plain old story of politicians and NGO’s back in the work. While I respect Anna, I think he must create a platform for a political party that will have individuals who are willing to bring a change in the corruption rather than the current fasting and back door entry to make a bill. I strongly agree with your sentiments. There is a very huge risk that miscreants can do greater harm to India, all in the name of Anna. Thank you so much for such a wonderful article.