2011 has been a sweet and sour year for India — from a Cricket World Cup victory to a momentary awakening of the otherwise lethargic citizenry to fight against corruption. But the year has ended on a sour and dark note; both on the cricket pitch and the political pitch.
Last night, the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, speaking about the Lokpal Bill not being put to vote, said, “Biggest ever Parliamentary fraud was committed at the stroke of midnight.” While Jaitley added Nehru’s “tryst with destiny” speech to spice up his attack, his colleague Sushma Swaraj took the mythological route. She compared the chaos and cunning that occurred in the Parliament to the disrobing scene of Draupadi from the epic Mahabharata where emperor Bheeshma and teacher Dhrona remained mute spectators, doing nothing to stop it. Sushma Swaraj said that just like in the epic, in the Congress too the two senior men, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, not only sat as mute spectators but were also instrumental in the disrobing (insult) of democracy.
But we would like to know where was “mother” Sushma when the Bellary brothers raped our mother Karnataka? Where was she when her sons disrobed our State Assembly? We want to know where was the BJP’s Bheeshma, Atal Behari Vajpayee and its Drona L. K. Advani when Mother India was being disrobed in the form of corruption by its Ministers during their era.
Why didn’t the BJP table the Lokpal Bill during their rule, that too when it was a Bill introduced by their own BJP man Laxmi Mall Singhvi, who ironically happens to be the father of the now Lokpal Standing Committee Chairman and Congress Spokesperson Manu Singhvi! (Yes, such is life). Why didn’t the BJP bring back the black money that they scream of now? Why didn’t they investigate and close the Bofors scandal case? Why didn’t they bring back Rajiv Gandhi’s black money as mentioned by their own BJP MP Ram Jethmalani? Why, why, why?
Because, birds of the same feather flock together and they have flocked together in Delhi to ru(i)n this country. India today is ruled by politicians who think, act and make laws like they are the new zamindars of this so called free India. Today politics is a family business and the wealth of India is distributed amongst them and their industry elite friends. India today is the fiefdom of a horde of old political horses and their new brats who now have turned it into full - fledged “fleece – dom” — looting the nation fearlessly.
On the other hand, Singhvi of Congress said that the drama in the Parliament was not orchestrated and added “Assassins are blaming the victims. BJP is the true murderer of democracy and the Lokpal Bill.” But we would like to remind Manu Singhvi that their very own Pranab Mukherjee, LKA (Lovingly Known As) Pranab babu was present as a Congress Minister the day Indian democracy was murdered when Indira Gandhi declared Emergency. The same Pranab babu was summoned before the Shah Commission where he refused to resign just like his leader Mrs. Gandhi. It is the same Drona of the Congress who was exposed by Indian Express Newspaper’s S. Gurumurthy and Arun Shourie for helping Reliance Industries against Bombay Dyeing Group through differential taxation in textile industry. Back then too, as now, Pranab babu was the Finance Minister of India.
So, all parties are the same. Like there is honour amongst thieves, there is an understanding between political parties — “When we come to power you keep mum; when you come to power we’ll keep mum and let us together loot this nation”. That is why many of us believe that the recent Parliamentary chaos with regards to the Lokpal Bill vote was an all-party production. None of the political parties wanted the Bill to pass.
Arun Jaitley may have mocked the no-vote session as "flee - dom at midnight" and said that a government that runs away from a vote has no right to rule the nation even for a minute. But then by the same logic, an opposition, which introduces amendments, 187 of them, some contradictory, just a few hours before a Bill is to be voted into law, has no right to sit in the opposition even for a minute.
What kind of opposition do we have who cannot even go through a Bill, discuss it with experts and then suggest well in advance the changes they expect? Also, we wonder why didn’t all parties let this Lokpal Bill pass and then debate and make the necessary amendments? Isn’t our Constitution amended from time to time? So why not Lokpal Bill?
Instead they all screamed and shouted; one even dramatically tore the Bill. In essence the now oft - repeated term “sense of the House” reflected that there was “non – sense in the House”. And to add insult to injury, the timid Speaker adjourned the session and all the MPs stood for the national song. They looked like living statues deaf to the meaning in the lyrics of the national song. This was the defining moment in the mockery of Indian democracy. A meaningless debate ended with cold mechanical show of patriotism. And these party MPs have the nerve to say that people’s protest against corruption and coercion by fasting to get strong anti - corruption Bill is blackmailing the Parliament and anti - democratic?!
The Indian democracy was not murdered on the night of 30th December 2011. Indian democracy has never been murdered; it has always been kept half - alive. The abuse of our democracy began just a few months after we got it when the then PM Nehru promoted Krishna Menon, an accused in the jeep deal scam, to a Ministerial position instead of suspending him. Our democracy was murdered when his daughter declared Emergency. Our democracy has been kept in “half - murdered” state by both politicians and the citizens of this country who still have not learnt how to behave and live in a democracy, how to participate in a democracy and the importance of being proactive in a democracy.
In spite of this blatant mockery we Indians do not revolt. The youth are not on the streets and so the government will never be on its knees. Mumbaiites stand in the hundreds in front of Shah Rukh Khan’s house on his birthday to wish him but don't have the time to show support to an anti - corruption movement.
Crooks will always rule a nation of self - centered cowards. They deserve to be. That is why we were the longest ruled race on the planet. Sadly we continue to be, unfortunately by our own.
It is baffling how an intelligent, ingenious and survivalist people like us are unable to make logical choices when it comes to our politics, rights, and nation. Hopefully, time will heal what reason cannot. Hope, next year will be a step towards mature India and politically mature Indians.
Dear readers, I hope you all have a fantastic year ahead, filled with enriching experiences. I also thank you all for reading what I write and hopefully I have done my job of entertaining, informing and evoking a moment of introspection or a smile in you.
Once again, wish you all a very Happy New Year.
Vikram Muthanna
vikram@starofmysore.com
Courtesy: Star of Mysore
