The Farce of a Debate on Lokpal

On Headlines Today, there was a cacophonous exchange of din in the name of "Debate". Not only did Anna Hazare, but everyone there performed like a true Mohandasian; so much so that Anna appeared to be the least Gandhian of them all! The quality of exchange was so abysmally low that any viewer would have felt ashamed of being even a spectator!

Shouting, screaming, finger-pointing, incessant interruptions during other persons' speech, a clown imposting as moderator (Rahul Kanwal); all ingredients that make a debate a non-debate were there.

Each participant thought that he or she was above all suspicion and scrutiny and was privy to the noblest and highest of truths!

Those who might have taken a look at the wikipedia page on the list of fallacies or elsewhere would have easily realized that every kind of fallacious argument was made by those participants.

If this is the state of our intellectuals, then we must hang our heads in shame! Better still, we must realize that they are as much "Intellectual" as much they claim themselves to be "Civil"! Frankly speaking, we never thought that Supreme Court lawyers, self proclaimed eminent journalists and so on would demonstrate such low standards. All in all the exchange was as unintellectual and uncivil as there can be.

We think, we the peoples of India have to urgently do a reality check. And as individuals we must realize our weaknesses and shortcomings and strive to overcome them. More importantly, as citizens, we must strive to implement mechanism to dislodge incompetent people from positions of responsibilities.

As we wrote earlier:

It is not what they say they can do. But what they have demonstrated that they can do, that must decide who we vote for.

Remember: Performance, and not Promises matter.

Look at the Promises: 1950 (Electricity, Water, Roads), 1970 (Electricity, Water, Roads), 1990 (Electricity, Water, Roads), 2009 (Electricity, Water, Roads), 2020 (Electricity, Water, Roads ???)

Look at the Performance: 1950 (Power Cuts, Water Scarcity, Pot holes), 1970 (Power Cuts, Water Scarcity, Pot holes), 1990 (Power Cuts, Water Scarcity, Pot holes), 2009 (Power Cuts, Water Scarcity, Pot holes), 2020 (Power Cuts, Water Scarcity, Pot holes ???)

So, don't look at promises, look at performace. At the very least look at theirpotential to perform and then critically evaluate their performance.

Remember: Consistent non-performers won't turn into performers over-night.

If you make a wrong choice, you condemn and hurt not just yourself but also your children, your grand-children and their future.

Make Right-Choice. And exercise your choice.

They have made you pay till now, now it's your turn to make them pay.

In 2014 don't just think of voting, decide to contest in elections.

Our beloved mother-land needs not just your vote, it needs you.

If those who you elect do not perform, you must get elected and perform.