In the recent past we have had two strong movements against corruption in India, viz., those of Baba Ramdev and Anna Hazare. And there have been multiple criticisms of both of these movements, including the criticism of Baba Ramdev movement by Anna Hazare movement, and so on.
India has had crusades against corruption every now and then. Many elections have been fought on this ground. However, what distinguishes the present movements is that they are mass movements led by people who are not professional politicians.
We have presented our reading of the crisis and the recent trends. Recently there has been a spate of critical reviews of peoples' movements, for example the Anna movement, by various authors. Some of them have a reasonable tone, for example this piece by Vaidyanathan, while there are many, for example this and this, which are by Dumb-fucks.
Let us first state two relevant facts:
1. Corruption is a BIG problem in India and any denial of this would be stupidity.
2. Politicians and political leadership has utterly failed in dealing with this malaise, rather our election system has fostered increasing corruption.
Thus, there is a huge problem, nothing is apparently being done, and something desperately needs to be done. In light of this, what is the choice that the large number of people, who suffer corruption on a daily basis, have? Should they resign to these problems? Should they merely keep hoping that the dumb-fuck politicians will wake up one day?
Unfortunately most politicians are in denial. And thus they are criticizing both the ends and the means of the peoples' movement.
One of the most natural things that a large number of people who face similar problems do is to try to organize themselves. Thus they start looking for possibilities of such an organic coming together. Both Baba Ramdev and Anna Hazare provided a ray of hope and thus people thronged to them.
It is not that Anna and Baba are free from their own problems. However, those problems are different from issues that are being raised by many of the dumb-fuck critics.
Wrong Criticisms:
Criticisms based on supremacy of the parliament, infallibility of the constitution, and pressure and black-mailing tactics of the people's movement are all misplaced and wrong.
Even worse are criticisms based on non-inclusion of Dalits and Muslims, preponderance of middle class and participation by uninvolved masses for mere entertainment.
Right Criticism:
Neither Anna nor Baba are questioning the fundamental premises and assumptions which are governing our nation. No such movement can lead to any real solution to problems unless we analyze, question and then with a deep understanding discard Socialism, Secularism, Gandhism, and Social-Justice though Affirmative Action.
Thus if these movements do not engender informed and serious debates and dialectical process to arrive at an understanding of all of these foundational issues, these movements will get reduced to cheer-leading groups.
For example, in the aftermath of attack on peaceful protesters on the night of June 4, 2011, when Ramdev declared that he would train people in the art of self defense, everyone including Anna rose to criticize the move as non-nonviolent and anarchist. It is an irony that many criticize even Anna movement as anarchist. Nobody, including Baba and Anna, asks simple questions like: What is wrong in self defense? Why should a citizen not defend himself against state if it is evil? Why is anarchy necessarily bad? Are we any better off than anarchy?
Similarly, why should we assume that poorer people are inherently more moral compared to the rich? Why should middle class not pursue its self interest? Why should people not exert pressure over government? Why is pressure tactic of the people criticized while insensitivity, non-responsiveness and ineffectual nature of government never brought to question?
Dumb-fucks like Arundhati Roy, Binayak Sen want to give away the right to secede to militants, but they want to refuse the middle class the right to protest against injustice meted out to them! As*-holes like Digvijay Singh want to grant Muslims the right to burn Hindu-pilgrims, but they consider even a hint of a thought of a Hindu retaliation more evil than corruption! These deserve to taught lessons that they will never forget.
What Can Serious Politicians Do?
Serious politicians must use this opportunity to realize their utter failure and therefore they must begin a deep intellectual churning within themselves and in their community for resolving above mentioned issues related to fundamental concepts.
What Should Serious People Do?
Serious people must also collectively as well as individually examine above mentioned deeper issues and understand fundamental concepts.
We Need a Philosophical Awakening:
The biggest corruption that we are suffering from is the corruption in our ideas. As we mentioned here, we need to awaken ourselves and then transform our society (through education) and our system (through systemic reforms). And that needs a philosophical awakening in ourselves both individually and collectively. We need to see the false as false and shun it in favor of truth.
The right criticism of Anna and Baba is that they are not aiming at philosophical awakening. Rather they seem to offer superficial solution to symptoms of deep rooted maladies. And any other criticisms are wrong criticisms, however much they may try to sound serious by using terms like parliamentary democracy, constitutionalism and so on, or meaningless Marxist-Stalinist-Jawaharian swear-words.
And of course we need to remind:
O Hindus, realize that no politician is representing you! So you need to choose and send politicians from among yourselves. Make new politicians, make new political parties. Encourage people with spine to become your representatives. Otherwise you will be led by a bunch of Mohandas and Jawahar clones. And surely they will lead you to your doom!
Also, we would also remind the people what we said after election 2009. We have copy pasted from here.
India has had crusades against corruption every now and then. Many elections have been fought on this ground. However, what distinguishes the present movements is that they are mass movements led by people who are not professional politicians.
We have presented our reading of the crisis and the recent trends. Recently there has been a spate of critical reviews of peoples' movements, for example the Anna movement, by various authors. Some of them have a reasonable tone, for example this piece by Vaidyanathan, while there are many, for example this and this, which are by Dumb-fucks.
Let us first state two relevant facts:
1. Corruption is a BIG problem in India and any denial of this would be stupidity.
2. Politicians and political leadership has utterly failed in dealing with this malaise, rather our election system has fostered increasing corruption.
Thus, there is a huge problem, nothing is apparently being done, and something desperately needs to be done. In light of this, what is the choice that the large number of people, who suffer corruption on a daily basis, have? Should they resign to these problems? Should they merely keep hoping that the dumb-fuck politicians will wake up one day?
Unfortunately most politicians are in denial. And thus they are criticizing both the ends and the means of the peoples' movement.
One of the most natural things that a large number of people who face similar problems do is to try to organize themselves. Thus they start looking for possibilities of such an organic coming together. Both Baba Ramdev and Anna Hazare provided a ray of hope and thus people thronged to them.
It is not that Anna and Baba are free from their own problems. However, those problems are different from issues that are being raised by many of the dumb-fuck critics.
Wrong Criticisms:
Criticisms based on supremacy of the parliament, infallibility of the constitution, and pressure and black-mailing tactics of the people's movement are all misplaced and wrong.
Even worse are criticisms based on non-inclusion of Dalits and Muslims, preponderance of middle class and participation by uninvolved masses for mere entertainment.
Right Criticism:
Neither Anna nor Baba are questioning the fundamental premises and assumptions which are governing our nation. No such movement can lead to any real solution to problems unless we analyze, question and then with a deep understanding discard Socialism, Secularism, Gandhism, and Social-Justice though Affirmative Action.
Thus if these movements do not engender informed and serious debates and dialectical process to arrive at an understanding of all of these foundational issues, these movements will get reduced to cheer-leading groups.
For example, in the aftermath of attack on peaceful protesters on the night of June 4, 2011, when Ramdev declared that he would train people in the art of self defense, everyone including Anna rose to criticize the move as non-nonviolent and anarchist. It is an irony that many criticize even Anna movement as anarchist. Nobody, including Baba and Anna, asks simple questions like: What is wrong in self defense? Why should a citizen not defend himself against state if it is evil? Why is anarchy necessarily bad? Are we any better off than anarchy?
Similarly, why should we assume that poorer people are inherently more moral compared to the rich? Why should middle class not pursue its self interest? Why should people not exert pressure over government? Why is pressure tactic of the people criticized while insensitivity, non-responsiveness and ineffectual nature of government never brought to question?
Dumb-fucks like Arundhati Roy, Binayak Sen want to give away the right to secede to militants, but they want to refuse the middle class the right to protest against injustice meted out to them! As*-holes like Digvijay Singh want to grant Muslims the right to burn Hindu-pilgrims, but they consider even a hint of a thought of a Hindu retaliation more evil than corruption! These deserve to taught lessons that they will never forget.
What Can Serious Politicians Do?
Serious politicians must use this opportunity to realize their utter failure and therefore they must begin a deep intellectual churning within themselves and in their community for resolving above mentioned issues related to fundamental concepts.
What Should Serious People Do?
Serious people must also collectively as well as individually examine above mentioned deeper issues and understand fundamental concepts.
We Need a Philosophical Awakening:
The biggest corruption that we are suffering from is the corruption in our ideas. As we mentioned here, we need to awaken ourselves and then transform our society (through education) and our system (through systemic reforms). And that needs a philosophical awakening in ourselves both individually and collectively. We need to see the false as false and shun it in favor of truth.
The right criticism of Anna and Baba is that they are not aiming at philosophical awakening. Rather they seem to offer superficial solution to symptoms of deep rooted maladies. And any other criticisms are wrong criticisms, however much they may try to sound serious by using terms like parliamentary democracy, constitutionalism and so on, or meaningless Marxist-Stalinist-Jawaharian swear-words.
And of course we need to remind:
O Hindus, realize that no politician is representing you! So you need to choose and send politicians from among yourselves. Make new politicians, make new political parties. Encourage people with spine to become your representatives. Otherwise you will be led by a bunch of Mohandas and Jawahar clones. And surely they will lead you to your doom!
Also, we would also remind the people what we said after election 2009. We have copy pasted from here.
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 performance. At the very least look at their potential 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.
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 performance. At the very least look at their potential 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.
