Now that Anna Hazare’s fast is over, what will be its ramifications (Anna Domini, Aug 29)? Since we allowed it for one cause, no matter how noble, will we now allow fasts for all? For, who is to say which cause is more worthy, whether Anna’s crusade against graft was a worthier cause than, say, a crusade against tiger poachers? By capitulating thus, we have set a precedent whereby the government will be expected to acquiesce before any form of civic pressure in the form of such fasts. What would happen if the cause was not a near-unanimous one but a deeply polarising issue, like reservations? What if two large groups of people, in opposing camps, decided to go on fasts for their respective beliefs? Who will the government give in to then? And what would happen to the other side? Will they be allowed to die? I had no quarrel with Anna’s cause but was disappointed at his blackmail. There is indeed a simpler answer to all of this. If this is a people’s movement; there is something the people can do: stop buying into the system. It is very easy to hold Manmohan Singh accountable for all the corruption in this country, but what about you, me and the rest of us?
Ambar Walia, on e-mail
The media has played a dubious role in Anna’s agitation. What corruption are we talking about, only the obvious one of the politician? What about corruption among ngos, advocates, corporates and the rest? And how can Team Anna call it the Jan Lokpal bill, when they did not invite suggestions from the public before they drafted it? They need to spell out how people’s democracy will work if it wants to do away with representative democracy.
Deendayal M. Lulla, Mumbai
The mode of Anna’s anti-corruption movement was both praiseworthy and dangerous. Among its positives, one must grant that it mobilised enormous support for a much-needed protest against corruption. But its very runaway success can equally be dangerous as it can well degenerate into total chaos and subversion of the democratic order. Really, in a free country, no individual can obstinately claim that he alone knows what’s best for the nation and refuse to negotiate on anything else. Moreover, Team Anna also has to realise that the Lokpal bill alone is no panacea for corruption unless there is respect for the rule of law by each and every one of us.
Niloy Kumar Roy, Calcutta
I did not read your cover story as I did not want to be influenced. But I did see the TV channels and even heard Vinod Mehta. I live in a village on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border and have been a subscriber of the magazine for several years. My first objections are directed towards the entity called Team Anna. It was disgusting to see Kiran Bedi inciting crowds the way she did, by holding MPs to ridicule. The MPs might be corrupt, foolish or whatever, but We the People (including Kiran Bedi herself) gave ourselves the Constitution and voted them into Parliament. Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan might have had their victories against the government in the past but seem to have forgotten the saying, “the past is a crutch if you want to walk into the future”. You have made your point with the government but now stay away from the cameras. But this is not to exonerate Manmohan Singh. His has been a betrayal of the oath of office he took in 2004 and then again in 2009—of doing things without fear or favour. If he could show his mettle during the Indo-US nuclear deal, why not now?
S.Y. Savur, Bangalore
So what lessons have we learnt from the Anna agitation? Rebel for a cause, pressurise parliamentarians, gherao MPs, bulldoze elected governments, set deadlines unilaterally and insist that your demands alone be met? Just whom were these people representing? What mandate did they have that they made a complete mockery of the world’s largest democracy and held its Parliament hostage.
Mohammed Abdul Gaffar, Hyderabad
To all those disagreeing with Anna’s method citing the supremacy of Parliament, I’d like to ask: What do they take us for? That we’ll keep blowing with the wind? We know what Parliament can do but does not do. This movement’s idea was that: to remind parliamentarians about what they should be doing, nothing more.
Ayoung Konyak, Kohima
We are facing a crisis because of a lack of social leaders who can show the way to our predominantly aimless people. In the name of non-violence, Anna Hazare led an intolerant, irresponsible and adamant movement that paralysed the Indian democratic system. If the Lokpal bill is to be written under the dictation of Anna and his group, why send representatives to Parliament at all? At the same time, one must realise there is a wall between civil society and the political leadership that could not be broken through dialogue. It’s time political leaders showed more responsibility, transparency and involvement with the people.
Uttam Kumar Bhowmik, Dhalhara
The Indian middle class cannot desert Manmohan Singh because it was his reforms that brought them to where they are today.
K.P. Joseph, Kalarickal
Two of his actions tell us a great deal about Anna Hazare. When he was accused of having RSS/BJP connections, he said the accusers should be referred to a mental hospital. Then when the prime minister inquired after his health, he wanted to know why it took him 10 days to do so.
Mukul Dube, Delhi
It’s unlikely we will have a prime minister as clean as Dr Manmohan Singh—any time soon or in several years to come. This is an opportunity for him to get a proper bill on scrutiny of politicians to prevent corruption. It’ll be a crowning achievement for him.
Vinod Gangadharan, Bangalore
Corruption can be minimised by vigilance over ministers, legislators and bureaucrats, who generally act in tandem to have their way. Seizure of property and long jail terms are the only way to check corruption. And the rules should be framed in a way that the higher a person’s office, the higher should be his responsibility. The tragedy of our nation is a lack of education, especially in the humanities. How many of the crowd that gathered around Anna Hazare have an idea of the Constitution and the legal framework of our nation, or of political science and history.
J.N. Bharatiya, Hyderabad
Corruption seems to run in the veins of Indians. Bringing the present government to its knees and making it eat humble pie is not a victory; some other people will take a place in government and the same cycle will continue. I do hope it is a passing phase. If, for every issue, people take to the streets, it is going to put normal life out of gear.
V.C. Parthasarathy, on e-mail
People out on the streets cannot—and should not—be running the country. Who voted them in, in the first place? And whose hands are clean that you want to give him or her the next status of leader? Democracy thrives on opposition; if we bring the system down to its knees, the way the crowds have done, does it mean democracy has failed?
Jayalakshmi Chellappa, on e-mail
Quite often we hear the view that the demand for a Jan Lokpal bill is unjustified as it will not in itself end corruption. This is like saying the ipc, the CrPC and other laws are unjustified and irrelevant because they have not ended crime. As Anna Hazare said, the law will only end 60 per cent of corruption; for the rest we need election and police reforms, more judges for speedy administering of justice and an independent CBI.
Anumon Lakshmi, on e-mail
When the cacophony—of a vocal civil society and the senile chants of an opposition—reach a crescendo, the voice of reason is lost. Whether to have the Lokpal or Jan Lokpal bill is not the issue. The real issue is eradication of corruption. The Jan Lokpal bill is publicised as the Brahmastra to destroy corruption, never mind that it will create a new bureaucracy, a super inspector raj. So when this new set of bureaucrats turn corrupt, over time, will we have yet another set to supervise them? And the cost of setting up this vigilante group is to be borne by the government—that is, by you and me, the taxpayers. Anna’s claim to fame is ridding Ralegan Siddhi of alcoholism. And he did not achieve this by ending the sale of liquor or through social counselling. He simply tied those who were drunk to a pole and let his belt do the talking. Arvind Kejriwal, instead of striking against the I-T department, where he worked, or squealing on his corrupt colleagues, formed self-help groups to help I-T filers with their woes, explaining the nitty-gritty of law to them. This worked, to a certain extent. What we need is total transparency in the existing set-up, not a new one to fight corruption. Corruption will end only when people stop taking short-cuts.
Manmeet Singh, Hubli
Your articles should have said that many of those in Parliament should rightly be in jail and many of those in Ramlila Maidan should rightly be in Parliament.
Sanjay Ranade, Pune
The Jan Lokpal bill Anna suggests envisages an overarching institution to keep watch on the pillars of our democracy. It seems to appeal only to the urban, affluent middle class. It is certainly not perfect, and could do well to include dereliction of duty on part of officials who, say, do not act on complaints of atrocities against Dalits. It should also address the exploitation of workers and marginalised communities. But more importantly, the middle class needs to ask itself if it is ready to deal with moral corruption, which is eating away the vitals of our democracy. This cannot be achieved by shouting slogans in support of Anna.
Sunil Kumar, Delhi
If we go by what the Jan Lokpal bill suggests, this overarching entity will become the largest department in the nation. India will change from a democracy to a Lokpal-shahi.
Deepak, on e-mail
Like blind men feeling an elephant, the reactions of Aruna Roy, Binayak Sen, Krishna Ananth, Dipankar Gupta, Kiran Bedi and Medha Patkar each spoke merely from one point of view. Though non-Congress parties may be gleeful at the Congress’s discomfiture, they must remember the heat will touch them soon enough.
K. Suresh, Bangalore
If anything had happened to Anna Hazare, I would never have paid a bribe to any government servant to get anything done.
Arun Pungalia, Jodhpur
It is an indisputable fact that the people of India are seething with rage and no longer willing to see their country looted by cliques of corrupt politicians. Team Anna’s distrust of Parliament is hazardous, though. What we need is a well-thought-out bill to end the menace of corruption. Democracy is as much about the right to vote as it is about the freedom to disobey and disagree.
Padmini Raghavendra, Secunderabad
At a time when we are seeing global governments increasingly allowing public intervention in political decision-making, our own upa was going back in time, trying to adopt a dictatorial Lokpal model. Let its leaders not play the flute like Nero when the country is burning in the inferno of corruption.
Dilbag Rai, Chandigarh
It is sickening that a venal Congress was trying to shoot the messenger when an opportunity of a lifetime to set some historic wrongs right had come its way. The very man who was defending Laloo and Amar in the standing committee is now preaching pious platitudes.
Vishal Malhotra, Dehradun
No one from the Anna camp says or believes that the Jan Lokpal is a panacea for all ills. It’s just a step in the right direction. If there are lacunae, it can be corrected. By the way, where has that rabid Manish Tewary disappeared to?
P.H. Bhanage, Mumbai
