My rational friend and I were speaking on this Anna campaign and why it is a fascist trend, ably aided by electronic media. He had a valid point. The Army chief spoke publicly on civil society & governance while in uniform. First time ever in 65 years. It does perplex me that no media or politician raised an alarm. Especially someone like Laloo, Sharad Yadav & Paswan who has a better sense about these things than other ‘educated’ MPs, civil society or other citizens. I’m surprised that they have not understood the ramifications of his statement or they just ignored it, either way a huge mistake.
We are a democracy and it is sad that we haven’t understood it. Nor do we respect it. The role of the military according to the Constitution of India is to defend, secure & attack in defence. If the chief of this force passes remarks on the political scenario, it is undemocratic & unconstitutional. The Army chief’s dabbling in internal politics is not something that should be taken lightly. The Army chief has absolutely no business to interfere in the political functioning, considering so much is happening within the army. Instead Gen V K Singh should check infiltration, boost morale of the army & let me remind you, of primary importance – STOP the army excesses in Kashmir and the North East.
Speaking of Gen Singh, he has 2 dates of birth. Though he had given in writing 1950 as the year & then the politics that followed. Then he appeases MPs, ministers & now calls them corrupt. other army officials have taken over plots, made excesses on existing land & behaved in very ‘Adarsh’ style. Gen Singh needs to clean up his backyard before talking about politics or governance. As for the excesses & human rights violations, your claims are a mockery. The people are currently on a high, carried away by the whole Ramayan that unfolded on Ramlila grounds. Very selectively public at large is focussing on issues independently & this unreported event has been ignored.
The RSS & its various branches have aided this whole movement, something that Ashok Singhal publicly admitted to. Two months ago I broke the news with CD evidence of the famous meeting b/w Ramdev Baba, leading RSS dignitaries in Nagpur, in March planning for this campaign. World over, corruption as a broad issue, has been highlighted by the fascists who want to capitalise on unstable or on the downward economic trend. Take for example, Hitler, before he came to power, the centrists & communists were ruling; If you notice he had also raised the issues of corruption, demanding accountability & linking it to socialism. Such aren’t bothered about killings or excesses by those in uniform. It was only with the rise of Communists, that Hitler was compelled to include socialism in his agenda. He had demanded transparency, effective governance, eradication of corruption. He won & the minute he came to power he dissolved the very existing structures. I strongly believe same is with the VK Singh.
Meanwhile the economy also has not been looking up. The inflation figs have touched double digit & GDP levels fluctuated hitting a low, which is not a good sign. Hence the public anger mounted against inflation, ministers involved in scams & an apparent indifferent govt. This time the April campaign of Anna took place. The Delhi media had just begun the romance & few jittery Congressmen began flirting with Anna & in this chaos comes along a Gen who too brazenly displays his affection for civil society agitation, Anna & the pro-governance lobby. It was a private event, organised by former leading journalists & VK Singh was appreciated for his frank speech. When in uniform, an army chief displays his political ideology i doubt the patriotism such proudly claim. How was he not questioned by the govt? Once in uniform, anything private too is public, that’s the norm. His open favouring certain school of thought also is scary for the govt. wc needs to distrust him.
However, when everything is seen in isolation the larger pic is missed & that’s not being naïve. For people to be ill-informed, isn’t a good sign at all. I believe & have learnt that everything that happens is LINKED & is no coincidence. In the interim 2 leading contracts were NOT given to USA. Despite the fact that the Indian PM, Manmohan Singh’s proximity to Prez Obama & Prez’s official visit to India, US didn’t get these 2 contracts. Since last 4 years US economy is in trillions of $ of losses. These contracts would have made all the difference to them. This wasn’t going unnoticed. Meanwhile reports across the world were -India is the next superpower, India is the next destination & Prez Obama was hoping we help them raise jobs for their citizens. The 2 contracts are – Jaitapur nuclear power project is given to Areva Evolutionary Pressurised Reactors, a French company. This is worth $ 1lac crore, Second was US losing the CEIP’s Tellis offer, a fighter jet contract, which went to EADS’ Eurofighter, this is $2.5 lac crore. This means innumerable potential job loss to USA-while they considered these a hope for the revival of their economy. Worth noting is leading funding agencies of US are working in India & giving aid to civil society activists & many a govt project – World Bank, Ford Foundation, other leading agencies. The fact that 1000s of Civil Society individuals & organisations are getting funds fm US in India, is an open secret. While there are also European funding agencies which is a formidable lobby. So, there are 2 lobbies aided by various ideological funding agencies & backed by strong countries.
While on one hand, there is World Bank & allied American funding agencies like Ford Foundation, they give aid to one section-Anna team, on the other, leading European funding agencies (Netherlands, Norway, Scandanavian countries) are aiding another front of activists –Aruna Roy, etc. The 2 have varying ideals, methodologies & never the twain shall meet. The JLP bill pushed by Kejriwal, Kiran & Anna, is more right wing. rignally this bill was moved by BJP. It speaks of dissolution of all democratic, constitutional structures & systems. The signs are clear, all his actions are political when in uniform and anti-govt.
More facts & evidences will come out in few months. Imagine, then the Gen speaking in favour of these people & their work, it is scary. The thought fascist and actions that can’t are political, all of which contrary to their duty.
Phew!
So Vande Matram irks?
Phew-phew !
It is a very good article indeed! However, the more one look into this article, we get loose ends to analyse so as in the case of JLP. See anybody can spread rumours of any size and depth…!But a movement like this is the pulse of the nation, whatever certain said & done! The stories of US not getting the contracts and funding patterns are all fine…! But there are many other developments and under currents flowing in the current regime, which very few people have control over…!
Most of the JLP Bill provisions are ill represented in this article and seems to be deliberately mis-representing…! Citizen charter is the power to the common man and not centralized unlike today’s situation. In today’s scenario, when somebody in a village office, boos at you as fool for being naive and not knowing about the ‘formality’, you are not only denied the your right of services, but you are humiliated and alienated for not knowing about the trendy corruption…? You loose your self esteem in front of some jokers and where’s your avenue to redress your grievances? JLP provides it under their citizen charter proposal. If you can call it draconian, then be it.
Then comes selection process of JLP….A transparent selection process is drafted in JLP, but the article suggests that a select people will decide on the JLP and JLP is misinterpreted as a single person, which is not the truth.
Regarding the Judiciary, already a decision has been taken to introduce a separate judicial accountability bill and JLP proposal has been modified. The article mis represents JLP and Anna as they don’t have faith and respect on judiciary of India. My humble request to the author is to avoid having an ostrich’s attitude….!Let’s not close our eyes and say it is full of darkness! Everyone of us as common men of India know very well about the short comings of judicial system and instead of looking at solutions constructively, the article blindly attach emotions…!
The quote of Dostoevsky is also misinterpreted here….Yes! Like the author of this article every human being resist change in the system, however bad it might be…! And as rightly said, only if it is so unbearable people will be willing to take a step further towards a better future. Hence, those millions of young & old people who came out in protest to support Anna’s cause as corruption has become unbearable to majority of the people….!
Above all, this independent agency to make the govt and it’s mechanism accountable to public is neither an experiment nor a new innovation brought out by Anna & Team, with vested interests as accused by the author. This is an ancient system of public audit existing as ombudsman in many countries across the world. In fact, in India itself this concept was brought by then young MP Singvi early 60s and the bill was actually passed in the loksabha, but couldn’t take it to Rajyasabha as the parliament was dissolved before it took place! And as a matter of fact Abhishek Sighvi, who’s current standing committee chairman on lokpal bill, is the son of Dr. Singhvi who introduced this concept way back. So it is historical and nothing new or induced just by vested foreign interest. If anyone says so has the moral responsibility of proving the motives of Senior Singhvi as well…!
Some interesting points there – fascism piggy-backing on economic unrest, and of course, the ‘real story’ behind Anna’s campaign. The latter is an entirely different issue by itself.
Quite detailed…u have a agenda which is in opposition to Anna’s Idea of rooting out Corruption.Anna did not become Anna in one day….many contributed to his image build-up…just becoz those contributor’s are no more with Anna now does not mean that Anna is of no use now….as far as ur attempt at painting Anna and his movement as fascist…try this…..70% Indians do not give a shit as how they are being ruled as of now,let them sleep….and while they are in slumber try to mend the system…..u dont want to know what will happen when this 70% exploited Indians come to realise the maladies of our Democratic setup….everything will simply go out of Control…and then nobody will have time to read ur armchair intellectual writeup’s……
Also excuse me for saying this,but u dont know the first thing about Nazism or Socialism…..
so many thanks for your such kind words of yours….words from a very learned person like you….