If something happens that you dont’ like – change the rules. This seems to be the position taken by the Samajwadi Party on the office for profit issue. As of yesterday they pushed through a bill that
seeks to take away 79 posts, including chairmanship of the UP Film Development Council headed by Bachchan, from the list of offices of profit.
As if this was not insulting enough to the Indian constitution, they want to retrospectively apply the rules from 2003. This is a terrible precedent in a society supposedly based on the rule of law. What happens tomorrow when someone in the Government or supported by the UP Government is caught murdering someone – are they going to retrospectively change the law to make it a non offence? I wonder if there is a term called "Contempt of Constitution". We all get our knickers in a collective twist when our prophets are insulted or our Gods are insulted. How about some outrage when our Constitution is disrespected. After all the Constitution is more India than all the Gods and Prophets put together!
hmm. so what are we going to do about it? constitutional, human rights, basic human needs, rti, roti-kapda-makaan-bandwidth violations keep happening all the time. we have got to used to it and dont have the ‘time’ to do anything about it. the new media has given us the ‘sweet’ option of protesting by sending smses sitting eating pizza watching desperate housewives. most dont know who the corporator, MLA, MP is and frankly wouldnt want to know/meet him coz s/he ‘most probably’ will be a slimy gangster/filmy types.
our PM wants us to go easy on PILs coz its obstructing.
so again, what are we going to do?
i think that there is enough legal activism & NGO work happening to ensure that issues are kept alive.
but, you are right the powerful bulldoze their way for everything. But, civic involvment in polity is gradually increasing. Hopefully things will change.
As to what are we going to do – participate in civic life is a starter. There are enough organisations and more that are involved at the grassroots level!