This appeared in the DNA as what next for team Anna ..a team that seems to be drowning under the weight of its own publicity ..
The last fortnight has been an interesting time for Team Anna. A series of incidents has severely dented the image of the rainbow alliance, and caused confusion, consternation and a crisis of confidence amongst its core support base.
First off the mark, there was Prashant Bhushan with his utterances on a referendum in Kashmir to sort out the issue of self-determination. While we may argue that in a civilised, democratic republic, one has the right to both free speech and self-determination that argument is, in this context, academic. What is real is the fact that a large portion of Team Anna’s support base was from individual citizens who are on the right of the political spectrum. These were people, who turned up in large numbers at the Ram Lila grounds as volunteers and supporters . In advocating the plebiscite, Prashant Bhushan crossed a lakshman rekha by questioning the territorial integrity of India and betrayed a large chunk of the support base of the anti corruption movement. Anna Hazare himself spoke out against Prashant Bhushan’s statement, but by then the damage was done.
The Constituent Assembly that drafted the Indian Constitution, while enshrining our rights, duties and freedoms, left out key methods of Direct Democracy, namely, Referendum, Plebiscite and Right to Recall. Perhaps they felt it would be impractical as well as divisive in a large, diverse nation such as India with many interest groups. Team Anna, either deliberately or in ignorance, has let the genie of referendum out of the bottle. You would expect a team made up of former civil servants and practicing lawyers to know that no referendum is possible in India, under the Constitution. However, in setting themselves up above all other systems, they in their collective hubris have set a potentially explosive precedent. If people have the right to vote for and demand a Jan Lok Pal directly, surely they have the right to vote and demand other things, such as independent states like Telengana or Vidarbha or even independent nations. Prashant Bhushan maybe persona non grata with the rest of Team Anna, but he just took the philosophy of ‘referendum’ one step further.
No sooner had Prashant Bhushan become yesterday’s news, than came the revelation that Kiran Bedi had been over invoicing various NGO’s that had invited her to participate in their programmes. She would travel economy class but charge business class to the concerned NGO. While it isn’t illegal, it is definitely in the unethical space. If you worked for a company and overcharged on travel, and they found out, you would be, most likely, be asked to go. It would be perceived that you had integrity issues. Ms. Bedi, of course, vigorously defended her actions. Her claims that the money ‘saved’ by her travelling economy and charging business class ‘went to her NGO’ sounded like the defense of a politician. Most political parties in India have political machinery. They have volunteers and workers at the ground level who work with local communities. These volunteers and workers ‘do good’ for their constituency, be it helping people acquire ration cards, get children admission, or helping people find jobs. It is alleged that parties use the money made from ‘kickbacks’ to fund these ‘good works’. Now, isn’t the point of an anti-corruption movement to prevent leakages, no matter how laudable the end use?
Finally, there is Arvind Kejriwal. Mr. Kejriwal is not only accused of not paying back dues worth 9.27 lakh to his former employer, the Indian Revenue Service, but also depositing cash collected by India Against Corruption into the Public Cause Research Foundation (PCRF), a private trust run by him. Mr. Kejriwal justified this by saying that the IAC cannot open a bank account because it is a movement not an organisation. While that may be true, people donated to IAC not to PCRF. Transparency, that is so required in public life to ensure a corruption free society, was sorely absent when it came to Mr.Kejriwal’s own dealings.
While Team Anna has been blaming the government for muck raking, the fact remains if there is no muck, it cannot be raked. Also, if you are going to abuse, revile and cast aspersions on people, they are going to return the favour. It is human nature. Team Anna has hopefully realized what politicians have known for a long time. It is a bit difficult to take the moral high ground when you are sinking in the quicksand of ambiguous morality. Therefore it is best not to get sanctimonious, self righteous and personal. Maybe it is time that corruption gets looked at as a systemic issue with systemic solutions rather than the magic wand of Jan Lok Pal proposed by Team Anna.
I do not know if you read Santosh Desai’s take on these issues. I think it was another sensible one. In some way, i guessed that this was coming as this is an inevitable consequence of media-induced celebrity worshipping culture. First you are raised to a stratospheric pedestal (this sells) then some skeletons tumble as everyone has a few/many (this also sells) and you are lowered to atmospheric/ground level (this also sells).
What we are seeing is that “Team Anna” is really a set of idealogically different & strong individuals tied by one common cause. The sooner they make it clear, the better for them. If Anna & Kejriwal try to make them all sing from the same sheet on everything so as to not offend their support base, it is going to be detrimental to the team.
Instead of taking the political route of dismissing every criticism as conspiracy et al., they could have put their hand up & accepted their mistake in certain cases. Kiran Bedi’s bills & Kejriwal’s transfer of donations are cases in the point. Though i ain’t sure of the details of Kejriwal’s IT notices to say if they are genuine or a witch hunt by Govt. Govt. can rake muck via notices even though there is none. Though they have indirectly agreed to their mistakes (“Hang us but get JLP”), a bit more directness and openness would be welcome from those who are demanding the same of the system.
Of course, in an utopian world, i would bother only about the validity of the ideas regardless of who says it. But in social issues, many a times the personality takes precedence over the cause and especially when they also willingly fashioned it that way.
@ Yogesh:
thank you for commenting.
i read Santosh Desai’s piece and i found myself nodding my head in agreement.
Dissent is a vital part of any democracy. Part of my issues with Team Anna is also how they deal with people who disagree with them. just because you disagree with their vision of JLP – which i think is awful – doesn’t make you corrupt or pro-corruption. It is also their entire stand that their JLP and no other. if our version isn’t passed we will disrupt … excuse, me 😀
I am afraid the cause here is not so much corruption, but power … they tried to short circuit the system and become arbitrators of power. The system fought back.
This doesn’t take away from the fact the system is rotting and political personalities are venal. but, i would rather take this lot with the option of dumping them every 5 years, than that lot who seem to be there for life.
@ gargi:
Thanks for the reply. Disagree on the arbitration of power part. I rather only see it as lobbying but in a more open, blatant & macho manner than the way corporates or academicians have been doing. Haven’t corporates always been threatening ( and exaggerating) of economic disruptions if certain favourable circumstances aren’t created ? It is of debate as to which is better.
But it again brings back to the question of people taking precedence over ideas (or bills in this case). India has anti-corruption machinery that needs to be strengthened (?). Some ideas in JLP can be used for that. NCPRI’s version sounds better to me. I am more appalled by lack of discussion on the various Bills and possibilities. But not surprised, as we are in a black & white era of media opinions despite colour TVs and newspapers !
On dumping every 5 years, is it dumping one lot for the better lot ? It is more of change for change’s sake without actually changing anything, IMHO !
Maybe ur in the 1 % of the population ..u could get all the work done by some contact or the other. No wonder u see a problem with the Anna Team and are staunchly so Congresswadi as most of ur posts show…
Tell me honestly….. How many times have u voted and how many times out of that have u voted for a non Congress candidate? … Human mentality changes very rarely ….and i see u to be no different from the general stastitic….
I dont agree with everything Anna Hazare or his team says or does, but heck i back him because i think that he is the best that we can expect for change and i seriously don’t want to do microanalyses or overanalysis because it is a basic sin intellectuals are bound to commit… All said and done, comparing him to politicians in general and Sonia Congress UPA crony capitalism , massive corruption in NREGA, uncontrolled inflation that affects mainly the poor and the middle class and lopsided policys and subversion of law to favor Business houses like sahara , Reliance and scores of others i am left with little choice…..
i rest my case
http://www.livemint.com/2011/11/02212256/Tribals-hungry-as-Congressrul.html?h=A1
I hope u read this … i have been tracking his articles … and find him to have his finger on the public pulse and be one of the most astute commentators of our times…
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/headon/entry/why-congress-fears-rss
When u said
i would rather take this lot with the option of dumping them every 5 years, than that lot who seem to be there for life.
I didnt quite figure u out … What do u want to mean … im utterly confused / baffled by ur logic … i think u have lost the plot here…
Our way of politics is about having politicians for life … We will have to deal with the gandhi family as we have dealt with them for generations only names change from Indira to Sonia, satrap politics is still there, Sonia is the law just as Indira was, No wonder the NAC takes precedence over the PM and cabinet, policy like garibi hatao , loan mafi and massive schemes with more massive corruption and ever increasing inflation that puts more lower middle class into poverty, bankrupting psus one by one still the same, graft, scams and corruption remain.. atleast with bjp it is not the case…. But still its either bjp or congress the players on the chess board remain the same…..
All said and done Janlokpal and its functionaries will not be as permanent as or politicians.
Will u be the change or will u vote Congress again …?
I think Anna movement is about changing the system …
like it or not the pawns shuffle but the system remains the same and you with ur comment have shown that u are scared of change and comfortable with the status quo ante…