Indian Public Wary of Copycat Fasts?

Was Anna's fast immoral? Was it illegal? If not, will others try and arm twist the government in the same way to justify any old demand?


On the 14th of August, 2011, Manish Tiwari, Congress spokesperson, had declared the fast illegal. He'd asserted that Anna had "violated basic courtesy" and that he "had a lot to answer for" without substantiating those vague accusations. He'd declared Anna corrupt. Everyone knew that was the politicians' plan A - discredit team Anna and malign their characters.

Gandhiji's words making it clear what fighting anyone in power entails

Besides Mr. Tiwari, many Indians had written in the papers declaring the fast illegal. They blithely ignored the fact that most Indians felt

• cornered, angry and helpless by the daily harrassment they faced from the municipality;
• by huge amounts of tax payer money disappearing into the abyss of individual politician pockets; 
• that it was the result of sixty years of rule by all parties in power at various times in those sixty years and none bringing in the anti-corruption bill as it did not benefit them personally - just India and the common Indians. 

To want an anti-corruption bill with teeth that benefitted India and knowing that the only people who had the power to make it into law were against it, was a very hard place to be. Team Anna knew what they were up against. The fast was the only way to bring the issue of wanting strong anti-corruption laws to the fore. They did not know for sure how many Indians would support them but there was a groundswell of support for Anna's fast. If they ensured the protest was peaceful and non-violent, they were within the law to protest by fasting. It was perfectly legal.

Deciding to take on this machine of greed was hardly immoral. Team Anna was obviously not doing it for themselves, for glory or for power. They were doing it for a better, less corrupt India. Team Anna had the backing of so many Indians because of their impeccable reputations. Indians felt they could trust team Anna and came out in their droves to support the fast. The common Indian's desire for noncorruption in government might not be in the interest of individual MPs greedily slurping up tax-payer money, but whether politicians like it or not, Indians have, once again, realised

• the power of uniting for a common cause, 
• for laying themselves on the line, to be counted for and 
• for ensuring, through well organised groups, that tax payer money is spent by the government on India - not on themselves. 

After all, whose voice is clearly heard? A billion lone individuals or a billion strong force?

As for fasting to arm twist the government to bring in a law that benefits all of India except the corrupt few who won't allow it to happen for sixty years, you tell me if that isn't justified. Besides, the government has only allowed for it to be discussed and sent to its standing committee for final approval. Their decision will be made on the 24th of September, 2011. All of India and Indians the world over are waiting and watching closely to see whether they still try to get away with bringing in anti-corruption laws with no teeth so they can continue looting the country. 

One word of caution - only exceptional, well organised people of high moral fibre are able to get away with such "arm twisting" - if you'd like to call it that! It happened after sixty years of various individuals trying through the normal channels. It shouldn't be tried by lesser mortals unless they don't mind being the butt of amused jokes and light hearted ridicule. People aren't fools. They are wary of someone fasting for their own individual benefit and not for the common good of all Indians and of India. Don't expect them to come out from all corners of our country in support.They did this time because  team Anna's cause was their cause too and the team had impeccable credentials.

The HOME project

One of the most comprehensive, hauntingly beautiful, yet frightening videos I've seen on the environment. You still come away with an upsurge of hope for our beautiful Earth, for life, for the only place we call HOME.

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  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU&feature=watch-now-button&wide=1 
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The Earth is a Miracle - image from the Home Project

Gombodorj Byambajargal (Mongolian) starts off the singing which is somehow so fitting to the stunning images. The music is composed by Armand Amar.

The video entreats us to get involved and join them at
http://www.goodplanet.org 

The commentary tells the story of Earth as it was, interspersed with compelling images of what we've done to it, how we've depleted our natural resources and changed the climate of our planet. According to the blurb under the video, We've got ten years to change all that.

"The stakes are high for us and our children. Everyone should take part in the effort, and HOME has been conceived to take a message of mobilization out to every human being.

For this purpose, HOME needs to be free. A patron, the PPR Group, made this possible. EuropaCorp, the distributor, also pledged not to make any profit because Home is a non-profit film.

HOME has been made for you : share it! And act for the planet." Yann Arthus-Bertrand



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August 16 Indian Independence Day?

August 16?  But didn't India gain its independence on August 15?

Ah yes. But that was in 1947. Since then India has slowly but surely moved towards anarchy from its own representatives. They rule supreme. And whilst they rule, they indulge in looting. Scam after scam has been exposed by the Indian press but Indians have been mute and helpless against the all powerful parties in power. The anti-corruption bill has been stacked against whistle blowers, many of whom, if accounts I've been reading are true, have lost their lives; the anti-corruption bill ensures that corruption charges against politicians ultimately land up on the desks of people working under the very person who's being investigated. (see the post
http://nevermindyaar.blogspot.com/2011/04/problems-in-present-anti-corruption.html)


Anna Hazare and India Against Corruption have come up with an alternative - an anti-corruption bill that is for the people, for the tax payer, for whistle blowers and against the looting of tax-payer money. The government is fighting this bill, the Jan Lokpal Bill, tooth and nail. They want their own watered down version, the Lokpal Bill, implemented, whereby the scammers and looters continue walking off scot free. (http://www.indiaagainstcorruption.org/questionanswer.html)

Indians have joined  Anna and India Against Corruption in their droves. The battle of the mighty government Goliath and the people of India is on. Anna wants to start a fast to force the Government's hand - to insist that the IAC's Jan Lokpal Bill is implemented so that scammers and looters are brought to justice; so that future scams and looting is prevented; so that past scammers and looters are excused provided whatever they have looted is declared a "national asset".


The fast starts on August 16 2011. Many Indians will join the fast. The venue was supposed to be Jantar Mantar, N.Delhi. It is a popular venue for citizens' protests. The latest protest was the "Slut Walk" just a couple of days ago. (See my post on the "Slut Walk") Now, the police have banned peaceful gatherings of more than 4 people at  Jantar Mantar.

"The Hindu" has come out with an Editorial on this "Undemocratic Ban". Here's the link: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/article2311296.ece

This Editorial deserves to go on everyone's web, blog and on all our facebook pages.

We do want to ensure no harm comes to Anna on the 16th of August 2011 and that Jan Lokpal is implemented to stop corruption, looting, the daily hardship borne by ordinary Indians when dealing with the municipality / government and the feeling of disgust Indians feel towards their representatives.

So what's it going to be - the people's victory or the looters'? Tune in to India on August 16 to find out.



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India Redefined (IR) a Long Term, Citizen's Action Plan

IR is a movement started by Ranjana Kanti to give our desire to do something for India a structure and a plan. IR believes we can be effective only if we are actively involved ourselves. That is the only way to hold our elected representatives accountable. Ranjana is right. We cannot leave governance to people who we cannot hold accountable. When we see the rule of law broken with impunity by those in power, when we face people who constantly fudge the facts and are not transparent, who take their cut, are corrupt, self serving to an amazing degree and arrogant, what should we do? To date we’ve simply grumbled, raved and ranted but eventually sighed and said, “Never Mind Yaar”. This waiting for our knight in shining armour, that one honest and honourable person who will right everything for us, hasn’t worked. As Amit, one of our IR members rightly points out, there comes a time when a tolerant and easy going people erupt.

But when things erupt ordinary people have no chance. People with their own agendas who are thirsting for someone’s blood come out of the woodwork to take advantage of the chaos. A better strategy is to unite. After all, whose voice is stronger? A billion lone individuals or a billion strong force?

So at the risk of sounding repetitive, our only hope is to get involved ourselves. There is so much Ranjana and IR have planned to give structure to our desire to do something. She has laid out simple initial steps – identify and do something about any three small, very small, things that ail your own locality. Then inform IR about what you did, what challenges you faced and how (or if) you overcame those challenges. I know she has more planned. But first, she wants to foster our spirit of volunteering and discovering for ourselves we can be effective.

It is obviously a long term plan. Some think it’s a pipe dream. A pipe dream to want ordinary Indians to live in a safe, clean and secure environment, to want to lift the appalling standards of living, health and education of poor Indians, to want to live in harmony with other cultures even while we are proud of our own? Let them call it what they will, I hope we never forget what we are all trying to achieve. I hope IR’s existing members, who are in their thousands, don’t lose faith.

So many of us have joined the movement because we are fed up of the indifference of some politicians and we are clamouring for change. But it won’t happen overnight. The problems are huge.

I know Ranjana is working on a document to outline some of the ideas she has. In the mean time, if you have any ideas, write and tell ALL of us on our Facebook forum, not just Ranjana privately. (I know she is inundated with phone calls, emails and Facebook messages. So much so that she spends most of her time answering those. Sorry Ranjana, the price of fame!) Our Facebook forum is either "Ranjana Kanti" or "India Redefined". Please join only one and not both forums. If your name appears twice, it denies one more person the chance to join. Everyone in India or abroad is welcome to join.

Also, your thoughtful comments on others’ posts are what we need to make our forum vibrant, alive and active. As Aparajita, another IR member, commented, “talking & talking of problems is better than shrugging them off in indifference.” True Aparajita. It is certainly a step in the right direction.

Once we identify those problems, ‘solutions’ is what we all in IR want to, and will, see.

To our continued success.



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