When a child is young its parents go all out to teach it how to walk and talk. When it grows up, the very same parents now expend double the energy telling the “child” to shut up and sit down! A reversal of roles, or a changed situation? What has gone awry in the Parent-Child relationship, often referred to as growing pains?
Dr Eric Berne, in his best seller “Games People Play – The Psychology of Human Relationships” has developed a school of psychology called “Transactional Analysis”. It is based on the three ego states in every individual – Parent, Adult and Child. The all knowing, all-powerful Parent interacts naturally with the ignorant and dependent Child. Similarly, two Adults can interact naturally on an equal footing based on mutual respect and rationality, not superiority or authority. The problem arises when a dependent and ignorant Child grows up and evolves into a young Adult, with its own critical awareness.
The equations now need to change from a Parent-Child transaction to an Adult-Adult one. This is where the conflicts, aggression and misunderstandings begin, often called the “generation gap”. It is actually a “communications gap”, where the Parent still wants to speak (give orders, make decisions), and expects the young adult to listen and obey. The young Adult does not see the rationale of the Parent’s diktat, and rebels or reacts, resulting in a breakdown of relationships and communication. If left unattended it degenerates further into resentment and recrimination. Here the role of the Parent is crucial. It must recognise the changed circumstances, and make a deliberate climb down. The Parent must get off its high horse and recognise the rational young Adult. If not, the emergent Adult will either rebel, withdraw into silent indifference, or simply walk out.
Let us now juxtapose these transactions (relationships) on the Catholic Church, which is also a family (community). For centuries the Church has been referred to as a Mother, and its pastors, even if they are in their twenties, are called Fathers; thereby reinforcing the “Parental” nature and stature of the hierarchical church. The natural consequence was that the laity was treated as an ignorant and dependent Child, who had to pray, pay and obey. The Parental role of the hierarchy was accentuated in a Gora Padre Sahib/ Brahminical order, in a mission land like India. Here the convert was totally dependent on the missionary priest – for salvation, education and employment. The Parental role was deeply entrenched.
What happened in the West? The industrial and print revolutions resulted in the Protestant Reformation. The people were no longer dependent or ignorant. They had grown up, and flew from the nest, to live their own independent lives.
Despite its rich liturgical and artistic legacy, the Catholic Church in Europe (erstwhile Christendom) was faced with a mass exodus and empty churches, especially after the two World Wars. Pope John XXIII recognised these symptoms in time, and converted adversity into an opportunity. In 1962 he convened the Second Vatican Council (VAT II), praying for a new Pentecost, a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit and aggiornamento (updating or renewal).
VAT II was a sea change in the Church’s self-understanding (ecclesiology). Unfortunately, 46 years after VAT II ended in 1965, we have seen only cosmetic changes, as in the liturgy and the dress of priests and nuns. We have not seen the deeper attitudinal changes envisaged by VAT II vis-à-vis the world, other religions, science, etc; and its own internal attitudes, especially with regard to the laity. Here again, in a poor, ignorant, dalit or tribal community like India’s, the laity has been largely ignored or sidelined. Lay leaders who quote scripture, VAT II or Canon Law are not treated with equanimity as behoves an Adult-Adult relationship. They are, instead, branded as rebels, critics or troublemakers. Such knowledgeable lay leaders therefore withdraw into a silent sulk, rebel against the system, or simply quit the Church, as they are no longer afraid of damnation or ostracisation.
It is time for the hierarchical church (bishops and priests) to make a determined and conscious climb down, to shed their earlier Parental role, and interact with the laity on an Adult-Adult basis. This obviously requires openness, love and humility. The evidence so far is to the contrary.
In Sunday sermons we are reminded ad nauseum that we must be childlike to enter the kingdom of heaven. We are also reminded that the poor will inherit the earth. The message is loud and clear – stay where you are as an ignorant, dependent Child. Don’t attempt to be self-reliant – financially, intellectually or spiritually. You have to come to the “Father”, the one in the presbytery, not the one in heaven, for all your needs! This is a gross distortion of sacred scripture and VAT II ecclesiology.
Some of St Paul’s exhortations are poignant. He rebukes the Corinthians for their inability to grow up. “I was not able to talk to you as spiritual people; I had to talk to you as people … still infants in Christ; I fed you with milk and not solid food, for you were not able to take it” (1Cor 3:1-2). He exhorts them to imitate his maturity. “When I was a child, I used to talk like a child, and see things as a child does; and think like a child; but now that I have become an adult, I have finished with all childish ways” (1Cor 13:11). The Letter to the Hebrews is even more explicit. “We have many things to say, and they are difficult to explain, because you have grown so slow at understanding. Indeed, when you by this time should have become masters, you need someone to teach you all over again; …you have gone back to needing milk, and not solid food. Truly, no one who is still living on milk can digest the doctrine of saving justice, being still a baby. Solid food is for adults with minds trained by practice to distinguish between good and bad” (Heb 5:11-14). These words seem to be addressed directly to the infantile suckers that the Indian laity is.
Let us also revert to the Old Testament. The prophetic call to Jeremiah is, “I have put my words into your mouth. Look today I have set you over the nations and kingdoms, to uproot and to knock down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant” (Jer 1:9-10). A clarion call to revolution?
The prophet Ezekiel warns against the sin of silent indifference. “If you do not speak to warn someone wicked to renounce evil and to save his life, it is the wicked person who will die for his guilt, but I shall hold you responsible for that death” (Ez 3:18-19). He expands further by saying “If, however, you do warn someone wicked to renounce such ways and repent, and that person does not repent, then the culprit will die for this guilt, but you yourself would have saved your life” (Ez 33:8-9). Jesus, who was familiar with, and often quoted Jewish scriptures, may have had Ezekiel’s warnings in mind when he said, “If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you … But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a gentile or a tax collector” (Mat 18:15-17).
It is therefore incumbent on enlightened lay leaders to speak out on matters of common interest, be they acts of commission (wrong doing); or acts of omission, like the non-implementation of VAT II teachings regarding the role of the laity, or the provisions of Canon Law pertaining to the temporal goods of the Church, and participatory bodies like pastoral councils and finance committees.
VAT II ecclesiology has also moved from papal authoritarianism to the collegiality of bishops; from a paternalistic attitude towards the laity, to a fraternal (Adult-Adult) one. A few quotes from the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church (Lumen Gentium) will suffice for now. Talking of the laity in Chapter IV it says, “They are in their own way made sharers in the priestly, prophetic and kingly functions of Christ” (LG 31). It defines the lay vocation saying “A secular quality is proper and special to laymen” (Ibid). And again, “The laity, by their very vocation, seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and by ordering them according to the plan of God” (Ibid).
Those who wrote this document must have been good psychologists. Here is what it says. “By divine condescension the laity have Christ for their brother .. They also have for their brothers those in the sacred ministry” (LG 32). In relation to the clergy it again says “Every layman should reveal to them his needs and desires with that freedom and confidence which befits a son of God, and a brother in Christ” (LG 37). Harking back to Jeremiah and Ezekiel’s prophetic roles it states “An individual layman by reason of the knowledge, competence or outstanding ability which he may enjoy, is permitted and sometimes even obliged to express his opinion on things which concern the good of the church” (Ibid). It is more than obvious that the laity has an important, fraternal (Adult-Adult) role to play in both church and society. There is a rider though. One needs learning, competence and outstanding ability. This is where the laity has failed miserably. We are still a bunch of ignoramuses that are largely unaware of our rights and duties.
This suits the “Fathers in Mother Church”, who are quite comfortable with an ignorant, subservient and dependent laity. The blame must be apportioned between both the hierarchy and the laity. Where there is a will there is a way. Who has stopped the laity from acquiring knowledge and skills? For years the AICU has been laying stress on leadership training, from the time of late Rev D.S. Amalorpavadas’ Jagruti programmes, to George Menezes’ emphasis on “Effective Christian Leadership”, down to the present day under Dr Remy Denis’ presidentship.
Those familiar with pre and post VAT II ecclesiology would have heard of the pyramidical and concentric models of the Church. In the pyramidical model there was a hierarchical structure, with the laity at the bottom of the heap. This followed the trickle down theory. But if the pyramid is made of hard rock, nothing can permeate it. The water will just run off. In the concentric model we are told that we are all equal (fraternal) but the laity is in the outermost circle, the periphery. Hence nothing much has changed. Earlier we were at the bottom, now we are at the edge. In this latter model we are exposed to the ripple effect, as from the epicentre of an earthquake. Here again, if the structure is earthquake resistant, there will be hardly any impact.
Judging the tree by the fruit it bears, one is constrained to conclude that the hierarchical church in India is both waterproof and earthquake resistant, which is why the wished for renewal of VAT II has not permeated the life and praxis of the church. How do we rectify this?
I see three approaches in history. All begin with the letter R. One is the Reformation, as initiated by Martin Luther, that resulted in a mass exodus from the Catholic Church. The second is Revolution, as seen in the French Revolution’s battle cry of “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”. The ire of the revolutionaries was directed as much against the opulent church as against a corpulent aristocracy. This resulted in a sharp divide between Church and State, and an inordinately secularised way of life, as prevalent in France and much of Europe till today.
The third option was Renewal. The Catholic Church in thirteenth century Europe was going through the Dark Ages, where temporal power and lust reigned supreme. In that dismal scenario St Francis of Assisi was given the onerous task, “Go and repair my church”. He did it through personal and collective Renewal, by a return to pristine gospel values. He chose to renew from within, rather than to reform, revolt or criticise from outside.
We the laity of India could learn some lessons from church history, sacred scripture, VAT II teachings and Canon Law. Who is there to stop us in the true Renewal of the Catholic Church in India? I see the role of the AICU and its affiliated Catholic Associations, as also the forthcoming Lay Synod, as an important step in that direction. It will avoid unwarranted growing pains, and make for a happy family (community) life, based on mutual respect.
* The writer is a former National President of the All India Catholic Union.
Thursday, 20 October 2011
THE CUCKOO TRAP
When we left our ancestral house of 150 years, we moved to one that had a lot of open space. Being fond of gardening, I wanted lovely flowers. But I had a tough choice – trees or flowers. As an environmentalist I opted for trees like neem and ashoka, which have thick foliage. This meant little sunlight and even fewer flowers.
The variety of birds and butterflies in the garden more than compensated the loss of flowers. My father, who was a member of the Bombay Natural History Society and National Geographic (long before the advent of TV), taught me to recognise and identify birds, aided by Salim Ali’s classic “The Book of Indian Birds”. So I quite enjoy bird watching, not necessarily limited to the feathered species!
There are two birds that seem to be deeply ingrained in Indian culture – the peacock and the koel (Indian cuckoo – zoological name – Eudynamys scolocea). Today the koel’s call is heard more on door chimes and mobile ring tones, than in gardens. I am not enamoured of koels. Let me tell you why.
Remember the scene from “Three Idiots”, where Dr Virus says that winners take all. He uses the cuckoo’s nest as an example, with an egg being dropped to the ground. Unfortunately, Dr Virus did not know that cuckoos don’t have nests. They lay their eggs in the nests of other birds.
The koel, cuckoo that it is, is a slender version of a crow. The male is shining black, with a yellow beak and beady red eyes. The female is spotted brown. It lays its eggs in the crow’s nest. The pale greyish green eggs are similar to the crow’s. The gullible crows literally do not know what is hatching! Meanwhile the koel flits around caring a damn. When the eggs hatch, the koel fledgling is far more aggressive and strident than the crow’s. It pushes the crow’s fledglings out of the nest.
Last month I saw this drama unfold in my garden. The koel’s cry is high pitched. The fledgling screeched like the plaintive bleat of a lamb to the slaughter. The hapless crows would rush to feed it. While other fledglings like the bulbuls and pied wagtails learnt to fly and fend for themselves, the koel kept shrieking, pressurising the crows to feed it.
In ornithology the koel’s behaviour is called parasitical – feeding off others, depriving them of their due, or taking undue advantage of the gullibility or susceptibility of the other. It made me think. Who are the parasites in Indian society today? They are cunning or shining masqueraders, who live off an unsuspecting public.
Steven D Levitt, in his bestseller “Freakonomics – The Hidden Side of Everything”, says that as the world has grown more specialised, there have evolved countless experts who enjoy a “gigantic informational advantage”. This coign of vantage is often used to exploit gullible dependents. Levitt counts doctors, lawyers, contractors and auto mechanics among the “advantaged”, that exploit the ignorance of the other. He observes that “In a medical study, it turned out that obstetricians in areas with declining birth rates are much more likely to perform caesarean section deliveries – suggesting that when business is tough, doctors try to ring up more expensive procedures”.
Levitt also admits that, as with corruption or domestic violence, “It is one thing to muse about experts abusing their position, and another to prove it. The best way to do so would be to measure how an expert treats you, versus how he performs the same service for himself”.
Annaji, ofcourse, would have us believe that the much-maligned politician is the real cuckoo, feeding off others. To a large extent he is correct. Politicians, like actresses and sportspersons, have a limited shelf life, so the corrupt ones would definitely try to “feather their nests” while the going was good. However, I believe that those with a longer innings, and a greater “informational advantage” are the real cuckoos.
Remember the British serial “Yes Minister”, and its pathetic Hindi version “Ji Mantriji”? The senior bureaucrat is the one who wraps the unlettered minister around his little finger, quoting rules and regulations to scuttle the minister’s plans. It is these high level bureaucrats who influence policymaking, its implementation or otherwise, who are the real cuckoos. Do a reality check. Ask them for a house allotment, and compare it to how they get their own allotments done. Need I say more?
A layman will agree with Levitt that the lawyer, doctor or auto mechanic has a “gigantic informational advantage”. But in India pride of place should go to the bureaucrat, not so much the executive one, as the policy maker. They have even scuttled all attempts at administrative reforms, that is the root cause of corruption (Annaji please note). To the list of Indian cuckoos I must add educationists and religious leaders. You can’t cross swords with them for fear of failure or eternal damnation!
There was a guy called A. Crowe, who was always teased as “a crow”. A friend suggested that he use his first name. It was Adam. That made it worse – a damn crow! Will the damned crows of India arise? Identify the cuckoos before you get trapped. Be a good ornithologist, lest you end up at a psychiatrist!
4th October 2011
The variety of birds and butterflies in the garden more than compensated the loss of flowers. My father, who was a member of the Bombay Natural History Society and National Geographic (long before the advent of TV), taught me to recognise and identify birds, aided by Salim Ali’s classic “The Book of Indian Birds”. So I quite enjoy bird watching, not necessarily limited to the feathered species!
There are two birds that seem to be deeply ingrained in Indian culture – the peacock and the koel (Indian cuckoo – zoological name – Eudynamys scolocea). Today the koel’s call is heard more on door chimes and mobile ring tones, than in gardens. I am not enamoured of koels. Let me tell you why.
Remember the scene from “Three Idiots”, where Dr Virus says that winners take all. He uses the cuckoo’s nest as an example, with an egg being dropped to the ground. Unfortunately, Dr Virus did not know that cuckoos don’t have nests. They lay their eggs in the nests of other birds.
The koel, cuckoo that it is, is a slender version of a crow. The male is shining black, with a yellow beak and beady red eyes. The female is spotted brown. It lays its eggs in the crow’s nest. The pale greyish green eggs are similar to the crow’s. The gullible crows literally do not know what is hatching! Meanwhile the koel flits around caring a damn. When the eggs hatch, the koel fledgling is far more aggressive and strident than the crow’s. It pushes the crow’s fledglings out of the nest.
Last month I saw this drama unfold in my garden. The koel’s cry is high pitched. The fledgling screeched like the plaintive bleat of a lamb to the slaughter. The hapless crows would rush to feed it. While other fledglings like the bulbuls and pied wagtails learnt to fly and fend for themselves, the koel kept shrieking, pressurising the crows to feed it.
In ornithology the koel’s behaviour is called parasitical – feeding off others, depriving them of their due, or taking undue advantage of the gullibility or susceptibility of the other. It made me think. Who are the parasites in Indian society today? They are cunning or shining masqueraders, who live off an unsuspecting public.
Steven D Levitt, in his bestseller “Freakonomics – The Hidden Side of Everything”, says that as the world has grown more specialised, there have evolved countless experts who enjoy a “gigantic informational advantage”. This coign of vantage is often used to exploit gullible dependents. Levitt counts doctors, lawyers, contractors and auto mechanics among the “advantaged”, that exploit the ignorance of the other. He observes that “In a medical study, it turned out that obstetricians in areas with declining birth rates are much more likely to perform caesarean section deliveries – suggesting that when business is tough, doctors try to ring up more expensive procedures”.
Levitt also admits that, as with corruption or domestic violence, “It is one thing to muse about experts abusing their position, and another to prove it. The best way to do so would be to measure how an expert treats you, versus how he performs the same service for himself”.
Annaji, ofcourse, would have us believe that the much-maligned politician is the real cuckoo, feeding off others. To a large extent he is correct. Politicians, like actresses and sportspersons, have a limited shelf life, so the corrupt ones would definitely try to “feather their nests” while the going was good. However, I believe that those with a longer innings, and a greater “informational advantage” are the real cuckoos.
Remember the British serial “Yes Minister”, and its pathetic Hindi version “Ji Mantriji”? The senior bureaucrat is the one who wraps the unlettered minister around his little finger, quoting rules and regulations to scuttle the minister’s plans. It is these high level bureaucrats who influence policymaking, its implementation or otherwise, who are the real cuckoos. Do a reality check. Ask them for a house allotment, and compare it to how they get their own allotments done. Need I say more?
A layman will agree with Levitt that the lawyer, doctor or auto mechanic has a “gigantic informational advantage”. But in India pride of place should go to the bureaucrat, not so much the executive one, as the policy maker. They have even scuttled all attempts at administrative reforms, that is the root cause of corruption (Annaji please note). To the list of Indian cuckoos I must add educationists and religious leaders. You can’t cross swords with them for fear of failure or eternal damnation!
There was a guy called A. Crowe, who was always teased as “a crow”. A friend suggested that he use his first name. It was Adam. That made it worse – a damn crow! Will the damned crows of India arise? Identify the cuckoos before you get trapped. Be a good ornithologist, lest you end up at a psychiatrist!
4th October 2011
Friday, 2 September 2011
ANNAJI PLEASE ANSWER
Adarniya Annaji,
The whole nation salutes you for bringing the issue of Corruption to centre stage. I join that growing chorus. I also admire your personal austerity. However, Annaji (big brother) your chhotebhai (small brother) is confused about some issues, hence this query.
Whenever somebody questions me, I first ascertain who the person is. In like manner, lest you question my credentials, let me first present them to you.
I am a Gandhian activist living in Kanpur. When you went on fast on 5th April, I was the convenor of the Bhrashtachar Virodhi Andolan, which gathered together 40 organisations and 1000 people for the day long fast and rally. I do not belong to any political party. In 1990, as National President of the All India Catholic Union, I fasted for 7 days in New Delhi, for peace in Kashmir, Punjab, Ayodhya etc. So I understand the power of the fast. Last year I went to jail for 6 days because I refused to bribe the cops and the judiciary. Even in jail, I suffered because I declined to pay for “services” available. Presently I am facing a big Income Tax demand, which would have been “settled” if I had agreed to cough up Rs 50,000/-. So I understand corruption, and with you, seek its amelioration. I trust that you will now regard me as an honest questioner and a concerned citizen. Here are my questions:
1. You have been hailed as a modern Gandhi. Gandhiji insisted that the ends do not justify the means. He suspended the freedom struggle when violence broke out at Chaurichaura. Do you subscribe to this tenet of Gandhism?
2. Did Gandhiji drink water during his fasts, like you did? Were any oral rehydrants added to the water in the steel tumbler that was not transparent?
3. Were your supporters inspired by Gandhiji (who is usually derided by the educated middle class), or by Munnabhai’s style of Gandhigiri, which was more of emotional blackmail and coercion?
4. Your initial demand was for the Jan Lokpal Bill (JLB) to be passed in Parliament before 30th August. Was this not coercion and blackmail?
5. You wanted the Prime Minister, Judiciary and Parliamentary conduct under the JLB. You then watered down your demands to State Lokayuktas, the lower bureaucracy and a parliamentary resolution. All you got was a “sense of the house” and an assurance. None of your demands were conceded. Then why did you call off your fast? Had the Govt called your bluff, necessitating a face saving withdrawal? Were you afraid to die for the cause?
6. Your knowledge of law, the Constitution and parliamentary proceedings is limited. The same cannot be said of your core team members. Why then did they push you and the nation to the brink, knowing full well that their demands were untenable? Was this brinkmanship or showmanship?
7. Kejriwal and Bedi were jockeying for the post of Chief Information Commissioner (CIC). Now they are crying “sour grapes” that the CIC etc are toothless tigers!
8. Other bodies like the CEC, CAG, Supreme Court, CBI etc are doing a fairly good job. Why belittle all else, and project your JLB as the panacea for all evils?
9. Why was the Central Govt alone the target of your ire against corruption? Were you blind to Karnataka and U.P.? Does IAC stand for “India Against Corruption”, or “Individuals Allergic to Congress”?
10. The 2G Telecom scam, in which the CAG alleged a loss of several thousand crore rupees, was one of the launching pads for your team. The present Telecom Minister tried to say that Telecom is part of infrastructure, and not for profiteering. That is why telecom in India is so cheap. Your campaign used telecom and SMS to the hilt. It has saved itself crores of rupees. In Kanpur, during your 12-day fast, telecom companies generated revenue of Rupees Sixty Crores through SMS’s, largely due to your campaign! Maybe you actually have something to thank A Raja for!
11. Why didn’t Kejriwal and Bedi, your strategic and dancing colleagues, fast with you? Were they prepared to make a sacrificial lamb of you?
12. The BJP vociferously supported you on the streets, but made a volte-face in Parliament. Did the BJP suddenly realise that your increasing popularity would eat into their vote bank- the educated middle class?
13. Why were the Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, OBCs, rural folk and the urban poor conspicuously absent from your campaign? Do they not feel safe in your hands? Are farmers happy enough with the support programmes of the Central Govt? Do the poor find that the very politicians (public representatives), that you constantly denigrate, are actually the ones that assist them against an obdurate bureaucracy?
14. Baba Ramdev, who is your supporter, had pronounced that hoarders of black money should be hanged. But after Rupees Four Hundred Crores of unaccounted money was found in Sai Baba’s personal chamber, both you and Ramdev were ominously silent! Is corruption selective?
15. Acharya Vinobha Bhave had said, “Think globally, act locally”. The local (microcosm) is so often a reflection of the larger (macro) picture. So I have some localised questions as well, that are no less relevant.
16. Here in Kanpur, lawyers, court clerks (peshkars) and doctors, amongst others, came out in your support. Could these groups collectively say that they don’t indulge in corrupt practices?
17. Several wagons of grey goods were confiscated at the railway station. None of your supporters, including traders, spoke out against blatant tax evasion. Why?
18. A woman was found naked and delirious on the road. Two Municipal Corporators and I got her admitted to Mother Teresa’s home. I asked some of your supporters for help. They declined. So who are the real servants of the people – your protesters, or the much maligned “public representatives”?
19. You asked your supporters to gherao the residences of MPs. Our MP is Sriprakash Jaiswal, the Union Minister of Coal. He has made Coal India the most valuable company in India. He has been re-elected thrice, because of his development works and clean image. Yet your supporters, including those who till recently sang the Minister’s praises, thought nothing of gheraoing his residence, even when he was not there. It reminds me of Shakespeare’s words “ Blow, blow thou winter wind, thou art not so unkind, as man’s ingratitude”. Why coal tar all with the same brush (pun intended)?
So Annaji, while appreciating your campaign against corruption (?) I regret that I cannot join you until you answer my questions.
1st September 2011
The whole nation salutes you for bringing the issue of Corruption to centre stage. I join that growing chorus. I also admire your personal austerity. However, Annaji (big brother) your chhotebhai (small brother) is confused about some issues, hence this query.
Whenever somebody questions me, I first ascertain who the person is. In like manner, lest you question my credentials, let me first present them to you.
I am a Gandhian activist living in Kanpur. When you went on fast on 5th April, I was the convenor of the Bhrashtachar Virodhi Andolan, which gathered together 40 organisations and 1000 people for the day long fast and rally. I do not belong to any political party. In 1990, as National President of the All India Catholic Union, I fasted for 7 days in New Delhi, for peace in Kashmir, Punjab, Ayodhya etc. So I understand the power of the fast. Last year I went to jail for 6 days because I refused to bribe the cops and the judiciary. Even in jail, I suffered because I declined to pay for “services” available. Presently I am facing a big Income Tax demand, which would have been “settled” if I had agreed to cough up Rs 50,000/-. So I understand corruption, and with you, seek its amelioration. I trust that you will now regard me as an honest questioner and a concerned citizen. Here are my questions:
1. You have been hailed as a modern Gandhi. Gandhiji insisted that the ends do not justify the means. He suspended the freedom struggle when violence broke out at Chaurichaura. Do you subscribe to this tenet of Gandhism?
2. Did Gandhiji drink water during his fasts, like you did? Were any oral rehydrants added to the water in the steel tumbler that was not transparent?
3. Were your supporters inspired by Gandhiji (who is usually derided by the educated middle class), or by Munnabhai’s style of Gandhigiri, which was more of emotional blackmail and coercion?
4. Your initial demand was for the Jan Lokpal Bill (JLB) to be passed in Parliament before 30th August. Was this not coercion and blackmail?
5. You wanted the Prime Minister, Judiciary and Parliamentary conduct under the JLB. You then watered down your demands to State Lokayuktas, the lower bureaucracy and a parliamentary resolution. All you got was a “sense of the house” and an assurance. None of your demands were conceded. Then why did you call off your fast? Had the Govt called your bluff, necessitating a face saving withdrawal? Were you afraid to die for the cause?
6. Your knowledge of law, the Constitution and parliamentary proceedings is limited. The same cannot be said of your core team members. Why then did they push you and the nation to the brink, knowing full well that their demands were untenable? Was this brinkmanship or showmanship?
7. Kejriwal and Bedi were jockeying for the post of Chief Information Commissioner (CIC). Now they are crying “sour grapes” that the CIC etc are toothless tigers!
8. Other bodies like the CEC, CAG, Supreme Court, CBI etc are doing a fairly good job. Why belittle all else, and project your JLB as the panacea for all evils?
9. Why was the Central Govt alone the target of your ire against corruption? Were you blind to Karnataka and U.P.? Does IAC stand for “India Against Corruption”, or “Individuals Allergic to Congress”?
10. The 2G Telecom scam, in which the CAG alleged a loss of several thousand crore rupees, was one of the launching pads for your team. The present Telecom Minister tried to say that Telecom is part of infrastructure, and not for profiteering. That is why telecom in India is so cheap. Your campaign used telecom and SMS to the hilt. It has saved itself crores of rupees. In Kanpur, during your 12-day fast, telecom companies generated revenue of Rupees Sixty Crores through SMS’s, largely due to your campaign! Maybe you actually have something to thank A Raja for!
11. Why didn’t Kejriwal and Bedi, your strategic and dancing colleagues, fast with you? Were they prepared to make a sacrificial lamb of you?
12. The BJP vociferously supported you on the streets, but made a volte-face in Parliament. Did the BJP suddenly realise that your increasing popularity would eat into their vote bank- the educated middle class?
13. Why were the Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, OBCs, rural folk and the urban poor conspicuously absent from your campaign? Do they not feel safe in your hands? Are farmers happy enough with the support programmes of the Central Govt? Do the poor find that the very politicians (public representatives), that you constantly denigrate, are actually the ones that assist them against an obdurate bureaucracy?
14. Baba Ramdev, who is your supporter, had pronounced that hoarders of black money should be hanged. But after Rupees Four Hundred Crores of unaccounted money was found in Sai Baba’s personal chamber, both you and Ramdev were ominously silent! Is corruption selective?
15. Acharya Vinobha Bhave had said, “Think globally, act locally”. The local (microcosm) is so often a reflection of the larger (macro) picture. So I have some localised questions as well, that are no less relevant.
16. Here in Kanpur, lawyers, court clerks (peshkars) and doctors, amongst others, came out in your support. Could these groups collectively say that they don’t indulge in corrupt practices?
17. Several wagons of grey goods were confiscated at the railway station. None of your supporters, including traders, spoke out against blatant tax evasion. Why?
18. A woman was found naked and delirious on the road. Two Municipal Corporators and I got her admitted to Mother Teresa’s home. I asked some of your supporters for help. They declined. So who are the real servants of the people – your protesters, or the much maligned “public representatives”?
19. You asked your supporters to gherao the residences of MPs. Our MP is Sriprakash Jaiswal, the Union Minister of Coal. He has made Coal India the most valuable company in India. He has been re-elected thrice, because of his development works and clean image. Yet your supporters, including those who till recently sang the Minister’s praises, thought nothing of gheraoing his residence, even when he was not there. It reminds me of Shakespeare’s words “ Blow, blow thou winter wind, thou art not so unkind, as man’s ingratitude”. Why coal tar all with the same brush (pun intended)?
So Annaji, while appreciating your campaign against corruption (?) I regret that I cannot join you until you answer my questions.
1st September 2011
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