On Anna’s Fast – Big Fat Rant

Author’s Disclaimer : (a) I have not yet done anything useful for any part of the society, other than not farting at public places and never throwing away a wrapper on the road, and generally i try not to be a nuisance.

                                     (b)As someone that refused to pay a bribe for both my Drivers license and my Passport, and for all the nagging i ve done my father to file tax returns promptly and regularly to pad the dockets of Kalmadi, Raja et al.  as someone that has a profound dislike for Fraudulent Tax consultants and Chartered Accountants, and Swiss Banks that help in guarding all the loot, I feel i have earned the right to talk about corruption.

All this talk over Anna Hazare and Lokpal have been flooding all my social network forums, and the worst thing possible happened yesterday.. A bloody NRI from California, who supported IAC’s protest outside the UN, advised me on twitter to fulfill my social responsibility and that what is needed is to quote this wonderful hypocrite sitting in California, who thought he d convinced me to do something for my country, “laws that deliver swift, fair n severe punishment for those who steal my tax money, money that is meant for the poor, cntry, and join Anna Hazare”.

Social networking forums and the blogosphere are also doing their part very well providing all the information one can eat up.

Why should we not for one moment just STFU, Clear our minds of all this E Waste and tailored content and try to think if this is what we want and is this how we want it. We reflect on so many trivial things Why should we not reflect on our future in this great country and the current state of affairs in governance. If you are the type that goes “Why should i care?”.. Then Congratulations I sincerely wish you well.

Okay I patiently tolerated Mr. Chetan Bhagat when he also had his say on corruption. I must say though that IMO he has toned down his columns, probably fearing some form of Repercussion. he is also after all a Pullakutti kaaran and needs to continue writing oh so predicatble tales selling for 59 Rupees and retain the Bestselling author and columnist tag. I even read stuff written by Shri Subramaniam Swamy on the need for Viraat hindus to plug the corruption. BTW his book on the 2G spectrum case is a good read, although bewarned too much of reiteration and a good dose of megalomania is there.

I fully realize and am aware of the contribution that Anna Hazare has made to the cause of corruption and in general to Relgaon-Siddhi, his village in Maharashtra. I acknowledge that He is definitely a great person, better than me for sure, absolutely no disputing that. But comparing him to Gandhiji or even likening him to a modern day Gandhi and giving him this level of adulation makes my blood boil.His appearance on Saregama paa Little Champs and all the talk on how we should recall the contribution of people that helped us gain independence and his calling MMS and the Parliamentary system a joke.. Saar all this is old stuff, We know all this.. Lets only talk of what needs to be done.. and how it should be done..  Right here .. Right Now.

This present scenario was exactly what Dr. B.R. Ambedkar had warned us about while concluding the proceedings of the constituent Assembly.  he urged his compatriots to “abandon the bloody methods of revolution”. In the circumstances of colonial rule, there were grounds for taking to the streets to protest, and even perhaps to use violence or nonviolent struggles. But with the coming of a free, sovereign and democratic republic, wrote Ambedkar, “there can be no justification for these unconstitutional methods. These methods are nothing but the Grammar of Anarchy and the sooner they are abandoned, the better for us.”There was “nothing wrong”, said Ambedkar, “in being grateful to great men who have rendered life-long services to the country. But there are limits to gratefulness”. His worry was that in India, “bhakti or what may be called the path of devotion or hero-worship, plays a part in its politics unequalled in magnitude by the part it plays in the politics of any other country in the world. Bhakti in religion may be a road to the salvation of the soul. But in politics, bhakti or hero-worship is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship.” After this and Anna’s withdrawal of the fast the first time around I almost felt Chidambaram and the PM were right when he said this and that.

Anna Hazare may be a man of action, of strong character, and even a very great leader, but all said and done he is also an ordinary citizen like you and me of this wonderful dominion. The respect and amount of adulation and major league backing and coverage from the media that he is getting now seems to shock me. I always thought the media in this country was mostly selfish, enormously arrogant, and blatantly biased. But come Anna Hazare, a simple unassuming man, Major league coverage. How do TRP’s work with respect to Civil and Social Responsibilities can be potentially researched here. They completely ignored this other great man that actually fasted for 114 days and died fully knowing he is fighting a losing battle. My point is that We the people are no different from Anna or Baba Ramdev and we need to also take a decisive stand on the issue of corruption and the way the government is making a mockery out of anti-corruption law.

This choice is about what is right and what is wrong, and the line of distinction is as broad as it can get. And Anna merely striking a deal amidst his fast, literally with the devil (read as Kapil Sibal) was simply unacceptable. What can be construed as involvement with Parliamentary committee was simply Drinking tea and eating biscuits at Government cost. and if (lets leave Anna out for the moment and give him the Bhola (naive and simple man) tag) someone so deep in Government affairs as kejriwal or Shanti and Prashant Bhushan, fell for the oldest trick in the Standard Operating Procedure of Indian Politics (Stall .. Stall more.. Put it away) .. Shame on you.. you simply do not deserve the peoples full backing.  The same applies to MMS and the rather shameless Congress party  and every opportunistic bastard (parson the language for my current state of mind is this) trying to tap into human misery and never works to get people out of this RUT.

The Pizza and burger eating class, the cool dudes and dudettes that hit the pubs and discos regularly, everyone seems to say Anna is great and he is the true leader in the fight against corruption, and you know what..  they may be right. Nobody else has seemed to take up this issue with this vigor, which as MMS says, needs the cooperation and involvement of each and every citizen of this country. Easy for him to say, because he does not talk much and can take abuse.

But the truth According to MMS is that, our (The peoples) role must beto keep silent and watch as people take away what is remaining of the will to fight corruption away and make a joke out of it. I do not know whether MMS is corrupt, nor do i think he is a poor Prime minister. We are lucky to have a good head of state, one that is respected world wide as a great Scholar. His silence on the face of an issue as grave as 2G or CWG is as intriguing to me as my other major question in current politics “Is Rahul Gandhi gay?”. How can someone so well read sit and take all this abuse..  all of this for what?? Sonia Gandhi giving into coalition pressure, and appointing incompetent nincompoops as Cabinet Ministers. (Simply for an eg. MK Azhagiri is the minister for Chemical and Fertilizers, Ever since that I have slightly begun to regret taking up Chemical Engineering as my major.) . The PM’s  silence makes me think whether he might actually have his hand in the pie. How can he listen to such toxic speeches made!!, how can he let someone as shady as Sharad Pawar continue in the cabinet? To be under the assumption (read as presenting a luxurious vacation at Tihar with Yoga and Excercise and access to home cooked food and access to books and newspapers and regular Cups of Tea with Jailers) that maybe Kalmadi or Kanimozhi or Raja are innocent, and acted in the interests of our country is utterly ludicrous.

Narendra Shenoy a celebrity in the blogosphere had written wonderfully about this in an aptly named post. How simple is it to establish guilt and how fucking long will it take, for an agency as big as the CBI.. Paeru beddha Paeru.. CBI.. Content bureau of investigation.. they never want to get to the truth. All the goof ups of the CBI if chronicled will definitely be as large as the constitution. 1700 pages of 2G Chargesheet .. Is this unprecedented amount of BS really necessary..Will a  Simple yes he is guilty.. We found this.. you should punish him not serve the purpose??.

I guess this is were a special Lokpal would come handy. But Lokpal or Jokpal .. unless We the people decide that we will not give or take bribes.. nothing will happen.. Lokpal will only serve to add on to the skill set of lawyers, and will just be another bleak chapter in India after Gandhi and Nehru.

Only the Delhi Special CBI court has nailed Kalmadi very well. Otherwise he is practically enjoying himself, even getting health check ups at AIIMS, and claiming Dementia of heart. But I have to honestly admit .. I love the guy.. Where would all the cool folks of twitter like @rameshsrivats @diogeneb @krishashok @raytida @shenoyn @oldmonkMGM @vishal_c @techrsr @maxdavici (shabbaa .. mudiyala .. too many cool people on twitter) get their daily humor quotes and Anagrams and really funny links and tumblrs.

The executive and Legislature of this country seem to be competing for the “Who’s more incompetent!” title.. and this, in a country where people like Nehru and Gandhi have set standards for the entire world to follow is just so depressing.

The Supreme Court seems to be doing a great job, with respect to dictating terms to the Government, but hey SC justices can be appointed by the Government, just like presidents. But folks Lokpal or Jokpal one thing must always be remembered the unique thing about truth is that it will always eventually come out loud and clear.

This i say even with knowledge that this is Kaliyug in thamizh this is “தர்மத்தின் வாழ்வு தனை சூது கவ்வும் ஆனால் இறுதியில்  தர்மமே வெல்லும்”

So whether you help Anna or not.. it does not matter.. What matters is whether you want to help yourself and the man next to you, and be part of the chain reaction that will eventually reduce the cancer of corruption in this great country.  Fast ! Dont Fast it does’nt matter.. Pick a side on the issue of corruption and Pl take a Stand. This is a wonderful occasion to start of, what with this being the 65th independence day, and MMS has stood in the rain and said this.

Cheers (I know !! Its a Dry Day but you should ve stocked up )

Akshay

Tamilnadu Elections -2011

The most expected Election Result (Screw Assam, Bengal, Kerala..  Pondicherry is literally tamilnadu with access to multiple brands of liquor without excessive taxation) was announced about 10 days ago and although i started this post on 13th i ve been dilly dallying on it for quite a while..  But yes Amma Won .. and she won in style.. Over so many discussions with friends and Dad on the changing scenario/ Corruption and nepotism charges/ Need for a fresh and ruthless face to represent the Government of Tamil Nadu. Seriously one helluva troublesome period Amma has been through.. While I am the first person to criticize her solitude, coldness to media and anyone that even dares to confront/cntradict her, Hitlee like aura.. One has to frankly Admit the Lady has the brains and the Balls to run the office in a way that it deserves to be run. the first trendsetter towards Victory was the flexibility and ridgidity she showed while forming the alliance. She played Vijaykanth to her strength and has obviously strengthened his Voter base as well.. but onus is on him and legislators from his party to live up to the expectations of people and be a responsible opposition.

Having an opportunity to observe several IAS / IPS Officers in TN during the Several Regimes in my 23 small years of existence..  when Amma is in office these guys work more sincerely and harder. Let us leave Corruption aside as that is a Cancer that has stuck to India and requires radical treatment and not mere short doses of chemo therapy like Anna Hazare.  Maan gaye ki She has been corrupt in the past .. but that has never clouded her judgement in administration and Law and Order.. She follows chanakya and Vithura neethi to the letter and has the Intelligence bureaue working overtime to know the pulse of the people. While I dont like the aspect of falling on the feet .. in case people noticed none of that BS happened this time .. A  traditional namaskaram with few old timers like O. Panneer Selvam bending their backs slightly > 45 degrees.. But You know the Adage “Old Habits Die Hard”.. And did you see the Cabinet .. 29 Graduates .. Seriously man .. That has to be some sort of a new trend.  Lovely to see new faces that will now pick up the administration of the several affairs of the state and take it towards a glorious future ensuring safety, security and prosperity of the wonderful people of TN who used this election to show that only  might is not Right and that they are not idiots to take money/ have chicken biriyani and tasmac quarter and go VOTE for the Rising Son. One irritating scar is the trend of freebies.. 8000 Cr of our hard earned tax money is going into subsidizing people a second/4th Mixie/5th Grinder Free Mangal Suthra /blah blah . One thing i really would love to see is subsidized mandatory domestic power generation/ Consumption/ Optimization Program to ensure Zero wastage of power, Higher Industrial Growth in Sustainable and local industries, Further stregthening and Regularizing NGO’s and SHG’s, Cost Effective utilization of the floor space in that monstrosity on mount road.  Excellent Law and Order with all Government officials on their toes ready to serve people like Aabhath Pandavas.. Efficient governance.. Resolving the Cauvery Delta issue and also the Periyar issue through Cordiality and non political Seddhi bhaath with the no Bakwaas addendum. So many expectations from people and quite a lot of time to fulfill some of them.. ALL THE VERY BEST MADAM We hope you bring in all the change that is expected and have enough brownie points to seek a second and third term.

All Mu Ka Bashing Aside

Karunanidhi is a very great leader.. but so was Dhritrashtra of the most famous Mahabharatham.. The only weakness that Mu. Ka hhad was his family.. And members of his family slowly dug the downfall of a great movement started by Periyar, Built by the sacrifices and simple common sense of Annadurai and millions of people who believed that they were going to impact the social scenario , Strengthened further by the Wit and Accumen and that wonderful brain of Mu ka .. only to be destroyed by plain greed and silly Money for Vote policy..

Several Long, Great and wonderful analysis’s have been written on why the DMK failed.. All of which failed to plainly state the obvious.. The deterioration of respect among people for the DMK and the super Dooper Greed and power mongering of Mu Ka’s wonderful Pariwaar, Mu Ka s betrayal and failure to support and protect the several thousand innocent people who were massacared in Northern Lanka. I have known some members of the Mu Ka Parivaar who have been exceedingly kind to me, yet It is only out of love and sincere concern for them that i say this. These 5 years will be choppy, but never lose your heart and mind.. Lose all that extra cash in doing more good.. YES I SAID THAT LOUD.. There simply is no limit for goodness and love..

Mu Ka can probably go and settle down in Thiruvarur pray to thyagaraja bhagawn whom he insulted rather stupidly and carry out Agriculture (of course after making sure kanimozhi is safe and secure and all her money and political credibility and dignity is completely gone) or serious literature rather than witty oneliners and press statements .One major responsibility that Mu Ka can get rid of is finalizing and demarcating Party and Political Reponsibilities within the family. teach the grand children Fundamentals of Covering up the ways of spending money earned from corruption.  I doubt if Mu Ka will attend sessions of the legislature but it ll be fun to see his meetings and interactions with the media.  Jokes apart i feel that complete destruction is always the best way to build up from the bottom.. If Mu ka in his own style can solve the succession problem utilizing the break, Stalin and (amid much hesitation) Azhagiri can bring in a fresh crop of faces to deal with people s issues and bring back the DMK to some strength and repute.. Remember they still have around 23 MPs ( RS and LS included) there is a lot of things that can be done.. Esp now that there is the time.. All that is needed is the will and the Vigour. And the Cadre of DMK have of late become money minded, or the true cadre have been ignored owing to the humongous stupidity and oversight among “leaders” of the party. Say what you want about Azhagiri the Union Minister and MP, but Azhagiri the party General Secretary has enormous energy and control. he has (hopefully) learnt the “thirumangala balam unakku eppoadhaavadhu tharum Amangalam” lesson for life. In an old thamizh movie Goundamani says this dialogue “Hey Money Come today go Tomorrow ya”.

Note To DMK More Goundamani .. less Vadivelu.

Remember that you had and still have the opportunity to gain respect.. Pl Seize it with all your will and work towards success.. This is my message/ request to the DMK.