Champu was nobody. He was living in some part of India and living an ordinary life as you and me. As us, he was also too much disturbed by daily life corruption and lethargy of our government bureaucracy regarding roads, hygiene, communications, you name it he was suffering. Finally, one day he went to temple and prayed to Devima to do something about it.. something to improve our life condition. He cried, cried and finally Devima answered his prayer. She told that she will make him MP (Member of Parliament) for one hour and disappeared.
Before Champu understands anything, he found himself in parliament, where MPs discussing about Jan Lokpal bill. Champu heard each MP’s speech regarding Lokpal bill. Finally at last his turn has come. Speaker asked “ Champu Lal.. its’ your turn for speech. “ Champu slowly stood up from his seat and looked entire parliament where laws are being made and country is being governed. He looked at all MPs and few empty seats. He started his speech…
“ Madam speaker and members of parliament, I am new here. So pardon me if I mistakenly break any parliamentary procedure or courtesy. As I can see, today we have assembled here to speak about Jan Lokpal bill. I want to segment my speech in 3 parts 1) World is flat, 2) Parliamentary Supremacy 3) Corruption & Politicians
1) World is Flat is a book written by American Columnist Thomas Friedman based on his interview with Nandan Nilekani. ‘World is flat’ means, in this internet age, knowledge barriers have been removed. Any information is just one click away. One information superhighway has been created and where any rural village boy of India can access Harvard journals online. Available information abundant and capacity of mind is the only barrier. You can feed as much information as you can digest. Given this flatness, youth easily see what is happening at another corner of the world and how people is living there. And this creates aspiration to live better. I was not that demanding about good roads and better civic management before 10 years, but now I compare my country with China and US and I find myself shamed as far as infrastructure is concerned. I want good, clean roads and transportation as developed countries. This desire was not intense before 10 years. This flatness has brought new change globally. Evidence is found in Middle east uprisng. Egyptian, Tunisian and other middle east dictators have never thought year before that they will be thrown by common people. Hosni Mubarak has ruled for appx. 35 years and suddenly within 3 months, he was thrown out by common Egyptian youth. India as democratic country and IT giant can’t be untouched by impact of this flatness. Our youth’s aspiration has increased leaps and bounds. But after all India is not Egypt or Tunisia and therefor Lokpal agitation has been peaceful and non-violent. Having said flatness of world, We have to be flexible enough to accommodate new ideas. So long this aspiration is limited to city youth but surely in near future, It will spread in rural towns as well. Facebook has reached to tier 3 & 4 Indian cities. MPs should be flexible enough to accommodate ideas born outside Parliament and bring them into parliament, discuss, amend, audit, refine and make legislation to serve people. After all democracy is to serve people. We should not live in belief that MPs and cabinet ministers are only smart enough to make laws and other outsiders can’t contribute in law making process. This attitude reflects our feudal mentality of ruling poor people. In this era, when all information required is click away and aspiration of living better life is running high than ever, any government should able to cope with change and accommodate new fresh ideas coming from outside.
2) Arguments have been given that Parliament is supreme and nobody is above constitution. Agreed that Parliament is supreme but Parliament is made for People, by People. Thus People are supreme. Democracy, Parliament and Constitution is made for people. And thus any legislation which is to make people’s life better, to improve the governance can’t be against constitution. Some experts are saying that, bowing down to agitation like lokpal is setting dangerous precedent. In future somebody can use same tactics to press selfish agendas which may put national secular fabric or democratic value in danger. I want to argue that momentum as Lokpal agitation has got and leaders as Anna Hazare is rare and can’t be copied that easily. We have to believe in maturity of 2011’s India and Indian people. We also have to trust wisdom of our MPs. In case in future such incidents do arise, our constitution, civil society does have strength to deal with that. Our Civil society, which is against government, can be helpful to counter such selfish agenda by individuals. Government can shake hands with civil society and make them partner in safeguarding our constitutions ’basic ideology. We can’t suppress present good intent movement, just because of fear of possible future bad-intent movement. If we do so, we can’t initiate any reform or required change in society. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Gandhiji and others have given us a constitution 60 years ago. They have given us a boat to sail through sea of time. Now after 60 years, this boat has developed certain holes, by inner rates. We need seal it. We need to fix it. It simply does not mean we are changing the boat; we are doing only maintenance work. Until now Member of Parliament has initiated the discussions on any new legislation, then after elaborate discussion, amendment, it has become law. Now civil society has triggered the first step and Parliament is discussing it. This new beginning of people’s participation. A new innovation or custom mostly faces criticism. I have read somewhere that When Graham Bell shown first telephone to mayor of New York, he simply rejected the idea by saying “ who will use it ?” Rest is history. People tend to live in certain comfort of set rules. When those rules are challenged, mostly people react with resistance but in due course of time, accept the acceptable. Lokpal bill is inevitable. New precedent has been set to let people of civil society participate in law making process. Some people will like it and some will dislike this new initiative, but it’s like travelling in train, where all passengers will reach to destination whether they will like destination or not !!! Change is fact.
3) Politicians have become synonym with corruption. It’s not like there is no corruption in other profession but Politicians are first to be blamed. When a engineer buy a car, public view it as promotion, when a business man buys a car, it perceived as success in business but when a politician or government bureaucrat buys a car, it seems as fruit of corruption. Right from my childhood at Tea stalls, at bus station, at streets any where in India, I have heard, “ Politicians make money”. Most of Politicians are corrupt that’s general feeling in the street. Why ! Who gave Politicians bad image ? Does anyone sitting in parliament, have credibility to mobilize people nation-wide against corruption as Anna Hazare has done ! Why we have lost that credibility ? And if we have lost, we have to gain it back. This is the time to do it. This is the time to make politicians as noble profession again. We can do it by making strong lokpal.
I want to end by saying that my daughter is 2 years old. I dream that when she will be 18, she need not to pay bribe to get her first vehicle license. Finally I am so proud today as Indian about our non violent way of Lokpal agitation for 13 days. Indian youth have protested and participated in agitation but not a single stone has been thrown and bullet has been fired. That’s’ miracle. Gandhiji and his principles are still alive, only that we need a catalyst. “
As Champu ended his speech, he woke up. He was dreaming with smile on his face.
Written by Vadan
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