I am getting to be sick and tired of the camps of Anna Hazare, Baba Ramdev and Subramanian Swamy fouling up every bit of space in the public domain with all manner of wild charges against all manner of public figures. They seem to be walking straight into the Goebbelsian trap.
They are making the whole nation a whispering gallery. Every conversation in every household, or in whatever public forum, mentions incredible amounts exacted by a Governor, or his progeny, or a Minister, or a judge right up to the Supreme Court, or anyone at all holding public office, as a quid pro quo for getting something or the other done. The informant purports to do so knowledgeably, certifying that he has heard it first hand from someone else, who had heard it first hand from someone else who had heard it…well, you get the drift.
Internet Web sites are circulating round the globe, with millions of eyeballs intently pegged on to them, brimming with exact figures, running to hundreds of thousands of crores of rupees, made by each of the incumbents, identified by name, in the highest reaches of the Central and State Governments, in the various high voltage scandals. They are not from sources who want to remain anonymous: They flaunt their names and dare those targeted by them to take them to courts.
Mr Subramanian Swamy alone has been putting out in public meeting/statement after public meeting/statement the names and amounts involved, and even keeping the nation in suspense about more to come.
For those convinced that the nation is wallowing in corruption and black money, the sky is the limit. State any figure - however astronomical - and, in their view, it is bound to be right.
MAGNANIMOUS RECOGNITION
Members of Team Anna, with Arvind Kejriwal being the most vitriolic, for their part, have also been for some time trotting out names of 14 Ministers, including the Prime Minister, whom they have been castigating as corrupt. They have been exhibiting the photographs of their faces at the venues of their campaign. The new President, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, is one of them, but they have covered his face with a cloth, reportedly in magnanimous recognition of the immunity he enjoys during his tenure as President!
To the extent possible, and summoning such experience as I have of public affairs (as also my having been a trial magistrate in the early part of my career), I have tried to figure out the basis of the charges the graft fighters have let fly in all directions. As per my layman’s judgment, they seem nothing more than perfunctorily drawn inferences, from inconclusive, if not meagre, documentation or substantiation, leave alone solid proof.
God - and almost everyone coming into contact with public functionaries in India - knows that with the steep fall in adherence to values, and in standards of private and public conduct, made worse by the rapid depletion of role models, venality has become a way of life. There is indeed no longer any sense of shame attached to being arrested or prosecuted. Far from being ostracised, the accused are welcomed with mammoth receptions when they come out of jail on bail.
CHARACTER ASSASSINATION
These tendencies should be fought, not by a McCarthian witch-hunt or Goebbelsian propaganda, but by a sober, responsible and thorough examination, fact by fact, document by document, of the information coming into the graft-fighters’ knowledge and possession. Tom-toming them in public, before undertaking such a painstaking effort, is hardly distinguishable from character-assassination; it also has the effect of tarnishing India’s reputation in the eyes of the world.
I strongly urge Team Anna to entrust the material they have raising doubts about the integrity of any high level public functionary for scrutiny by a group of two or three independent and eminent persons of impeccable credentials - such as the former Chief Justice J. S. Verma, the former Central Vigilance Commissioner, Mr N. Vittal and the former Chief Election Commissioner, Mr J. M. Lyngdoh - and go public only after they give their finding.
The Opposition should also be circumspect about looking upon the charges of the graft fighters as grist to its anti-Government mill. They are as likely to turn against it as against anybody else! It should be wise enough to tell itself: Ask not for whom the bell tolls: It tolls for thee!
Keywords: Team Anna, Baba Ramdev, Subramanian Swamy fouling, public domain, wild charges, against all public figures, Goebbelsian trap, whole nation, whispering gallery, Character Assassination
Comments:
MR RAGHAVAN, whoever you are, may be a magistrate in your earlier career or whatever, you have done your duty, you have proposed to do for yourself or as entrusted with you by whoever elaborately with sarcastic tones. But poor poor credibility while reading itself comes out. It gives a feeling to one that this is someone, and this is some piece of a propaganda material, appearing for a specific purpose of
attacking the selfless anti-corruption movement. No dramatic line will suffice today, Mr Raghavan, as the whole nation, may be exception of people like you and some immediately affected politicians, is fed up of corruption and people like you who indirectly dilute the attack on corruption for ages together keeping the legitimate resources and money that belong to the poorest of the poor in the hands of a certain percentage of powerful people who thrive on grabbing (corruption) it mercilessly. It would do good if you change your CHALTHA HAI ATTITUDE TOWARDS CORRUPTION
yes, agreed. instead of shouting too much, they should go to the courts and then take it from there (as happened in case of 2G). present the evidence in court and let the courts decide. this shouting, begging, bad mouthing will only raise the temperatures in an already hot delhi. lets turn negative thoughts into positive action. pls no more fasts. Anna ji's life is too precious to waste in such fasts. Same for all others too. Good day !
Sir,Corruption is difficult to prove.But the whispering gallery is
usually accurate.Take benami holdings.The people know who are the real
owners of colleges,hospitals etc.In India if people perceive somebody as
corrupt,it is always correct. Usually they are defeated in the
elections.It is different matter that their successors may be more
corrupt.Legally it is very rare to get any corrupt punished.
On this i do not agree with mr.B.S.R. PROBITY IN PUBLIC LIFE IS
SHRINKING IN PUBLIC SPACE. Innocent if not proved guilty cannot be
said in graft cases in people who woeld power. In the WEST even
private life is discussed thread bare if you come and contest
elections in public arenas. Here our leaders sanctimoniously declare
it is their personal life not open to public domain. tell me why no
one mentions Mr. Jayram RAMESH WHEN CORRUPTION IS DISCUSSED.,because
he is known for a simple life and his worldly possessions are modest.
can you say the same for others much riled by opposition and media?
@vswami
Rider: More clues, intelligible enough, @ Link,-
Social Engagement: When Discretion is the Better Part of Valor ...
In one's perspective, the two concepts,- 'social activism' and 'social
engagement'seem to have more than common factor or underlying fact of
life, to reckon with.
Finally a sensible article ! The author is right - spreading allegations against all and sundry diffuses the entire agitation, provides no solutions and simply degrades the protest into a rant. What is team Anna stating today ? Allegations against 15 ministers to be probed by an independent panel - who constitutes the panel ? what happens if anyone throws mud at these panelists ? It is very easy to rubbbish institutions - difficult to build one. Let us learn to strike at the root of evils - for clean administration we need clean politicians who can control bureaucrats for which we need to enable clean people to enter politics. Thus we need to enable govt funding of political parties and elections. We also need to ensure speedy delivery of justice - clean up the processes, automate, and bring transparency in the judicial system. Let Team Anna pick up these subjects and seek implementation of specific recommendations instead of targetting individual politicians.
Respected Senior Citizen Mr BS Raghavan. Your life style is such that you could have never came in to contact with common poor Indian. All India Service and associated paraphernalia -royal life and rich always .We all person r poor and common because of rampant Corruption at all levels that made India Poor and Poor on a minute to minute basis. If you are sick and Tired , pl do not propagate the good intentions of Corruption crusaders as if they are exageration. You are sick and hence Tired , Please take rest. Do not meddle in the The Hindu columns. Calling some one Honest is not by publicity but by act Mr Raghaven. India was the only country which liberated Finaace first before other subjects. In 1991 and after the steps taken to depreciate Rupee two times in a span of 10days with out any pain by Mr MM singh .Also heard he permitted the banking by BCCI in india etc. He arranged to liberalize and dis invested public sector. it is like some one working for the Next Door wishes.Wishes
B.S.Raghavan thinks readers are idiots and fools.he the great administrator knows the truth.Subramanian swamy has been howling about skulduggery in the allocation of 2G spectrum right from year 2009 when none of the press even had a clue or chose to be silent.CAG then made it nationwide news when they estimated the level of skulduggery, the SC looked into the charges and for the first time in the history of India, deemed the contracts given out by government as a deviant decision.What more proof do you want? There are many serious charges levelled by DrSwamy which needs scrutiny.One of them is already becoming a headache for the Maran brothers.Raghavan made his mark as a file pusher, he must stick to his file pushing.
Social activism, just as any other of its kind, is not a bad idea, may
be an ideology worth imbibing and practicing; but only so long as any
individual or a group take it upon self (ves) to make own
contribution aspiring for betterment or protection of public interest
in its faithful and altruistic sense.
Nonetheless, if at all truly motivated and sincere in taking things
forward, not in the reverse direction, two facts of life ought not to
be forgotten:
Soulful wisdom behind the age-old belief, holding good for all
times/situations - Discretion IS the Better Part of Valour; and
Self-discipline is the rarest of commodities, not just in short
supply, but has been historically out- of-stock.
On such age-old belief, one finds some useful clues in, among others,
the thought-provoking Thomas Garnett's Essay: Gossamer (link); which,
in the ultimate analysis,may not be out of context but somewhat
related, hence worth a mindful reading.
Brilliant article. As suggeted by the author, we should form a
scrutiny committee with eminient people which will DEMAND details
from Anna Hzare team,response from government and analyse them and declare the verdict within three months.THE HINDU must take some
initiative, find some SPONSERS for the committee to function. I am
pained by Mr.Rajan's comments.In 1967, the DMK party said that Kamaraj is living alavish life in a big bungalow and had funds ina
Hydrabad bank and came to power. Today what is the status of DMK'S
leaders? Doesn't it concern us? Should we feel helpless? Iam surprised by Mr.bala's praise of Mr .Jayaram Ramesh.While in China,
he critisized our home ministery.As an enviromentry minister, he declared that the rivers linking from north to south is impossible.
From Dr.K.L Rao of an irrigatio engineer and union minister of 1965,there are many comittee's reports of its feasiblity. The river
linking may have few some technical problems. It is essential.
B.S. Raghavan seems to have a very prejudiced and biased view of anti-corruption movement that has been inaugurated by social activists like Team Anna and numerous others in public space. If corruption and loot of public money has spread out like a cancer in governing circles, why begrudge the wisphering campaign. Thanks heaven, we have not got the way of the Chinese by shooting the culprits; but the day is not far, when unless a more punishing campaign is launched to bring the culprits to book, in a time bound manner, the natural progression of the public mood, could unleash a India 'French Revolution', when those guilty will be hanged in public square. And they should be.
Instead of giving advices to Team Anna, Baba Ramdev and Dr Swamy, from
the comforts of cool environs of residence let Mr Raghvan come out and
join these movement by sitting with them if not fasting. Such people
were there during British Rule also, sitting at home criticising Mahatma Gandhi and others. It is surprising that an ex-trial Magistrate is not shocked by the extent of hardship being faced by the
common man. Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches.
You have a point in saying that team Anna is accusing many in the Govt. of corruption. I too am of the opinion that they are losing their way. But, consider the skulduggery of the Govt. Do you get the impression that they are honestly trying to bring in a legislation on the subject of Lokpal? In this regard I would suggest that you read the article by Pratap Bhanu Mehtha in the Indian Express dt. 28th July. He exposes in his exquisite analysis the hypocrisy of the Govt. in this matter.
We should factor in the fact that Anna team is not politicians who routinely indulge in double speak.
subrahmanyam
Sir, I want email ID of Mr Raghavan. I have something to wrote to him.
Thanks
Mohan Raj
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