Non-performing assets, or NPAs, are assets which are categorized by a bank or a financial institution as sub-standard, doubtful or lossy assets. They do not yield any returns to them.
2G scandal and the consequent cancellations of licenses by the Indian supreme court will expose more such Asset imbalance. This write-up attempts to analyze the extent of NPA issues the country faces.
The gross non-performing assets (NPAs) of 37 listed banks has gone up to Rs 1.06 lakh crore (Rs 1.06 trillion) during the September quarter (2011) from Rs 79,078 crore (Rs 790.78 billion) in the corresponding period last year (2010). As per RBI, the total NPAs for public sector banks from 2008 to 2011 have been steadily increasing from 39749 to 71047 crores (Rs). It was 57301 crores (Rs) in 2010. Unfortunately, RBI declares only macro statistics and no detailed conclusions can be made from these statistics. High NPAs is one of the reasons why Moody's has assigned BAA3, the lowest investment grading rating, to India. The rating agency downgraded the outlook for the Indian banking system to 'negative' from 'stable' saying that economic slowdown would impact asset quality, capitalisation and profitability.
These NPAs have to be written off when the recovery cannot be made. In 2010, CBI was looking at whether the one-time settlements these government banks entered into with borrowers were meant to pre-empt investigation into allegations of corruption. Together, all public sector banks (PSBs) have written off almost Rs 26,000 crore in bad debts from 2007 to 2010. In a similar move, Indian banks have written off a whopping Rs 44,767 crore in the last five years (between 2000 and 2004) stuck in non-performing assets (NPAs).
The main reasons for the increase in NPAs could be the following -
1. Loans to real estate, mining and other infrastructure industries that have not been able to service their loans.
2. Favoritism to agriculture and other priority sector for pleasing political vote banks.
3. Loans designed to please "political" families.
4. The current currency fluctuations also affect the Letter of Credit defaults by importers that banks guarantee.
When a loan is sanctioned to any individual / proprietary concern/partnership firms/private or public companies the following aspects are taken into account -
1. Integrity of the promoters and their background.
2. Primary security of the project funded assets ( including the amount spent by the promoters as their equity ).
3. Sometimes other collateral (movable/immovable) belonging to the promoters/close relatives/friends.
4. Hypothecation (practice where a borrower pledges collateral to secure a debt ) of stocks including receivables.
5. Personal guarantee of the promoters.
In some cases, when the borrower is political connected, the bank waives obtaining collateral securities. The promoters then furnish inflated bills ( to cover up their share) and also make arrangements with machinery suppliers to overstate the invoices. They can then take an agreed upon percentage from the banks without putting any contributions from their side. Since, the factory/venture was meant just to siphon out money, the unit becomes sick and the bank has to acquire the unit under Revenue Recovery Act.
Following are the steps to recover the dues of the bank -
1. Auction the unit.
2. Handing over the unit to some other parties who are well-experienced with some addition loan/concessions.
The bank is usually not suited to affect the recover the dues from a sick unit. The amount of liability may not be recovered in full as the plant and machinery might have become obsolete. The auction notice indicates the floor price which is normally equivalent to the outstanding liability. They invite biddings in sealed envelopes and hand over the unit to successful bidder in the event of Bank getting the full money. In India, nobody quotes the floor price expected by the bank and the bids would usually be 25-30% of the floor prices. This stalemate continues for a long time. In the meanwhile, the originally promoter negotiates with bank through a third party ( his "benami" partner ) and using all this influence for a lower sum, takes over the unit.
So, the person who originally took the loan for running a factory, uses the loan for siphoning cash, then through the convoluted mechanisms, takes over the same machinery at a much lower cost.
The Banks are forced to recover at least a partial amount as they cannot recover any money.
Now, this modus operandi can be controlled and its affect minimized by adopting following -
1. Making it difficult to open "benami" accounts. "Know Your Customer (KYC) - Anti Money Laundering guidelines" instituted by RBI in 2002 has helped curb money laundering and funding dubious/terrorism related funding channels. The banking systems do not allow anyone to open an account without providing the details like passport, driving licenses, Tax identification, etc. This has been well-implemented by the banks.
2. Restricting withdrawals of more than 25 lakh rupees from loan accounts without authorization and adequate documented reasons. This has also been mandated by RBI.
3. The banking secrecy laws as provided under the Reserve Bank of India Act specifically debars lenders from parting with information on borrowers to anyone else except to the central bank itself and that too when specifically called for under a prescribed format. However, information can be shared with the specific consent of the borrowers, which is often hard to obtain. If the law is amended to declare a list of all loan defaulters, it will be under public domain and open to scrutiny. The "policial" loans would be drastically reduced. This does not come under RTI too.
4. The loan recovery process from the owners can be made more efficient. Usually, when the promoter defaults, he/she would move his movable/immovable assets to his kin and it is difficult to attach the property of his kin.
These defaults come to notice only when the unit/asset is up for auction. CIBIL(Credit Information (India) Limited ) provides information only on suit-filed accounts that have been provided by the lenders to it at present. his again is limited to defaults of Rs 1crore and above and other suit-filed accounts of wilful defaulters of Rs 25 lakh and above. CIBIL is a four-way joint venture set up over a year ago between State Bank of India, Housing Development Finance Corporation, Dun & Bradstreet Information Services India Pvt Ltd and TransUnion International Inc. The primary task of CIBIL is to gather credit-related information regarding individual and corporate or commercial borrowers and maintain a database of such information. The bureau then sells the information in the form of credit reports to a closed user group of lenders for a price. This report would be one way to determine the major defaults.
In general, the defaults are hurting the country badly. The nexus between the "influential" class and the "political" elite is undermining the efficacy of the banks. Case in point is the allegation that President Pratibha Patil's brother was involved in the a "bad" loan of 60 crores (Rs) for a sugar factory. (see reference 7 below)
Repealing/Modifying the Banking secrecy act to allow for more detailed disclosure will be one major step towards reducing the NPA load on the banks.
Sources and References:
1. http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-indian-banks-with-highest-npas/20111122.htm
2. http://www.thehindubusinessline.in/2003/03/13/stories/2003031302550100.htm
3. http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/annualpublications.aspx
4. http://ramanan50.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/banks-with-bad-debtsnpa-full-list/
5. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-11-29/india/28232413_1_write-offs-public-sector-banks-psbs
6. http://www.indianexpress.com/oldStory/70177/
7. http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/wire-news/sugar-factory-controlled-by-prezs-brother-to-be-auctioned_650181.html
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Thanks for the year 2011.
Another year has gone by. Usually, I would think back and have a little regret about the things I did not do. This past year, though, i am happy about the things we managed to do and the acquaintances we made.
I would like to dedicate this year to Team Anna - who sacrificed so much to try to get an effective anti-corruption legislation passed in India. Their hard work and spirit ignited the whole world of passionate people who came together for the Jan Lokpal movement. Team Anna then became more than a few people in India. It is larger family that covers the whole world.
I too am a part of this large Anna family. I am a new-comer to this social activism. I used to always feel we should do something for the country but somehow just like many others, my day would go on without achieving much. Jan Lokpal agitation made me a contributor too.
In the process, i managed to meet fantastic people, i did not know about in the local community and through the facebook community. This is a brief history of the past year and how the IAC team evolved with the help of these fantastic people.
Raju V., Vivek, Pankaj D and i picked up from the NJ IAC team Ajay Singh had built. Raju is quiet and dignified with a deep commitment to the cause. Vivek is the "empath" of the group and handles our meager finances. We talk about India almost all the time in our commute to work and share ideas on trying to think about what to do. Pankaj is a dear friend and this movement gave us an opportunity to "walk our talk".
We met Himanshu, Kalpana ji, their 2 cute kids and Deepak & family - This family fasted together for Anna ji when he was fasting. Kalpana ji became our "Bharat Mata" for the parade and led about 150 volunteers in rain. Anil was a key member and he would always make us question our approach. Gunjan got together with us soon after. He has done so much work before that he was a great asset for us. He is more like a political strategist for us. He will come up all the different clauses, facts, parables and thought processes that would get us thinking.
The PFL team and Srinivas Ranabothu was always there. They have been around for every event we hosted and also helped us host other events. The PFL team - Srinivas, Kapil, Prakash were visible throughout the India parade event. The range of activities Srinivas and some of the guys are involved with is awesome. i have seen the thought process and excellent work of Srinivas Ranabothu, Suresh Ediga and Prakash Kapila. Got acquainted with Sri Atluri through facebook and conference calls. He was one of core guys in Dandi March II and walked 240 miles for anti-corruption. Truly inspirational.
Satya D. and Satya N. were there to help us whenever we asked them for it. Satya D. garu's viewpoint sometimes was very divergent from IAC but personally, i love the energy and tenacity they put in working for the nation.
Umesh kaul was always there from the beginning. We talk about many different things. Lokpal discussions have occupied most of our tea/lunch breaks. He was one of "official" photographers for our parade event. Somehow managing his camera, umbrella, wind and rain. Pranay K. and Viral D were there for support.
Pranay used to distribute flyers alone in secaucus, NJ because we did not have any guys in the area. The lone "warrior" was determined and relentless. His mental energy and fire belies his physical frame.
Deepanshu is another guy from jersey city area i really admire. His team of friends helped distribute flyers and mobilize the folks from the local area. He is another person, i feel is all heart and soul. He exudes an air of higher consciousness. i know Kunal, Rakesh, etc have worked hard in previous event but did not get a chance to know them well. In the process of working to mobilize for parade event, we got introduced to Kshama Desai. Despite the rain and not having a car, she made to our parade event. Ravi C. is another dynamic guy who does a lot of good social work. He was there for our UN event.
The college fire brand group was from NJIT. Pratik Dahule, Helee Joshi, and friends. I don't the names of all of them. They have done great work in mobilizing support and getting volunteers beyond our expectations. We tried to reach out to Rutgers and Princeton university. Got introduced to Prateek Mathur. He writes very good blogs and thought provoking viewpoints - not all are pro IAC. He, Murtuza and Shrinivas helped in trying to reach out to people. The one person i remember from Rutgers is Yogesh P. He was there at the parade and the scene of him waving the indian flag proudly is embedded in my mind. Bhoomraj R. came all the way from Bridgewater.
Nitin Garg and friends joined us from white plains, NY for the NJ, parade and later for NY parade event. NJ team was holding fasting event when the NY parade event was organized. Not many of us could go for it. NY parade organizer canceled the participation at the last minute and IAC volunteers had to the parade on the side lines. We still got a huge response in NYC.
Raj Saran joined us from Delaware. He has been trying to build support in the local area. We got some folks joining us from Pennsylvania.We met Raj and Vijay Bharatiya at the parade. The patriot couple are always there for the nation.I met Ravi Gangavarupu at the parade. Ravi and Vinay M. had done a lot of work with AID. Together we helped organize Nikhil Dey meet and Prashanth Bhushan princeton visit.
Chandan, Sumit jajoo & friends and Sanjeev Sharma from edison joined us a day before. And they were fabulous in the parade. Chandan had come for the parade but volunteered to stay behind to take care of a lot of our material, t-shirts etc.
After, the parade event, there was a followup meeting in NJ by the business groups where Atul, Vamsi, Sreenivas R. were the main speakers.
Ashim Jain from IAC India had come for UN event. UN event was initiated by Mohan, Alok, Tulsi, Chaitra from chicago. They are a great team. Mohan is a thinker and planner, Alok has an addictive exuberance, Chaitra's creativity etc. are some of the people i know in this team. Atul and I assisted with the UN event. Atul is also working tirelessly for Bihar development and promoting Patna Marathon. Preeti gupta also was a visible attendee doing interviews and shouting slogans. We also met the passionate duo - Satchi and Vamsi. Vamsi has been working continuously and despite his distance from NJ/NY.
Anna started his indefinite fast mid August. I realized later that Vivek and Anil were keeping up with the fast Anna was doing in India. They were eating only once a day for more than 12 days. They inspired us and i too fasted that way for 5 days till Anna broke his fast.
We had a 2 day fasting event at Oak Tree Road to coincide with fast in India. The local business group (IBA) helped us with making a stage and an audio system. We played bhajans and patriotic songs when we sat for fast. The stars of this event were Raj Walia and Sravanth poreddy - they were sitting there continuously for 48 hours without eating. Kiran Desai from IBA also fasted with us for 2 days continuously. Most of the us ate only once a day. We met Gulshan, Arun Ganesan, Jyothi, Asha ji, Varun V., Sachin, Dilip, Milind, Ajay B. and spouses at the fasting event. Shrungi was also there in the fasting event. And she was keying in all the contact information we got in past events. We got close to thousand signatures in support of Jan Lokpal. Kamal was manning the desk there almost continuously.
About this time we also got in touch with Amrutha, Abhijit and team. They were doing a signature campaign and collected a lot of signatures independently (not under IAC).
Ajay Singh was also at another flag hoisting event when we were holding the fasting event. Sanjay Pandey was another active member who was helping get TV visibility for both these events.
Atul, Anuraag and few of us were all set to organize a big event at UN but the threat of Emily ( I meant tropical storm Emily :) ) forced us to stand down. Meanwhile, The House agreed ‘in principle' on the following issues — (i) citizens' charter, (ii) lower bureaucracy under Lokpal through an appropriate mechanism, and (iii) establishment of Lokayuktas in the States. When this resolution was passed we all collected at Oak Tree road and celebrated at Chowpatty. Sangeetha Mallik and spouse, Hitendra, Deepali,Himanshu, Deepak, Vivek, Raju, etc. and few guys from IBA were all there. It was a good impromptu celebration and we did short march on Oak Tree Road.
We held a meet and talk with Nikhil Dey. We also met Mohit, Ameeya, Prashant there. Mohit, Ameeya, Prashant, Shanta are the key people who are giving a good momentum the IAC movement here. Nikhil Dey shared his viewpoints on Jan Lokpal and NCPRI drafts.
The most challenging time for us in the recent past was when we were planning a major event for Prashanth Bhushan and some of his controversial statements about Kashmir surfaced. It had a polarizing affect on the group and we were having long acerbic debates. We eventually had smaller events in Princeton and his family was kind enough to invite us for Dinner talk. Raju, Deepak, Mohit, Ameeya, Vivek were few of the guys who went and heard his frank viewpoints on IAC - current trends, future plans etc.
I would also like to mention how media helped us in our local movement so far. They have been willing to listen to what we are saying and write about what we are doing. We have got press/tv/radio coverage by local channels and by ndtv, timesnow etc.
The team has a lot of dedicated people and who are willing to make a difference. This momentum will continue for a long time to come. We are trying to appeal to the intense passion that Anna Hazare and IAC movement has harnessed. There are a lot of people in India and outside India who want the country to do better. And everyone knows that the country does not lack in great ideas and great people. What we lack is implementation and intention. If we fix this, we are on our way to become a super power.
There are lot of other un-named people who are doing a fabulous job. And as long as we have the kind of people i mentioned above, and many i have forgotten to mention, we can attempt to work towards a "fix". So, my dedication is not just to the Team Anna in India but to the larger pan-world population that is and will be working together to affect the "fix".
With the hope and faith that things will change for better. Wishing everyone a happy new year 2012.
Jai Hind!
I would like to dedicate this year to Team Anna - who sacrificed so much to try to get an effective anti-corruption legislation passed in India. Their hard work and spirit ignited the whole world of passionate people who came together for the Jan Lokpal movement. Team Anna then became more than a few people in India. It is larger family that covers the whole world.
I too am a part of this large Anna family. I am a new-comer to this social activism. I used to always feel we should do something for the country but somehow just like many others, my day would go on without achieving much. Jan Lokpal agitation made me a contributor too.
In the process, i managed to meet fantastic people, i did not know about in the local community and through the facebook community. This is a brief history of the past year and how the IAC team evolved with the help of these fantastic people.
Raju V., Vivek, Pankaj D and i picked up from the NJ IAC team Ajay Singh had built. Raju is quiet and dignified with a deep commitment to the cause. Vivek is the "empath" of the group and handles our meager finances. We talk about India almost all the time in our commute to work and share ideas on trying to think about what to do. Pankaj is a dear friend and this movement gave us an opportunity to "walk our talk".
We met Himanshu, Kalpana ji, their 2 cute kids and Deepak & family - This family fasted together for Anna ji when he was fasting. Kalpana ji became our "Bharat Mata" for the parade and led about 150 volunteers in rain. Anil was a key member and he would always make us question our approach. Gunjan got together with us soon after. He has done so much work before that he was a great asset for us. He is more like a political strategist for us. He will come up all the different clauses, facts, parables and thought processes that would get us thinking.
The PFL team and Srinivas Ranabothu was always there. They have been around for every event we hosted and also helped us host other events. The PFL team - Srinivas, Kapil, Prakash were visible throughout the India parade event. The range of activities Srinivas and some of the guys are involved with is awesome. i have seen the thought process and excellent work of Srinivas Ranabothu, Suresh Ediga and Prakash Kapila. Got acquainted with Sri Atluri through facebook and conference calls. He was one of core guys in Dandi March II and walked 240 miles for anti-corruption. Truly inspirational.
Satya D. and Satya N. were there to help us whenever we asked them for it. Satya D. garu's viewpoint sometimes was very divergent from IAC but personally, i love the energy and tenacity they put in working for the nation.
Umesh kaul was always there from the beginning. We talk about many different things. Lokpal discussions have occupied most of our tea/lunch breaks. He was one of "official" photographers for our parade event. Somehow managing his camera, umbrella, wind and rain. Pranay K. and Viral D were there for support.
Pranay used to distribute flyers alone in secaucus, NJ because we did not have any guys in the area. The lone "warrior" was determined and relentless. His mental energy and fire belies his physical frame.
Deepanshu is another guy from jersey city area i really admire. His team of friends helped distribute flyers and mobilize the folks from the local area. He is another person, i feel is all heart and soul. He exudes an air of higher consciousness. i know Kunal, Rakesh, etc have worked hard in previous event but did not get a chance to know them well. In the process of working to mobilize for parade event, we got introduced to Kshama Desai. Despite the rain and not having a car, she made to our parade event. Ravi C. is another dynamic guy who does a lot of good social work. He was there for our UN event.
The college fire brand group was from NJIT. Pratik Dahule, Helee Joshi, and friends. I don't the names of all of them. They have done great work in mobilizing support and getting volunteers beyond our expectations. We tried to reach out to Rutgers and Princeton university. Got introduced to Prateek Mathur. He writes very good blogs and thought provoking viewpoints - not all are pro IAC. He, Murtuza and Shrinivas helped in trying to reach out to people. The one person i remember from Rutgers is Yogesh P. He was there at the parade and the scene of him waving the indian flag proudly is embedded in my mind. Bhoomraj R. came all the way from Bridgewater.
Nitin Garg and friends joined us from white plains, NY for the NJ, parade and later for NY parade event. NJ team was holding fasting event when the NY parade event was organized. Not many of us could go for it. NY parade organizer canceled the participation at the last minute and IAC volunteers had to the parade on the side lines. We still got a huge response in NYC.
Raj Saran joined us from Delaware. He has been trying to build support in the local area. We got some folks joining us from Pennsylvania.We met Raj and Vijay Bharatiya at the parade. The patriot couple are always there for the nation.I met Ravi Gangavarupu at the parade. Ravi and Vinay M. had done a lot of work with AID. Together we helped organize Nikhil Dey meet and Prashanth Bhushan princeton visit.
Chandan, Sumit jajoo & friends and Sanjeev Sharma from edison joined us a day before. And they were fabulous in the parade. Chandan had come for the parade but volunteered to stay behind to take care of a lot of our material, t-shirts etc.
After, the parade event, there was a followup meeting in NJ by the business groups where Atul, Vamsi, Sreenivas R. were the main speakers.
Ashim Jain from IAC India had come for UN event. UN event was initiated by Mohan, Alok, Tulsi, Chaitra from chicago. They are a great team. Mohan is a thinker and planner, Alok has an addictive exuberance, Chaitra's creativity etc. are some of the people i know in this team. Atul and I assisted with the UN event. Atul is also working tirelessly for Bihar development and promoting Patna Marathon. Preeti gupta also was a visible attendee doing interviews and shouting slogans. We also met the passionate duo - Satchi and Vamsi. Vamsi has been working continuously and despite his distance from NJ/NY.
Anna started his indefinite fast mid August. I realized later that Vivek and Anil were keeping up with the fast Anna was doing in India. They were eating only once a day for more than 12 days. They inspired us and i too fasted that way for 5 days till Anna broke his fast.
We had a 2 day fasting event at Oak Tree Road to coincide with fast in India. The local business group (IBA) helped us with making a stage and an audio system. We played bhajans and patriotic songs when we sat for fast. The stars of this event were Raj Walia and Sravanth poreddy - they were sitting there continuously for 48 hours without eating. Kiran Desai from IBA also fasted with us for 2 days continuously. Most of the us ate only once a day. We met Gulshan, Arun Ganesan, Jyothi, Asha ji, Varun V., Sachin, Dilip, Milind, Ajay B. and spouses at the fasting event. Shrungi was also there in the fasting event. And she was keying in all the contact information we got in past events. We got close to thousand signatures in support of Jan Lokpal. Kamal was manning the desk there almost continuously.
About this time we also got in touch with Amrutha, Abhijit and team. They were doing a signature campaign and collected a lot of signatures independently (not under IAC).
Ajay Singh was also at another flag hoisting event when we were holding the fasting event. Sanjay Pandey was another active member who was helping get TV visibility for both these events.
Atul, Anuraag and few of us were all set to organize a big event at UN but the threat of Emily ( I meant tropical storm Emily :) ) forced us to stand down. Meanwhile, The House agreed ‘in principle' on the following issues — (i) citizens' charter, (ii) lower bureaucracy under Lokpal through an appropriate mechanism, and (iii) establishment of Lokayuktas in the States. When this resolution was passed we all collected at Oak Tree road and celebrated at Chowpatty. Sangeetha Mallik and spouse, Hitendra, Deepali,Himanshu, Deepak, Vivek, Raju, etc. and few guys from IBA were all there. It was a good impromptu celebration and we did short march on Oak Tree Road.
We held a meet and talk with Nikhil Dey. We also met Mohit, Ameeya, Prashant there. Mohit, Ameeya, Prashant, Shanta are the key people who are giving a good momentum the IAC movement here. Nikhil Dey shared his viewpoints on Jan Lokpal and NCPRI drafts.
The most challenging time for us in the recent past was when we were planning a major event for Prashanth Bhushan and some of his controversial statements about Kashmir surfaced. It had a polarizing affect on the group and we were having long acerbic debates. We eventually had smaller events in Princeton and his family was kind enough to invite us for Dinner talk. Raju, Deepak, Mohit, Ameeya, Vivek were few of the guys who went and heard his frank viewpoints on IAC - current trends, future plans etc.
I would also like to mention how media helped us in our local movement so far. They have been willing to listen to what we are saying and write about what we are doing. We have got press/tv/radio coverage by local channels and by ndtv, timesnow etc.
The team has a lot of dedicated people and who are willing to make a difference. This momentum will continue for a long time to come. We are trying to appeal to the intense passion that Anna Hazare and IAC movement has harnessed. There are a lot of people in India and outside India who want the country to do better. And everyone knows that the country does not lack in great ideas and great people. What we lack is implementation and intention. If we fix this, we are on our way to become a super power.
There are lot of other un-named people who are doing a fabulous job. And as long as we have the kind of people i mentioned above, and many i have forgotten to mention, we can attempt to work towards a "fix". So, my dedication is not just to the Team Anna in India but to the larger pan-world population that is and will be working together to affect the "fix".
With the hope and faith that things will change for better. Wishing everyone a happy new year 2012.
Jai Hind!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Me, My Family, My Community, My Nation
Notes:
1. My reference to 'He/Him" is a reference to an individual - male or female. Please do not read sexist motivations here. :)
2. We/us refers to India Against Corruption and all other organizations that are working together for getting rid of corruption in India.
Consider the title - Me, My Family, My Community, My Nation and try to characterize the person who belongs to each of these categories.
"Me" - Person is obsessed with himself - self-centered and greedy.
"My Family" - An image of a hardworking person pops up. Working tirelessly to fulfill the needs of other family members. He is willing to sacrifice his needs and defend the family come what may. He is willing to challenge anyone when there is a threat to his loved ones in the family.
"My Community" - Common perception is that a person who says "My Community" is either a "do-gooder" or a person who is working for one specific demographic. You would imagine he is making calls, managing functions, arranging local meets etc. All his weekends and nights are busy with social activities.
Family takes a back seat. He is out there working for others and does not care about his family.
"My Nation" - A person who says "My Nation" has to be subhash chandra bose reborn. His scope transcends community, caste or religion. He is working day and night for some cause. He is away from his family all the time. It is assumed that he made that choice. "My Nation" means no "My Family".
We have type-casted people in these roles. So, when you pick up one role, you have to sacrifice the other. And when you pick one cause, you have to give up the other.
Now, it is fine if you vegetate for hours in front of computer or television but if the same time is spent for "My Community" or "My Nation" then that is not good or useful. That means you have moved over to a new class and are sacrificing your family.
However, that is a very parochial view. If we want the well-being of our families then we must realize that it is related to what happens in the community and in the nation.
Consider the physical security of our houses. In India, we have solid concrete houses, additional metal grills on doors and windows. However, we feel safer in houses with glass doors here in USA. Again, my point is not to criticize India or to elevate USA. Lighting on the streets, roads, public safety, security, basic health care, basic education etc. are all needed for everyone. The community has to be good.
The wellbeing of our families is possible only if the community is taken care of. The wellbeing of community is possible only if the state and national policies that govern the local policies are sound.
The "My family" person thinks that the best he can do is to work hard and satisfy the basic requirements of his family. The rest is up to fate because he cannot influence anything else. This theory is partly right. An individual will be ineffective but when he is a part of a collective intelligent group he will be able to assert himself. This requires intelligent individuals to come together. It needs you to contribute some time for "My Community".
There are times when influencing the local community is not sufficient. This is one of those times. We need a national movement and a citizen movement for a right lokpal bill is one such movement. An effective lokpal bill will transform the politics of this nation. We do not want to vote because our choice is always between bad and worse candidate. We cannot get a good politician because the policy environment discourages and stifles clean politics.
The rules of the game have to change.
Lokpal is meant to get rid of corruption in the public offices. There are a lot of eminent personalities - ex-justices, ex-IAS/IPS officers, social reformers, religious leaders etc. that are actively pushing for an effective lokpal bill. It is our responsibility to support them - as an individual, as a family, as a community and as a nation.
Now, what does support mean. We are not expecting people to sacrifice all their time to patrol the streets at odd hours. In the spectrum of national activism ranging from people who practically live in it to the people who just click "Like" button on facebook, you can chose your pick.
First read about it. Go to http://www.indiaagainstcorruption.org./ Understand what it means and how it affects you. If you want to take my word then know that it DOES affect you.
Please do the following simple things to let us know you care -
1. "Like" the page www.facebook.com/IndiACor.
2. There are lot of NRIs around the world who are working for this cause. (nriac.org). Please "Like" the NJ page is www.facebook.com/iacnj1.
3. If you are in NJ , join indiaagainstcorruption_NJ. Similarly, find your local group from
"city movements" in nriac.org.
If a weak lokpal bill is passed, it will take years/decades to improve our government infrastructure. The country will keep losing billions of dollars. You will lose too and without realizing it.
There are a lot of us for this cause but we are still very few compared to what we should be. We are together but still lonely. We are, however, very determined.
We will show our support for "India Against Corruption" in whatever way possible. We will try our best to make everyone aware. We think this is the cause which will help our nation, our community, our families and us.
We are asking for some support. We are asking you to realize that there is a chance that things will get better for our families and us. If we are willing to commute for an hour longer everyday in the hope that our kids get better schools then is it not possible to put a couple of hours a week for this? Is not possible to walk with us for 30 min? and just let us know that you care? And all this so our families, our communities and our nation becomes better.
I know a lot of people are skeptical of this - Nothing is going to happen, we will be wasting our time etc. Yes it possible that nothing comes out of this but it is also possible that things change.
Remember what the great Rabindranath Tagore said when India was still under the British rule - "Faith is a bird that sees the light and sings when the dawn is still dark."
Are you that bird? Are you with us?
1. My reference to 'He/Him" is a reference to an individual - male or female. Please do not read sexist motivations here. :)
2. We/us refers to India Against Corruption and all other organizations that are working together for getting rid of corruption in India.
Consider the title - Me, My Family, My Community, My Nation and try to characterize the person who belongs to each of these categories.
"Me" - Person is obsessed with himself - self-centered and greedy.
"My Family" - An image of a hardworking person pops up. Working tirelessly to fulfill the needs of other family members. He is willing to sacrifice his needs and defend the family come what may. He is willing to challenge anyone when there is a threat to his loved ones in the family.
"My Community" - Common perception is that a person who says "My Community" is either a "do-gooder" or a person who is working for one specific demographic. You would imagine he is making calls, managing functions, arranging local meets etc. All his weekends and nights are busy with social activities.
Family takes a back seat. He is out there working for others and does not care about his family.
"My Nation" - A person who says "My Nation" has to be subhash chandra bose reborn. His scope transcends community, caste or religion. He is working day and night for some cause. He is away from his family all the time. It is assumed that he made that choice. "My Nation" means no "My Family".
We have type-casted people in these roles. So, when you pick up one role, you have to sacrifice the other. And when you pick one cause, you have to give up the other.
Now, it is fine if you vegetate for hours in front of computer or television but if the same time is spent for "My Community" or "My Nation" then that is not good or useful. That means you have moved over to a new class and are sacrificing your family.
However, that is a very parochial view. If we want the well-being of our families then we must realize that it is related to what happens in the community and in the nation.
Consider the physical security of our houses. In India, we have solid concrete houses, additional metal grills on doors and windows. However, we feel safer in houses with glass doors here in USA. Again, my point is not to criticize India or to elevate USA. Lighting on the streets, roads, public safety, security, basic health care, basic education etc. are all needed for everyone. The community has to be good.
The wellbeing of our families is possible only if the community is taken care of. The wellbeing of community is possible only if the state and national policies that govern the local policies are sound.
The "My family" person thinks that the best he can do is to work hard and satisfy the basic requirements of his family. The rest is up to fate because he cannot influence anything else. This theory is partly right. An individual will be ineffective but when he is a part of a collective intelligent group he will be able to assert himself. This requires intelligent individuals to come together. It needs you to contribute some time for "My Community".
There are times when influencing the local community is not sufficient. This is one of those times. We need a national movement and a citizen movement for a right lokpal bill is one such movement. An effective lokpal bill will transform the politics of this nation. We do not want to vote because our choice is always between bad and worse candidate. We cannot get a good politician because the policy environment discourages and stifles clean politics.
The rules of the game have to change.
Lokpal is meant to get rid of corruption in the public offices. There are a lot of eminent personalities - ex-justices, ex-IAS/IPS officers, social reformers, religious leaders etc. that are actively pushing for an effective lokpal bill. It is our responsibility to support them - as an individual, as a family, as a community and as a nation.
Now, what does support mean. We are not expecting people to sacrifice all their time to patrol the streets at odd hours. In the spectrum of national activism ranging from people who practically live in it to the people who just click "Like" button on facebook, you can chose your pick.
First read about it. Go to http://www.indiaagainstcorruption.org./ Understand what it means and how it affects you. If you want to take my word then know that it DOES affect you.
Please do the following simple things to let us know you care -
1. "Like" the page www.facebook.com/IndiACor.
2. There are lot of NRIs around the world who are working for this cause. (nriac.org). Please "Like" the NJ page is www.facebook.com/iacnj1.
3. If you are in NJ , join indiaagainstcorruption_NJ. Similarly, find your local group from
"city movements" in nriac.org.
If a weak lokpal bill is passed, it will take years/decades to improve our government infrastructure. The country will keep losing billions of dollars. You will lose too and without realizing it.
There are a lot of us for this cause but we are still very few compared to what we should be. We are together but still lonely. We are, however, very determined.
We will show our support for "India Against Corruption" in whatever way possible. We will try our best to make everyone aware. We think this is the cause which will help our nation, our community, our families and us.
We are asking for some support. We are asking you to realize that there is a chance that things will get better for our families and us. If we are willing to commute for an hour longer everyday in the hope that our kids get better schools then is it not possible to put a couple of hours a week for this? Is not possible to walk with us for 30 min? and just let us know that you care? And all this so our families, our communities and our nation becomes better.
I know a lot of people are skeptical of this - Nothing is going to happen, we will be wasting our time etc. Yes it possible that nothing comes out of this but it is also possible that things change.
Remember what the great Rabindranath Tagore said when India was still under the British rule - "Faith is a bird that sees the light and sings when the dawn is still dark."
Are you that bird? Are you with us?
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Beat the Cow!
This was the scene that you would find in many prominent cities in India. A major road with a large promenade passing through a scenic location - near a beach, a lake or a famous park.
Sun has set and the lights around the area are lit. There is a steady stream of people trickling into the area.
There is a 'chaat wala' parked on the pavement. The 'chaat chef' is busy taking orders and acknowledges them with an expert nod, as his hands dances over the various ingredients. The bare hands grab at the bits and pieces from different containers and in some cases the hand goes elbow-deep into a pot of watery concoction. There is a 8 year old boy with rags in the background busy cleaning the plates and spoons in murky water. Once in while, the 'chef' turns from his culinary cockpit, uses 'flowery french' to rush the kid and then resumes handling the crowd around his stall.
There is an ice cream handcart strategically located nearby, taking up two parking spots. He is there to provide respite from the spicy snacks.
There are some college students sitting some distance away - top 3 buttons are open to show the sprouts of chest hair, the sleeves folded up to expose the puny biceps, cheap sunglasses dipping over their noses, faded skin tight jeans with a key-chains dangling out. They have chosen a spot under a broken tubelight. Their eyes are focused on anything female that passes them on the pavement and the road.
When the desired 'target' passes-by, somebody in the group whistles, there are some bawdy remarks and then a cackle of laughter. The families passing around continue with their business as though they did not hear and see anything. As though, the group does not exist. Some girls react strongly, some continue on, some avoid the route altogether. The impregnable male student group continues on uninterrupted.
There are other youths in this scenic area - dynamic and rich. They are mounted on large motorcycles. There is roar of the engine when they race at high speeds, dodging the unsuspecting pedestrians. They whiz past scooters, mopeds and autos. Female scooter drivers get additional attention as brush past their handles.
In another dark corner, you would find a shabby group of workers. Their daily wage has transmuted to cheap liquor. There is a loud ongoing argument about impending local elections and they would smash a few empty bottles on to the pavement to emphasize an opinion.
Further down, The road is not well paved and the lighting does not work properly. It is the corner that has to be avoided. There a few murky figures in shadows. Nobody knows what they do and why they do it. However, once every night a mysterious dumpster comes in and dumps some garbage their. The odious smell in the corner says it all.
While all this is going, we have 2 uniformed police men walking along confidently in the brightest area of the promenade. They are busy talking to each other. The street hawkers wave their salutes as they pass by.
They want to make sure that everything around them is in order. And judging by their confident stride and rhythmic tap of their lathis, it seems so -
- They badly positioned 'chaat' stalls are OK. There is no other dedicated place for them here. And people want chaat. So, it is OK.
- The unsanitary conditions of the 'chaat' is OK. It is part of the life in India.
- The fact that an underage kid is OK. It is illegal but if he does not work who will feed their family. Moral justice takes precedence over law in this case.
- The ice cream vendor who has used up 2 spots of prime parking space is OK. Where else will the poor guy go to sell his ice cream. Moral justice takes precedence over law in this case too.
- The group of college students are part of the core team of the local MLA. There is no use doing anything there. If they get arrested, they will be out in 1 day but police constables may lose their jobs. College students are a little perky at the age. They will grow up soon. It is OK.
- The kids who are driving their heavy motorcycles are not our problem. Traffic police should take care of them. So, it is OK.
- The shabby workers are a frustrated lot. They will be fine when the get up in the morning. They get a very stern warning, they get up, wobble around, the quivering hand just about reaches their forehead, they salute, smash another bottle some distance away and sing a shaky tune. Municipality should clean the mess up in the morning. It is OK.
- The dark corner is no patrol zone. Anyway, why should you patrol an area where there are no people - we are for people protection and we have to be where the people. We do not have to go there. It is OK.
So, everything is as it should be. But then the rhythmic tap stops. One constable points at something. There are 2 abandoned cows prowling for something to eat in an overflowing dumpster. The cows are pulling on some shreds of plantain leaves.
The cops get livid, they sprint to the dumpster and beat the cows out of the area. Cows should not be allowed in such areas. Don't know why the owners cannot take care of them. The cow on the road creates a very bad impression to people from outside the country. This is not OK and had to be fixed. And it was fixed with alacrity. Job done.
-----
This idea of "beat the cow" belongs to my colleague. The point of this article was not to be judgmental about the police force. They are part of the system that is not working right. Ask yourself, would it matter if the cops had done anything different here. Even if they stop the 'Chaat stall' from parking at the wrong spot, tomorrow he will be back there and maybe, with the support of superior police officer. Then, the constable would lose whatever respect he commands now. He plays his part in this drama of mundane existence. There is no escaping from this for anyone. The cow on the road was illegal and so are all the other things in the above scene. But why was cow the victim? It is so unjust.
Legality and Justice are two different things. Justice is an abstract concept verbalized in law. A law can come close to justice only if the policy making body wants to. To come close to justice, laws have to change. The role of the policy making body in any government is to do JUST THAT. If the policy making body itself claims that it was right because it followed law then justice cannot prevail.
This is what happened to the Baba Ramdev. Law was enforced with precision and force. So, the police did its job. But was justice served?
If the policy making body is corrupt, the laws will be unjust. Jan Lokpal bill is an attempt to weed out the corruption from the policy making apparatus and the government's apparatus. Till this is done justice cannot be there. There will be many instances of unjust law enforcements. This is what happens and has been happening to millions of other common folks. And it will keep happening.
www.indiaagainstcorruption.org
www.facebook.com/iacNJ1
Sun has set and the lights around the area are lit. There is a steady stream of people trickling into the area.
There is a 'chaat wala' parked on the pavement. The 'chaat chef' is busy taking orders and acknowledges them with an expert nod, as his hands dances over the various ingredients. The bare hands grab at the bits and pieces from different containers and in some cases the hand goes elbow-deep into a pot of watery concoction. There is a 8 year old boy with rags in the background busy cleaning the plates and spoons in murky water. Once in while, the 'chef' turns from his culinary cockpit, uses 'flowery french' to rush the kid and then resumes handling the crowd around his stall.
There is an ice cream handcart strategically located nearby, taking up two parking spots. He is there to provide respite from the spicy snacks.
There are some college students sitting some distance away - top 3 buttons are open to show the sprouts of chest hair, the sleeves folded up to expose the puny biceps, cheap sunglasses dipping over their noses, faded skin tight jeans with a key-chains dangling out. They have chosen a spot under a broken tubelight. Their eyes are focused on anything female that passes them on the pavement and the road.
When the desired 'target' passes-by, somebody in the group whistles, there are some bawdy remarks and then a cackle of laughter. The families passing around continue with their business as though they did not hear and see anything. As though, the group does not exist. Some girls react strongly, some continue on, some avoid the route altogether. The impregnable male student group continues on uninterrupted.
There are other youths in this scenic area - dynamic and rich. They are mounted on large motorcycles. There is roar of the engine when they race at high speeds, dodging the unsuspecting pedestrians. They whiz past scooters, mopeds and autos. Female scooter drivers get additional attention as brush past their handles.
In another dark corner, you would find a shabby group of workers. Their daily wage has transmuted to cheap liquor. There is a loud ongoing argument about impending local elections and they would smash a few empty bottles on to the pavement to emphasize an opinion.
Further down, The road is not well paved and the lighting does not work properly. It is the corner that has to be avoided. There a few murky figures in shadows. Nobody knows what they do and why they do it. However, once every night a mysterious dumpster comes in and dumps some garbage their. The odious smell in the corner says it all.
While all this is going, we have 2 uniformed police men walking along confidently in the brightest area of the promenade. They are busy talking to each other. The street hawkers wave their salutes as they pass by.
They want to make sure that everything around them is in order. And judging by their confident stride and rhythmic tap of their lathis, it seems so -
- They badly positioned 'chaat' stalls are OK. There is no other dedicated place for them here. And people want chaat. So, it is OK.
- The unsanitary conditions of the 'chaat' is OK. It is part of the life in India.
- The fact that an underage kid is OK. It is illegal but if he does not work who will feed their family. Moral justice takes precedence over law in this case.
- The ice cream vendor who has used up 2 spots of prime parking space is OK. Where else will the poor guy go to sell his ice cream. Moral justice takes precedence over law in this case too.
- The group of college students are part of the core team of the local MLA. There is no use doing anything there. If they get arrested, they will be out in 1 day but police constables may lose their jobs. College students are a little perky at the age. They will grow up soon. It is OK.
- The kids who are driving their heavy motorcycles are not our problem. Traffic police should take care of them. So, it is OK.
- The shabby workers are a frustrated lot. They will be fine when the get up in the morning. They get a very stern warning, they get up, wobble around, the quivering hand just about reaches their forehead, they salute, smash another bottle some distance away and sing a shaky tune. Municipality should clean the mess up in the morning. It is OK.
- The dark corner is no patrol zone. Anyway, why should you patrol an area where there are no people - we are for people protection and we have to be where the people. We do not have to go there. It is OK.
So, everything is as it should be. But then the rhythmic tap stops. One constable points at something. There are 2 abandoned cows prowling for something to eat in an overflowing dumpster. The cows are pulling on some shreds of plantain leaves.
The cops get livid, they sprint to the dumpster and beat the cows out of the area. Cows should not be allowed in such areas. Don't know why the owners cannot take care of them. The cow on the road creates a very bad impression to people from outside the country. This is not OK and had to be fixed. And it was fixed with alacrity. Job done.
-----
This idea of "beat the cow" belongs to my colleague. The point of this article was not to be judgmental about the police force. They are part of the system that is not working right. Ask yourself, would it matter if the cops had done anything different here. Even if they stop the 'Chaat stall' from parking at the wrong spot, tomorrow he will be back there and maybe, with the support of superior police officer. Then, the constable would lose whatever respect he commands now. He plays his part in this drama of mundane existence. There is no escaping from this for anyone. The cow on the road was illegal and so are all the other things in the above scene. But why was cow the victim? It is so unjust.
Legality and Justice are two different things. Justice is an abstract concept verbalized in law. A law can come close to justice only if the policy making body wants to. To come close to justice, laws have to change. The role of the policy making body in any government is to do JUST THAT. If the policy making body itself claims that it was right because it followed law then justice cannot prevail.
This is what happened to the Baba Ramdev. Law was enforced with precision and force. So, the police did its job. But was justice served?
If the policy making body is corrupt, the laws will be unjust. Jan Lokpal bill is an attempt to weed out the corruption from the policy making apparatus and the government's apparatus. Till this is done justice cannot be there. There will be many instances of unjust law enforcements. This is what happens and has been happening to millions of other common folks. And it will keep happening.
www.indiaagainstcorruption.org
www.facebook.com/iacNJ1
Friday, June 24, 2011
Why do i care about what happens in India?
It is Friday evening here in NJ. Manhattan skyline etches out a familiar silhouette in the darkness. A steady trail of Indian working professionals come streaming out of the trains and buses from the city. i am another one of them trudging the "road most traveled". The Indian(Desi) manhattan 'macrocosm' is a lively group - charged, smart, highly educated and current with all the things going on in India.
What happens in India goes well with the somasas and hot desi tea. It reminds me of the nukkad conversations we used to have in my college days. For the most part, i am representative of this fraternity. In most of our 'samosa-chai' conversations we often talked about the issues India faces, relating it to bad political leaders, corruption, population etc. The after taste of our intelligent observations, samosas and chai stays till dinner. We sleep and another day follows.
The struggle for Lokpal bill has brought a lot of us out of this classic 'samosa' mould. We have to do something significant and align our efforts with the struggle in India. This is the biggest event for me so far.
However, as i speak to people around me about this. i get very different viewpoints. These viewpoints are sometimes disguised in a lot of bold, flowery and patriotic talk. i wanted to write down my feelings about these viewpoints.
1. We are our way to citizenship here, why do we care about happens in India?
This question is usually disguised in a lot of talk, it does not necessarily mean he/she does not care about the country. This is not a time to start a debate about who is more patriotic. Wherever we live our bond with India does not change. Our families are still in India, we have some property or other in India, we spend a lot of time teaching India art and culture to our children. You still travel to India. You still own some property or other. If the business environment in India is clean maybe you could invest more. Every aspect of the life in India has got corrupted. Corruption has to go. Lokpal bill is one way to achieve it.
2. I usually do not get involved in politics.
We need to clearly understand what they mean. IAC is not associated with any political party. This is a people's movement. Yes, it is about political rights of any citizen. So, in that sense it is politics. Struggling for your rights is politics. If No corruption means good life for you and your children, then that is a good thing. If it requires a little of your time and effort, then it is your decision - How much you do, what you can/want to do and how you do it. And if you do not want to get involved, it is ok.
3. There is no use. In the end, nothing is going to happen.
Oh. yes. This is usually the conclusion of a well phrased, intellectual harangue. It has all the dates, names and historical details in it. And then you almost get a feeling that all that IAC is doing is useless.
That is not so. "India Against Corruption" is a struggle to remove corruption. It will go on. Making sure Jan Lokpal goes through is the way. This is not a sprint, it is a marathon.
Analysts and pundits had a lot to say about situation in South Africa, Tunisia, Egypt and were proven wrong.
4. We have learnt to live with corruption. Actually, i can get my work done easier when things can get done through contacts.
Sure. contacts work. But then you are the slave of that system. If the ruling political structure changes, you are on the receiving end.
There is another systemic issue with this. Corruption breeds inefficiency. This affects everything you depend on. Ask yourself,
Why is it that, when there was a terrorist attack at Taj, Mumbai, fire brigade that went to extinguish the fire was out of water? Why is it that it took ages for the NSG commandos to come to Mumbai ?
Can you be sure that you are safe on the Indian roads? Can you be sure that the traffic cops who are supposed to check regulations, drunken behavior, unsafe driving are doing their jobs?
Every aspect of your life depends on govt infrastructure and those are the most corrupt institutions in the country. We need accountability and efficient systems. There are exceptionally smart people at different levels in government but there are times i can't help feel that i can do things better. The issue here is not with people it is with the corrupt system.
5. Lokpal is also going to another corrupt organization.
Lokpal is the current means of removing/reducing the corruption. If that does not work, we have to do something else. But for now, we have to make sure that the law gets written in a way that it remains effective way to reduce corruption - outside the influence of corrupt politicians. There are some very good clauses in the draft Jan Lokpal bill.
6. Stop nagging me. Send me the link i will read about it.
This viewpoint is also very subtly expressed. Don't want to come out as a pushy guy. If i feel strongly about it then it does not mean that everybody should feel the same. i think it is ok for it to remain a teatime conversation. Slow and steady.
7. I dont have time for all this.
True and understandable. First, do you believe that the cause is important enough. If yes, then we have to come together and see what can be done. Activism is not all about shouting slogans on the street. There are things that can be done that can fit your schedule.
8. Tell me what you are planning and i will see.
Most of the people have this view. it is great. If you are in tristate area. Lets try to come together, have some samosas and tea And then get going.
Please note that all these are my opinions. Please also see
http://www.indiaagainstcorruption.org/index.html
And please send me an email at lok.partha@gmail.com if you are in tristate area.
What happens in India goes well with the somasas and hot desi tea. It reminds me of the nukkad conversations we used to have in my college days. For the most part, i am representative of this fraternity. In most of our 'samosa-chai' conversations we often talked about the issues India faces, relating it to bad political leaders, corruption, population etc. The after taste of our intelligent observations, samosas and chai stays till dinner. We sleep and another day follows.
The struggle for Lokpal bill has brought a lot of us out of this classic 'samosa' mould. We have to do something significant and align our efforts with the struggle in India. This is the biggest event for me so far.
However, as i speak to people around me about this. i get very different viewpoints. These viewpoints are sometimes disguised in a lot of bold, flowery and patriotic talk. i wanted to write down my feelings about these viewpoints.
1. We are our way to citizenship here, why do we care about happens in India?
This question is usually disguised in a lot of talk, it does not necessarily mean he/she does not care about the country. This is not a time to start a debate about who is more patriotic. Wherever we live our bond with India does not change. Our families are still in India, we have some property or other in India, we spend a lot of time teaching India art and culture to our children. You still travel to India. You still own some property or other. If the business environment in India is clean maybe you could invest more. Every aspect of the life in India has got corrupted. Corruption has to go. Lokpal bill is one way to achieve it.
2. I usually do not get involved in politics.
We need to clearly understand what they mean. IAC is not associated with any political party. This is a people's movement. Yes, it is about political rights of any citizen. So, in that sense it is politics. Struggling for your rights is politics. If No corruption means good life for you and your children, then that is a good thing. If it requires a little of your time and effort, then it is your decision - How much you do, what you can/want to do and how you do it. And if you do not want to get involved, it is ok.
3. There is no use. In the end, nothing is going to happen.
Oh. yes. This is usually the conclusion of a well phrased, intellectual harangue. It has all the dates, names and historical details in it. And then you almost get a feeling that all that IAC is doing is useless.
That is not so. "India Against Corruption" is a struggle to remove corruption. It will go on. Making sure Jan Lokpal goes through is the way. This is not a sprint, it is a marathon.
Analysts and pundits had a lot to say about situation in South Africa, Tunisia, Egypt and were proven wrong.
4. We have learnt to live with corruption. Actually, i can get my work done easier when things can get done through contacts.
Sure. contacts work. But then you are the slave of that system. If the ruling political structure changes, you are on the receiving end.
There is another systemic issue with this. Corruption breeds inefficiency. This affects everything you depend on. Ask yourself,
Why is it that, when there was a terrorist attack at Taj, Mumbai, fire brigade that went to extinguish the fire was out of water? Why is it that it took ages for the NSG commandos to come to Mumbai ?
Can you be sure that you are safe on the Indian roads? Can you be sure that the traffic cops who are supposed to check regulations, drunken behavior, unsafe driving are doing their jobs?
Every aspect of your life depends on govt infrastructure and those are the most corrupt institutions in the country. We need accountability and efficient systems. There are exceptionally smart people at different levels in government but there are times i can't help feel that i can do things better. The issue here is not with people it is with the corrupt system.
5. Lokpal is also going to another corrupt organization.
Lokpal is the current means of removing/reducing the corruption. If that does not work, we have to do something else. But for now, we have to make sure that the law gets written in a way that it remains effective way to reduce corruption - outside the influence of corrupt politicians. There are some very good clauses in the draft Jan Lokpal bill.
6. Stop nagging me. Send me the link i will read about it.
This viewpoint is also very subtly expressed. Don't want to come out as a pushy guy. If i feel strongly about it then it does not mean that everybody should feel the same. i think it is ok for it to remain a teatime conversation. Slow and steady.
7. I dont have time for all this.
True and understandable. First, do you believe that the cause is important enough. If yes, then we have to come together and see what can be done. Activism is not all about shouting slogans on the street. There are things that can be done that can fit your schedule.
8. Tell me what you are planning and i will see.
Most of the people have this view. it is great. If you are in tristate area. Lets try to come together, have some samosas and tea And then get going.
Please note that all these are my opinions. Please also see
http://www.indiaagainstcorruption.org/index.html
And please send me an email at lok.partha@gmail.com if you are in tristate area.
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