From: theindipatriot@yahoo.co.in <theindipatriot@yahoo.co.in>
Date: Fri, Aug 19, 2011 at 1:37 AM
Subject: Ten Myths about Janlokpal / Anna
To: jagdeep.desai1@gmail.com
( now on twitter @theindipatriot)
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Ten Myths about Janlokpal / Anna
There are rumours that Anna wants only his copy of the bill to be passed. Let me categorically state that the current draft of the Janlokpal Bill is not one thought up from mid air by Team Anna ( called that for the lack of a better name). It is based upon thousands of pieces of public feedback from an open website by the general public to plug the shortcomings of the Lokpal Bill drafted by the Govt.
Truth :Team Anna and all of us are ready to accept any Bill which takes care of the issues raised which scare the life out of all intelligent citizens of India detailed in my last article. (click here to see the article)
Myth 2: Anna is taking over functions of the Parliament
Let us understand the functions of the Parliament. To draft and make laws. These are distinct function which the Govt has separated themselves. They made a National Advisory Council out of civil society headed by Sonia Gandhi to draft laws.
Truth: So to all effects the Govt itself set the precedent that "civil society" can draft laws. Now they are crying foul when their own manipulations are going against them . As to the making / pasing of laws no one incld Team Anna has ever said anyone BUT the Parliament has any right to do that.
Myth 3: Janlokpal will not remove corruption completely from the country
Janlokpal never professed to do that. The Govt is putting words in peoples mouth. Janlokpal is a redressal mechanism, not a eradication one. We all say, traffic rules would work better if we had strong enough laws to clamp down on offenders. Whats so different now, we possibly have a bill which will act as a deterrent since the punishment to corrupt politicians who eat thousands of crores will finally be more than a mere slap on the wrist.
Truth: Janlokpal may not remove corruption completely but will make sure that the corrupt dont sit laughing at the foolishness of the common man.
Myth 4: Anna is a self proclaimed Gandhi
Anna never professed to be a re-incarnation of Gandhi. We have strict instructions not to use his image on communications since he believes that the cause is bigger than him.
Truth : Unfortunately, the Govt keeps imitating the British atrocities which is causing the public to perceive Anna as a Gandhi since that is the only image they can fit into this situation.
Myth 5: Anna is holding the Govt to ransom
Anna is following the rules of Satyagarah. The reason people are given the image of someone holding the Govt to ransom,is that the Govt is faced with a man of iron will, one who will die rather than bend one iota from his path.
Truth : This is the second time in history of India such a man has surfaced. They say lightening never strikes twice in the same place , they are wrong. If this frail 74 year old man had caved into the Govt. double standards , no one would say he was holding anyone to ransom.
Myth 6: Janlokpal Bill is envisaging a all powerful, all pervading body
Every enterprise of the Govt for example the BMC., has something called a vigilance dept.
The problem is the head of vigilance is posted from the heads of other depts of the same enterprise. Further in the next round of transfers inside the BMC transfers he will be sent back into the same melee.
Eg the current head of vigilance BMC may be from Hydraulic Engineering in his last postiing and after he has served his term, next transfer may go to Roads and Stormwaterdrains.
While head of vigilance, do you seriously think he will block any potential scams where he may make money in the future or investigate any dept / scam of which he has been a part in the past.
Therefore the staff shortages brought up by the Govt in their draft of the Lokpal as an excuse for not putting B, C & D class officers under Lokpal, was countered by Janlokpal Bill by moving these people from the current vigilance position to a identical dept under Janlokpal so as to avoid duplication of work, since to all effects both will be doing the same thing to the same people.
This would mean that in effect though vigilance officer would come from the BMC, he would report to the Lokpal and not the BMC Commissioner who may have his own Co-alition Dharma to obey. This would make the vigilance dept of each Govt enterprise truely independent.
Truth : This is one way of saving money and avoiding duplication or jobloss but has been twisted to mean that Janlokpal wants to take everyone over. Of course, Janlokpal could have gone the Govt way and said " lets hire a whole new platoon of staff for Janlokpal, after all its not our money, its the public's money ?"
Myth 7. Janlokpal wants the PM under its umbrella to have control over him
As of today, for example a normal income tax officer can call for the Tax return of the PM which is under his purview and then call him to his office for survey / prosecution. All the Janlokpal is asking is dont make our powers of investigation lower than a common Income Tax officer.
Truth: Till March even the Congress wanted the PM under the Lokpal, so what changed ? (click here to read my article on this ) Could it be that very soon we may see a young man groomed for PMship who is afraid of skeletons in his closet.
Myth 8. This is not a second freedom struggle
Truth: The Govt is currently behaving in the autocratic way just like the British did with the common Indian man. One frail old man in khadi stood alone and was supported by a strong team of experts like Nehru, Sardar Patel, Jinnah, etc.
When the British Govt did an eye wash of granting him something while stabbing him in his back, he told them he would die rather than go back on his principles. Soon, it was apparent he was ready to die for his people without blinking an eyelid while the British ran around like headless chicken not knowing how to handle the situation.
Sounds familiar ?
Myth 9: Anna was being unreasonable in not listening to all the 22 Delhi Police conditions laid out citing security reasons
Let us understand, the Delhi police put 22 conditions on him some of them a joke in themselves. They said only 50 cars could come to the venue whereas our President travels with 52 cars in her cavalcade. They said only 5000 people could attend whereas a single venue viz Andheri yesterday saw a crowd of more than 5000. They said protest would only be allowed for 3 days, whereas Anna asked for a month.
Truth: I dare and double dare the Government to show me one other permission in which they have asked for 22 conditions from any other protest / political rally.
Myth 10: Yeh sab se kya hoga?
In Hongkong corruption was rampant. It was as bad if not worse than India currently. The people had had enough and passed a law called Independent Commission Against Corruption. Today Hong Kong is a pleasure to work in and visit.
Truth: I challenge any detractor to visit Hongkong and from the Airport itself I will guarantee that they will be Janlokpal converts.
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Ten good things about the struggle
2) No theft: I went to the protest and while I was on stage for the hunger fast I took off my good pair of slipons in open sight. I went up at 10 AM and got down a 7.30 PM. To my surprise, my slipons were exactly where I had left them untouched by the thousands who must have passed by them.
3) Voluntary Sharing: Everywhere I saw, people are sharing things like water, candles, umbrellas, everything silently and voluntary.
4) Mix of Ages/ cultures : From Azad Maidan to street marches I see a mix of ages, from a10 year old yesterday to 90+ barely able to walk. I even saw a street eunuch with a candle walk in front of me for quite a while chanting in the Andheri march.
5) Voluntary closure of shops: Everywhere we went / passed , shops were closed, lights switched off outside not inside the shops as a mark of respect. Shopkeepers stood outside respectfully till we passed.
6) Agitation down to the common man: From the dabbawallahs to the doctors, everyone has come forward and pledged support, this agitation has hit a common nerve and united a splintered India. I had once said, we are not Indian first, we are Maratha, Bihari, Gujarathi first. This agitation has made one India 
7) Sheer Numbers: A single march yesterday at Anddheri saw more than 5000 people get on the street, Delhi india gate and Tihar jail were a sea of humanity. Azad Maidan had 30,000 plus on the first day. The sheer numbers has me surprised in a country which is apathetic in nature.
8) Voluntary Contribution: Everywhere I look, people are doing their bit. They are volunteering money and resources without being asked. People like Ramesh Chavan of Bisleri deserves a commendation since water for all the agitations is sponsored by him. Without him it would have been a massive bill. This is not to belittle any of the other contributors who have done their bit selflessly
9) Respect for agitators: I know of countless cases, where people have gone to their bosses and explained they would like to join the protest and have been helped by their management. Everyone I have spoken to workwise saying I am unavailable this week , has helped me by doing their bit to make sure I have the time to join this agitation.
10) Respect from the police: I think the most telling example of how successful this fight is comes in the form of the respect the police is giving us. Even during the jail bharo, every policeman behaved with respect and dignity.
I think policemen have finally realised that if corruption were to go, they may not earn as much but instead of having to travel for 3 hours each way and have an 18 hour day ending in a heart attack, they would finally be able to spend a few hours with their family to enjoy what they earn.
They may finally not have to wear faulty bullet proof vest and that every time they left the house their wife would not worry that terrorists would gun them down due to their faulty rifle.
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One sad thing I must point out. Bollywood, except for Anupam Kher and Milind Soman is sleeping. Industry except for Capt Gopinath and Ramesh Chavan is sleeping. Even the Mighty TATA Tea jago re campaign seems to have gone to sleep.
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I am an person of Indian origin residing in Mumbai who feels that the time has come to speak up or be silent forever. We all see movies like Rang De Basanti or Lage Raho Munnabhai and after walking out of theatre for the next couple of days the effect hangs like a halo around us. A few days later we go back to our old ways. This is my way of keeping the spirit of India alive.
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