India Against(?) Corruption

From last few weeks Indian media is very busy in newly found business called sting operations. Every news channel is finding a ‘bakra’ (target) and making his each and every action public. I doubt if they are getting contracts from rival political parties. It all started with Arvind Kejriwal, Julian Assange of India. IAC took a lion’s entry in politics by blaming congress and BJP high commission directly. When I was watching a sting operation on BJP president I wondered how many people in India use the same techniques to grow their business. But I should admit that it was a smart technique to convert the black money into white.

This ‘India Against Corruption’ wave was formed by Anna Hazare last year. Many people came on the grounds to protest against corruption in government of India. Many Indians really think that their condition would be better if all the black money in Swiss bank comes to India. Do you really think this insect of corruption will die after ministers stop to do scams and lokpal bill gets passed? Removing corruption is nothing but a revolution. There was a very good advertisement by ‘Jago re’ campaign some years ago saying first you should stop to pay the bribes. Corruption is like a habit whether it’s at low scale or high. When you don’t want to follow the traffic rules, you just pay to traffic police and can easily run away. When you asked for some hundreds of rupees at the time of passport verification, you don’t bother to give it not to spoil your foreign dreams. If you are not getting an appointment or your work is being delayed purposively in government offices then just pay some 10-20 bucks to peon. This small scale corruption is like a catalyst to fasten the process. There are chains in government offices from minister, HOD to clerks at two ends who get their dividend regularly.

And when Anna Hazare or Ramdev baba calls a protest both the receiver and donor in small scale corruption come on the grounds to yell against the big fishes called ministers. According to me, these sparks have no capability to turn into fire. After few days everyone realize that if this corruption ends then who will buy costly toys or sweets to our children. And hence Hazare was failed to attract the crowd at Mumbai. There is just one hope that there will be a revolution in our thinking process. But it will take time. I am not up to any solution. But I can feel the warm air and it will bring us the change one day!

Unity in Diversity

‘India is my country and all Indians are my brothers and sisters’! I have chanted this line every day in school; I hated to call all the girls my sisters though. I always get surprised when I travel in a bus or train and watch people having contrast nature and different religion or community, speaking different languages share same environment under a roof called India. When foreigners come to visit India, they must be returning with a question in mind that “was it really one country?”! And everyone get their answer when they watch every state presenting itself on 15^th August and 26^th January.

But various incidents over the years disturb me and force me to think that are we really bound together? Sometimes Karnataka denies water to Tamilnadu and TN denies sharing electricity with other states at the same time. Once Punjab tried to get separated but we successfully stopped them. Now that hidden ghost is showing its head again. North-east people don’t understand why they are living in India and rest of the India don’t bother to understand north-east people. Kashmir is creating their own options and we are not letting them to choose any. Telangana wants to part their ways from Andhra Pradesh. And if government of India allow them then there will be a long queue asking to divide states. Some people are simply sending away people from other states because of their peers’ nature.

Then also we show togetherness in many incidents. We celebrate our festivals together. Here I have my own point of view on this. The smell of Indian soil fills the love for our country. Every small part of India has its own features. And hence many of us travel hundreds of miles in vacations just to taste the beauty of India. We cheer for Indian cricket team forgetting the differences within us. Our neighbor countries which certainly plan attacks on us help to unite us. We exchange our food and enjoy the variety every day. We share our art forms like dance, plays and songs. We stand together and protest against wrong decisions taken by our government. We make patriotic songs and films and send them to Oscars to show them our unity. Hence I want to shout and tell the entire world that ‘We are one’!