WHY anna hazare is not mahatma gandhi..!!!

totally agree with this article could not have put it together better than this...
the article goes as such...

Anna Hazare is NO Mahatma Gandhi. Here's why

Any people's movement without a well-defined ideology and organised structure will always lead to chaos and anarchy, says Dr Abhijit Vaidya, founder of Arogya Sena

My first encounter with Anna Hazare was when I was requested by veteran trade union leader Dr Baba Adhav to come to Ralegan Siddhi as a doctor to examine Hazare on the 13th day of his first notable hunger strike in 1998. At that time, his relative and a close associate showed me packets of glucose and electrolyte powder, which he was giving to Hazare everyday, and asked me whether the quantity was sufficient. 

This came as a shock to me since I was familiar with the Gandhian way of satyagraha and fasting as my own father and my two maternal uncles were freedom-fighters.

Since then, other than two public events, I have not had any contact with Hazare and I don't know if he still continues this practice.

But our objections to the Hazare phenomenon are more ideological in nature. Here I must state that we strongly condemn his arrest which was utterly undemocratic. The corrupt Congress government has made a series of blunders and it has prepared a solid ground for the Hazare phenomenon. We must appreciate also the unexpected mass support he has got as the masses are following non-violent methods of protest.

'Sentimental weakness of our people was exploited'

But Hazare is being used symbolically and shrewdly by Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan and Kiran Bedi -- who are known as Team Anna or the self-proclaimed "civic society" representatives of 120 crore Indians. 

Kejriwal is now being projected online as the youth leader of India and a competitor to Rahul Gandhi (without daring to enter electoral politics and challenging the present political system through constitutional means). This trio started this show at the right time, when sentiments of the common man against corruption had reached a boiling point and they were waiting to come out on the streets against this menace. 

But the Indian mind is spiritual and requires a messiah to guide it. This very sentimental weakness of our people was cleverly exploited by Kejriwal with the help of the media, some industrialists, builders and even the Sangh Parivar, which was happy to accept Anna as the 'second Mahatma Gandhi'. This same Parivar, which has always justified Mahatma Gandhi's assassination, is today seen wearing Gandhi caps and swirling the tricolour instead of their saffron flags.

This whole show reminds me of Aamir Khan's movie Peepli Live. When the media gave massive coverage to Anna's first prematurely aborted phase of fast, nobody even bothered about the death of Swami Nigamanand, who died on the 64th day of his fast against the mine mafia. 

'Hazare has no political or economic ideology'

Hazare is neither bothered about these facts nor does he have the intellectual capacity to understand the intricacies and implications of so many things. He is too happy with this unexpected status of the 'second Mahatma Gandhi' being bestowed upon him. Corruption is a disease of the human mind as well as the political and economic system. Hazare has no political or economic ideology, he has no faith in any organisation, his approach is too individualistic and shows disregard, maybe out of ignorance, for the Constitution framed by Dr BR Ambedkar. 

On November 25, 1949, in his historic speech, Dr Ambedkar warned of three possible dangers to our democracy -- social and economic inequalities, the use of unconstitutional ways and hero-worship. 

Anna has never talked against poverty (77 per cent Indians have a monthly income of less than Rs 600 as per the Dr Arjun Sengupta report), malnourishment (20 lakh children die per year as per Lancet), farmers' suicides (2.5 lakh in the last 10 years as per journalist P Sainath), rising inflation adding to underfed population (labourers with monthly family income of Rs 5,050 can afford to have only 1,100 calories in their diet, which is half of the calorie based definition of poverty as per Arogya Sena's survey), deadly privatisation of education depriving the poor of the basic right of education (as per the Samajwadi Adhyapak Sabha) etc. 

The only thing he has done is support Raj Thackeray, shower praises on Narendra Modi (which he withdrew latter) and give a certificate to Sharad Pawar. Hazare has received a large amount of government funds for his village, he has used government vehicles and accepted the security cover provided by the government (in the past he has had Z category security). 

'Gandhi believed in a wider political ideology'

This is why Hazare can't be compared to Mahatma Gandhi and his movement can't be labelled the 'second freedom struggle'. Mahatma Gandhi always believed in a sharper and wider political ideology, in building a strong organisation and even a parallel leadership. Any people's movement without a well-defined ideology and organised structure will always lead to chaos and anarchy. 

It would fizzle out ultimately, leaving the masses disappointed. As far as the label of 'second freedom struggle' is concerned, we must not forget that India's second freedom struggle was the struggle lead by Jayaprakash Narayan against Emergency.

Indian democracy is not so weak, though we require a strong Lokpal to strengthen it further. But this does not mean that the draft made by Team Anna (actually only three or four people), which has in its ambit the prime minister but deliberately excludes the media, the corporate sector and NGOs, should be imposed upon Parliament. 

Parliament should be challenged constitutionally, not by fomenting public sentiment. Fifty thousand or one lakh people, predominantly comprising the non-voting middle class, is not India. The hidden danger of the Lokpal becoming a super PM and threatening democracy should also be considered. More the number of unelected offices, more the threats to a democracy.

Does Hazare have the guts?'

And how can Team Anna portray the Lokpal as the last saviour of the people reeling under the menace of corruption? How is it going to stop havaldars and talathis and babus from accepting bribes? They have not stopped accepting bribes shamelessly even while Anna was fasting. 

Are we not going to address other forms of corruption like tax evasions, black money, wooing voters during elections etc? What really is needed to stop corruption is a change of the political and economic system and the moral catharsis of our society. 

Does Hazare have the guts to ask the people to take an oath about not indulging in any form of corruption? Does he have the guts to call off his agitation if he finds out that people supporting his anti-corruption movement themselves are corrupt, like the Hindi film industry which thrives on black money and sometimes on underworld funds? 

Mahatma Gandhi had the guts to call off his agitation when angry protestors burnt alive some policemen at Chauri Chaura, because he thought his followers were not prepared for real satyagraha. The principles of satyagraha insist upon sadhanshuchita (purity of means and ways). Principles of satyagraha also insist on tolerance. Hazare's so-called followers have become so intolerant that anyone not supporting him is labelled a supporter of corruption. Why can't Hazare teach them how to be tolerant (and sensible) to anyone expressing a different opinion?  

Dr Abhijit Vaidya is the founder of Arogya Sena, a national trustee of Rasthra Seva Dal and the national president of Socialist Yuvajan Sabha, the newly formed youth wing of Socialist Party - India

  

Indian CORRUPTION -Very interesting email fwed to me ( Hobbesian).. i see some point in it..thought of sharing.

Corruption in INDIA is not only in politics its rooted far deeper than one can fanthom.. 

Point is WE AS INDIANS NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT AND BESIDE BALME GAME DO A SELF CORRECTION.. which again will be tough for many people who find it easy to balme and be done with...  

The forwarded email article goes as such....

Hobbesian.(cultureof self interest)

Corruption in India is a cultural aspect. Indians seem to think nothing peculiar about corruption .It is everywhere.  

Indians tolerate corrupt individuals rather than correct them.No race can be congenitally corrupt.But can a race be corrupted by its culture? To know why Indians are corrupt ,look at their patterns and practices .

First:

Religion is transactional in India.Indians give God cash and anticipate an out-of-turn reward. Such a plea acknowledges that favours are needed for the undeserving. In the world outside the temple walls, such a transaction is named- “bribe”. 

A wealthy Indian gives not cash to temples,but gold crowns and such baubles.His gifts can not feed the poor. His pay-off is for God. who knows if He thinks it will be wasted if it goes to a needy man. 

In June 2009, The Hindu published a report of Karnataka minister G. Janardhan Reddy gifting a crown of gold and diamonds worth Rs 45 crore to Tirupati. India’s temples collect so much that they don't know what to do with it.

Billions are gathering dust in temple vaults. It is beleived if you pay or offer gifts to GOD you can batter wish fulfilment with him...

When Europeans came to India they built schools.  When Indians go to Europe & USA, they build temples. nothing majorly wrong with that but ever heard bulding anything for general social development irrespective of race and ethinicity...?

Indians believe that if God accepts money for his favours, then nothing is wrong in doing the same thing. This is why Indians are so easily corruptible.  Indian culture accommodates such transactions morally. There is no real stigma.

An utterly corrupt Jaya Lalita can make a comeback, just unthinkable in the West. 

Second -

Indian moral ambiguity towards corruption is visible in its history. Indian history tells of the capture of cities and kingdoms after guards were paid off to open the gates, and commanders paid off to surrender. 

This is unique to India. it was easy to rule indians as you cud pay off one to get the other one out of way.

Indians' corrupt nature has meant limited warfare on the subcontinent. It is striking how little Indians have actually fought compared to ancient Greece and modern Europe. The Turks’ battles with Nadir Shah were vicious and fought to the finish. 

In Indian invading history fighting wasn't needed, bribing was enough to see offarmies. Any invader willing to spend cash could brush aside India’s kings,  no matter how many tens of thousands soldiers were  in theirinfantry.

Little resistance was given by the Indians at the “Battle” ofPlassey. Clive paid off Mir Jaffar and all of Bengal folded to an army of 3,000. There was always a financial exchange to taking Indian forts. Golconda was captured in 1687 after the secret back door was left open.

Mughals vanquished Marathas and Rajputs with nothing but bribes. The Raja of Srinagar gave up Dara Shikoh’s son Sulaiman to  Aurangzeb after receiving a bribe. 

There are many cases where Indians participated on a large scale in treason due to bribery.

Question is: Why Indians have a transactional culture while other nations don't? 

Third -

Indians do not believe in the theory that they all can rise if each of them behaves morally( mark my point MORALLY)... indian want their neighbour to behave morally and they themselves can do what they feel like. There is no inherant feeling of social responsibility.  ( They call out other nations to be more comfortable.. but they fail to recognize the empahsis of social responsibility there)

Their caste system separates them. They don't believe that all men are equal. This resulted in their division and migration to other religions . Many Hindus started their own faith like Sikh, Jain, Buddha and many converted to Christianity and Islam... which is fine only if this did not lead to judging people. The result is that Indians don't trust one another .. do i need to repeat the last statement ..??

There are no Indians in India ,there are Hindus ,Christians, Muslims and what not.  

Indians forget that 400 years ago they all belonged to one faith. 

This division evolved an unhealthy culture.  The inequality has resulted in a corrupt society. doing favors to ones belonging to only their sect.

In India every one is thus against everyone else,  except God ­ and even he must be bribed... :)

_ ends the article..

Point is.. corrpution is not one person.. its in us .. we as people have become the personification of it.. if we truely and geniunly want it gone.. lets take a look within.. and bring a revolution that calls for this self realization.. shouting blackmailing and balming others is easy .. self check is where the true revolution lies..

There will be plp who will disagree with this and start giving examples of how they suffer not once will they mention how much they are part of they whole system.... 

.. and i dont blame them .. due to a simple reason.. self check is the toughest realization and not all can do it.. !!!

Hoping this will awaken atleast one sleeping and blindly shouting soul...  

-- havisha

Letter to PM

श्री प्रधानमंत्री जी,

भारत सरकार,

नई दिल्ली

दिनाक : जून 29 2011

विषय : बिल पास करवाना है .

आदरणीय प्रधानमंत्री जी,

हमारे प्यारे भारत की 120 करोड़ की आबादी में से मैं एक हूँ, शायाद मायने नहीं रखती, पर वह कहते हैं न की एक वोट भी बहुत मायने रखता है . उस एक वोट का वास्ता देते हुये मैं यह चिट्ठी लिख रही हूँ. मेरी कुछ मांगे हैं जो मैं समझती हूँ हमारे देश को आधुनिक युग की तरफ तीव्रता से ले जायेगी.

पहेली मांग यह है की देश में कोई भी नेता ( राजनैतिक , सामाजिक , योगिक , धार्मिक या कोई भी व्यक्ति जो किसी  जन समुदाय का प्रतिनिधितिव करता हो ) व्रत करे तो, वह आमरण हो ( मतलब fast unto death)------ ऐसा करने से देश की आबादी की बड़ी भलाई होगी. जब तक समाचार बनेगा, धरना लगेगा, parliament में  झगडा होगा, फिर वोटिंग होगी, बहुमत बनेगा, और बिल पास होने की अर्जी डले गी तब तक एक साल तो बीत ही जायेगा -------- परिणाम : नेताजी शहीद, नेताजी के अंधे चले शहीद, भारत की जनसँख्या में कटोती, और तो और कोई भी यू ही उठ कर व्रत करने से पहले एक  बार नहीं दस बार सोंचे गा  .. यह मांग है मेरी जिस का बिल पास करवाना है. इसके लिये मैं व्रत करनी को तैयार हूँ, क्यूंकि मैं नेता नहीं, मैं वादा करती हूँ की भूख  से भूख लगने तक कुछ नहीं खाऊँगी और अपना व्रत  यह बिल पास होने तक नहीं तोडूंगी.

व्रत करने का कारण कोई भी हो, जो पावन जंतर मंतर पर व्रत करता है देश उसके साथ होता है, बस ऐलान करने की ज़रुरत होती है जो की मैं इस पत्र द्वारा कर रही हूँ. यह बिल अगले महीने की 15 तरीक तक पास होना चाहिये क्योँ की उसके बाद दूसरा बिल पास होने का व्रत scheduled है . आशा करती हूँ आप timeline की महत्ता को समझेगे .

माननीय मंत्री श्री मायावती जी , ने एक बड़ा park बनाया है UP में. जहाँ डरावने पुतले और सजीले हाथी लगे हैं. पता चला डरावने पुतले खुद मायावती जी हैं और सजीले हाथी उनका पहचान चिहिन. डरावनी पहचान को न पहचाने के लिये शमा. पर यह बात मेरी दूसरी मांग की तरफ ले जाती है.

दूसरा बिल :  मांग यह है की माया बहेन के बनाये पार्क में जहाँ सजीले हाथी लगे हैं , वहां गधे और  जहाँ डरावनी माया बहेन हैं वहां आम आदमी होना चाहिये ----------यह इसलिये ताकि आम आदमी की छवि उनके सामने हमेशा रह सके गधे के रूप में , जो अपनी आखों के सामने अपने पैसे बर्बाद होते देख रहा है.  इस बिल को पिछले बिल के एक महीने बाद पास कर दीजियेगा. तब तक सारी जनता मुझे जान गयी होगी, मुझे पत्रकारों का साथ, opposition का हाथ, सर, पैर , पीठ सब मिल गया होगा. हो सकता है कोई मंत्री मेरी इस धुन पर नाच भी उठे. मुझे अपने प्यारी सुषमा स्वराज बहेन पर पूरा विश्वास है उन्हें नाच गाना खूब पसंद है. खैर यह सब होने पर आप यह न कहे की बताया न था इसलिये पत्र लिख रही हूँ.

बाकि कुशल मंगल है, घर पर भाभी जी को मेरा प्रणाम, पोते पोतियूं को प्यार. मिलते हैं जंतर मंतर पर.

भारत  माता की जय.

एक असीम देश भक्त

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