It seems like a story straight out of the history textbooks. Complete with all the romanticism involved. An individual believes in his ideology so strongly, that he gives up his daily bread, so that his ideas may be implemented. Just as our forefathers believed in the idea of freedom, and gave up their lives to achieve it. They were beaten up by the police, locked up in prisons, hanged, yet their indomitable spirits lived on. And finally, they achieved that which was the collective dream of all - freedom from a tyrannical British government. Today we seem to be facing a similar situation. We have a government that has looted the country far more than the British could ever dream of. We have rich businessmen getting away with this mass looting for token punishments. And we also have the same brave 'Iron Men', who are willing to give up their lives, through a slow and painful process known better as fasting, Persecuted by the government, these tireless souls soldier on, in their quest against the atrocities of the government. And perhaps, one day they will succeed in uprooting the evil that plagues this country. And all shall prosper.
Or is it? Have you, my fellow countrymen, my people, the true legitimate rulers of this nation, given a good thought to what these protests entail? To what end would they lead? What they are doing to the fabric of this country and to its unity? Have you asked yourself an honest question before pledging your support for these 'leaders' among the people - Am I really going to benefit if this struggle shall be successful? Apart from a smug sense of self satisfaction, am I going to get to even see, let alone touch any of the black money that returns from abroad? And what happens when they really do start hanging corruption-mongers? Are you going to get back all that money you paid, so that the request for your driving license/passport/PAN card is processed quickly? What's in all this for you?
Agreed, not all causes need have short term benefits. It is always a good idea to fight for a good cause, and achieve it, so that even though we may get hurt in the process, we will eventually reap the benefits of our struggle. But have any of you spared a thought, as to what this struggle is doing to our country and our government? We are no saints, and our government is not a government of saints either. But this same corrupt government keeps the prices of petrol and diesel down, so that we may afford it. The same government maintains a strong police force that atleast deters, if not stops criminals from their deeds. The same government builds and maintains one of the largest road and railway networks in the world. Yes they have potholes, yes trains are delayed, yes flyover constructions are delayed.
But it runs the system nonetheless. It ensures a reasonable distribution of food items throughout the country, especially during famines and calamities. It runs schools to educate, for nominal amounts, the youth of the country. In fact, I am going to stop right here. What the government does in reality for the people, and what they seem to forget in a hurry, cannot be put down on a single piece of paper. Or even a book. And this is the very government all of you look to question. It does not matter that the Prime Minister, whose job it is to run this country of 1.3 billion 'Rajanikanths', is continuously on his/her toes to get the job done. No, you want the right to question him about every irregularity in his/her life. It doesn't matter that there are good and honest officers slogging away behind the scenes, keeping this country running. You only want the right to raise accusing fingers at them. Let us not even mention here any possible misuse of this law - All you want is to see the high and mighty fall down.
You want a quick and dirty solution to all the problems plaguing this country - You would just kill all corrupt politicians and businessmen. A simple question here - How does one define such a corrupt person? It has been suggested - let us keep the bar at Rs. 2 crore. How does one verify whether the scam is actually worth more than Rs. 2 crore? What would stop our beloved lawyers from bringing every case to below Rs. 2 crores? And consider this - A poor father of a bright young student has to bribe a college official with Rs. 50 lakh in order to get him/her a seat in a prime college. How do you justify that this crime is not worth a hanging? More so, who should be hanged? The person collecting the bribe? The dean of the college? The guardian politician? Why is nobody realizing just how ridiculous these demands are?
People, you are not doing yourself any good by allying yourself with these 'pioneers of freedom' All you are doing is undermining this government that has kept the country running for 64 years. We have a government that has atleast fulfilled its campaign promises partially. It keeps us safe from the greedy Orientals in the North and the East, and the fanatics in the West of our country. Agreed, the scams that have unfolded, are unforgivable. But let us not be too hasty in meting out justice. Let us not forget that we are the ones who have elected this government in the first place. Since the blame lies directly with us (and I'm sure Mr. Ramdev and Mr. Hazare would be less than willing to hang themselves for electing corrupt politicians), let us be a little more mature and grow out of the 'Rang De Basanti' fervor, under which everyone seem to view the government as complete villains that only deserve death. If you want to clean up this country, start with yourself. Clean up your own lives of all the prevalent dishonesty. Finish all your work in time. Be honest in all your dealings. Do not forget - campaigning for the death penalty against the corrupt does not absolve you of corruption or exempt you from the law. Each one of us has skeletons hidden somewhere, and believe me, just as you will dig up the government's skeletons, so will someone come to dig up your skeletons one day. Yes, firm and immediate action is necessary against the corrupt. But let us not get drawn by such blackmailers into something you and your future generations would regret. Let us stand united and not act against our government, but work with it to root out, not the corrupt, but corruption itself.
P.S. Anyone who wants to replace Hindi with English as the medium of instruction should:
A. Go to hell
B. Dig a hole, plant themselves, and water themselves. After all, they are the 'sons of the soil'.
C. Give a really good reason why people, whose mother-tongue is not Hindi, should learn a language that is not spoken anywhere outside India, or even is the mother-tongue of the majority of this country.
