Swordarm » Entries tagged with "corruption"
Aam Aadmi Party and the demise of hope
Aam Aadmi Party was born of hope. The Lokpal movement of 2011, led by Anna Hazare, was a watershed event in India’s recent history. A diminutive mild mannered 70 something former soldier and social worker, Anna caught the nation’s imagination and inspired following like only Mahatma Gandhi had before him. It was half-way into the second tenure of UPA government, and each new day brought with it news of another scam, each bigger than … Read entire article »
Who stands to lose?
In the past few years television debates between politicians of various dispensations reinforced one thing loudly and clearly. Amidst all the hand wringing, finger pointing and name calling, the message that came through was this. In the opinion of politicians, the common citizen of this country is a simpleton with a single digit IQ. Someone with a very short memory, someone they can continue to fool and heap indignities upon day after day, while in turn the hapless people will continue to repose blind faith in them. They wanted us to believe that businessmen offer interest free loans to them without any quid pro quo. That their astute investments and extremely productive agricultural assets have been the reasons behind the almost universal rise in net worth amongst politicians of all shapes … Read entire article »
Filed under: Politics
Nailing the Files
That some crucial files relating to the ‘Coalgate’ case are missing is undisputed. These are files that the CBI wants to peruse to investigate and fix culpability in the scam. The government and the opposition are now engaged in an elaborate posturing dance over the issue. Obviously, the probe would be as good as finished without these files, another occupant in the great graveyard of government scams. The disappearance itself is not surprising. It is not the first time or the first probe in which inconvenient evidence has been conveniently removed. What is surprising is the blasé methodology of removal. The least that could have been done was to have a face saving fire accident, like the one at the Maharashtra Mantralya building which destroyed the Adarsh scam files. Doing away … Read entire article »
Filed under: Politics
Aam Aadmi ko gussa kyon aata hai?
Amidst our obsession with the gladiatorial standoff between the prime-ministerial hopefuls of the two leading political parties in India, the events in Bulgaria last month went largely unnoticed in the country. They did not even catch the fancy of the more eclectic twitterati, let alone mainstream media. That’s quite a pity, because they could serve as food for thought for the political class in India, on either side of the political divide. That is, if their thoughts ever feel hunger pangs. The people of Bulgaria, fed up of a weak, corrupt and apathetic government, took to the streets to demand the Prime Minister’s resignation. Seven weeks of continuous protests failed to move the government, the PM refusing to resign. Frustrated and exasperated, thousands of protestors surrounded the parliament, with a sizeable … Read entire article »
Filed under: Politics
Mango Shakes Politics
The turnout at the rally to launch Aam Aadmi Party at Jantarmantar, held on the 63rd anniversary of the adoption of our constitution, was an indicator of popular sentiment prevailing in the country. That it happened on a day when the major political parties were busy imparting spin to stories justifying corrupt acts by their leaders and minor parties busier making a nuisance of themselves in parliament and state assemblies only underscored the need for … Read entire article »
Filed under: Aam Aadmi, Agitation, Common man, Corruption, Democracy, Elections
The Importance of Being Anna
Watching Anna’s agitation from the comfort of my living room I got the impression that it was a damp squib this time around. As per the news, the crowd was extremely thin, and the zing was missing. Breathless anchors on channel after channel prophesied the lingering death of the Jan Lokpal movement. Various reasons were ascribed to this, from people being disillusioned with team Anna not being above board themselves, to ‘agitational fatigue’. Print media was also quick to dismiss the latest episode of the agitation. As per one columnist, Team Anna has been ‘knocked off the pedestal’ that people had put them on. But then I went over to Jantar Mantar to take a look for myself. I found the story completely different. The crowds are very much there. Ordinary … Read entire article »
Filed under: Blogitorial, Common man, Corruption, Media, National Issues, Politics
Casus Belli Aching
Just when commentators were concluding that Gen VK Singh will be remembered for posterity as the Chief who went to court for getting ten more months in office, the General has yet again managed to spring a surprise. Going public with allegations that he was offered Rs 14 Crore as bribe for accepting sub-standard vehicles for the army, he is back in headlines. While he did not go as far as naming the perpetuators of the tantalizing offer, a recent official press release by the Army claimed that the offer was made by a retired Lt Gen on behalf of a PSU and a foreign firm. The release also claimed that the recent stories about communication interception equipment being used without authorization by the Army in the capital have been … Read entire article »
Filed under: Blogitorial, Civil Military Relations, COAS, Military, Values
What I would do if I were Kiran Bedi or Om Puri
Here is a excellent piece – not written by me, something I received on mail. But I do echo the sentiments. Details of the author / originator are given at the bottom. Even though I have least interest in politics and social service, I somehow feel compelled to express what I am going to express below. If I were Om Puri or Kiran Bedi, I would have been so happy to be summoned for the breach of parliamentarians privileges. I would have made the following assertion while availing of the opportunity to defend my utterances. Madam Speaker, I have been called here to speak and explain why I said what I said about the members of this house. First of all I would like to thank you for having invited me to speak … Read entire article »
Filed under: Common man, Corruption, National Issues, Politics, Ponderings, Values
Of scoundrels and parliamentary democracy
While many opine there is little difference between politicians and scoundrels, if patriotism is the last resort of a scoundrel, then ‘Parliamentary Democracy’ seems to be the last resort of a section of politicians today. Anna Hazare’s movement for the Lokpal Bill and Baba Ramdev’s agitation against corruption are being rued by a section of the politicians as threats to this last resort. An overwhelming mass of citizens – the raison de etre of democracy, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Blogitorial, Corruption, National Issues, Politics
Deaf, Blind…. and Dumb?
Age catches up with all of us. And it is ruthless. It wreaks havoc on our systems and faculties, tormenting us with numerous afflictions. One used to believe that Father Time is by and large fair and unbiased, in that he is uniformly harsh with all. But events of recent past have left us wondering whether he picks out a few people for being especially nasty to. Some people whom he repeatedly tortures. First it was the case of sudden deafness due to exposure to loud noises. Obviously it had something to do with age catching up. Someone who would have spent at least 10-15 years of his early service in the close vicinity of guns firing during practice camps can’t go deaf all of a sudden after hearing a … Read entire article »
Filed under: Blogitorial, Military, Ponderings, Values