It was a quiet evening, as usual, in Salt Lake City. I was sitting in the front seat of an auto and intently listening to the conversation between two loquacious girls in the back seat. I was so engrossed in their conversation (not that I understood a thing… they were speaking Bengali, nevertheless you cannot question my dedication :p ), I missed getting down at my destination, Central Park (notoriously famous among young and not quite young lovers of Salt Lake City). So I had to walk few meters back. And when I was about to reach Central Park, a shriek from loud speaker greeted me- "Inquilab Zindabad !! ". What I saw next, totally took me by surprise.
At the entrance of Central Park, there were about two hundred people, with candles, drums, loud speakers, waving Indian Flags and what not-s. Reason: LOKPAL BILL. They were singing something in Bengali and dancing( Ahem.. I should say, protesting). In a nut shell, except for an Old Gandhian fasting, it was like a mini replica of Ramlila Maidan.
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| Central Park Entrance |
Just like every other youth in the protest, I was drawn to it (with Ratchagan BGM in my brain) and was about to ask for one candle. But at that moment, something in me, stopped me (might be cinematic, but trust me I stopped). I took out my phone, took a few snaps and went home.
Reason: One small thought originated from some remote corner of mind, that I’m not the right person to be a part of this rally against corruption. Simply because, I am corrupt.
My corruptions are not as big as that of our esteemed politicians, but I am corrupt enough to be called as Corrupt. I don’t know to drive, but I have the driving license with me because I managed to bribe the RTO and get me one. It would have taken a day for me to get the darshan of Balaji at Tirupati, but I managed to come out, unscathed, in two hours, just because I greased someone’s palm to cut me through the queue, right into the shrine. And I can keep blabbering for pages, but that is not the point. I abused my money, for a cause(s) greater (I should really say, cheaper) than its value, which is a perfect case of corruption. We protest with full fervor against the greased palms, but we conveniently forget that it is, we, who grease those.
Scores of youth took it to the streets, the Lokpal protests, in the past few days. A big thanks to them, because it was their involvement which took the protest to the next level and made the government to pass the bill (Hmmm.. hopefully so, without any more hitches). But how many of us, given the chance and position of the politicians, will abstain ourselves from being corrupt? Pause for a second and fathom your own mind. Or say a lesser degree. How many of us will not not bribe from today onwards??
Think.. Think..
The Lokpal Bill itself is ingenious, a real stroke of geniousness inspired from similar bills in few other nations. But, but, but, on second thoughts, don’t you really think that the bill is fundamentally flawed?? The strength of this bill is drawn from the strength of the people of this nation, who are , simply, corrupt. Lokayukta or whatever the body against corruption is named, consists of handpicked people from this corrupt lot. This exactly is the flaw of the bill.
There is a saying in tamil- “Thirudanaai paarthu thiruntha vittaal thiruttai olikka mudiyathu”., which means, we cannot abolish thieving until the thief himself considers it as bad and restrains himself from doing it. India’s this fight against corruption will not be successful, unless each person realizes his level of corruptness and refrains from being corrupt. Untill and unless, it happens, I swear that this Lokayukta will be the most corrupt body of this nation. To put it in gaming terms, Counter terrorists will be the real terrorists.
Without self-realization, the whole Lokpal thing is like the patriotic feel which you get after seeing Freedom Struggle movies on Independence day.. It'll drain from your mind the very next morning. There might not be another Anna Hazare in the future, but there will be people like you and me. And it is with this section, the change has to take place. It need not be instant. But it has to be gradual. Everyday, we have to become as less corrupt as possible. It is just you, to monitor you. No commission, no body. Only you and me.
Without self-realization, the whole Lokpal thing is like the patriotic feel which you get after seeing Freedom Struggle movies on Independence day.. It'll drain from your mind the very next morning. There might not be another Anna Hazare in the future, but there will be people like you and me. And it is with this section, the change has to take place. It need not be instant. But it has to be gradual. Everyday, we have to become as less corrupt as possible. It is just you, to monitor you. No commission, no body. Only you and me.
Phew… Your brain must be brimming with the word Corruption. Sorry, but I couldn’t find an equivalent one. And yes, I can hear you swearing against me like “ Who the heck are you to say this?? Are your thoughts saintly?? You are saying this ok, but how much goodness is in you to really say this??”.
No. I don’t say that I’m a good person or a person with saintly thoughts. I’m not at all significant to me or anyone. You can call me an Oaf, pervert, sadist(hopefully..not a rapist.. I’m not that bad) and what not, call me everything. Yes I’m not a great guy, but I did have this one good thought and thought I had to share with someone, thus resulting in this post. Thanks for patiently reading this thing. I owe you some time, in your lifetime.
Links that might interest you:
1) India Against Corruption - the Official Lokpal site
2) I Paid A Bribe - Well, the name says it all
