Recently, Mayawati got into the game and blamed the UPA government for indulging in corruption and said that no leadership was being shown to prevent it. Now it’s true that Mayawati herself hardly smells of roses in this regard. She’s widely known as one of the most corrupt politicians in the country. The governmnent knows this and hit back at her saying that she had no right to criticize the government and that “people in glass houses should not throw stones.”
But I’m growing tired of this same trick played over and over again. Whenever someone comes along to criticize the government, they try and wash it away by focusing instead on the credentials of the person making the charge. When the Anna Hazare led team was pressurizing the UPA, we saw the games of trying to tarnish the image of the protesters with CDs alleging malpractices etc. When Ramdev attacks the government on corruption, the Congress tries to side step the accusations by saying he’s just an arm of the RSS. If he is, so what? How can you respond to an accusation by focusing on the person making it?
The BJP has been at the government’s throat as well – and rightly so. Instead of accepting that corruption is a problem, the UPA simply accuses the BJP of doing the same! However true the statements from the Congress might be that all other political parties are corrupt and that Ramdev has political ambitions, the fact remains that you cannot ignore what people are saying simply because of who they are.
Attacking the person instead of the argument is a classical logical fallacy called the ad hominem. The UPA might not like being preached to by those who themselves are indulging in corruption, but people like me are very happy to see these guys fight each other. Regardless of the corruption of Mayawati and the BJP, they have every right to criticize the government at the center for not doing its job.
Corruption is not okay just because everyone is doing it!
The UPA government might feel that there are bigger problems than corruption in India, but the rest of us know it to be one of the biggest problems. The responses of the government reinforce my view that the UPA thinks that corruption is just a middle class concern. It’s not. Let the government ignore Hazare and see how people deal with it in the elections. I challenge them to just ignore this movement that we’ve started. If corruption really was restricted to such a narrow segment of society, the UPA would not be running scared right now.
Other political parties seem to understand that they can’t keep mum on this issue. I never had anything against Rahul Gandhi or Sonia Gandhi till now. I don’t believe in mud slinging and accusations without basis. But their silence while all of India is up in arms against corruption makes me angry. Manmohan Singh’s silence infuriates me. How can they just keep quiet as if nothing’s happening? I never liked the BJP before and I still don’t. But the Congress needs to be taught a lesson that it can’t ignore the people.
Regardless of whoever is indulging in corruption, the UPA has to take these accusations humbly and without retaliation. Because there’s no justification – none whatsoever – for the kind of misgovernance we’ve seen over the past few years. As a citizen I will not tolerate it. And unless something concrete happens to satisfy me – like bringing in the Lokpal bill with full accountability, including the PM and the judiciary, I will not support the Congress in the next elections.
“I never liked the BJP before and I still don’t. But the Congress needs to be taught a lesson that it can’t ignore the people.”
I agree.
there we go again.
According to congress spokesperson commonman,who is not elected,has no voice. He is out of frame once elected representative reaches Parliment/state assembly he is free to indulge in rrampart corruptio for example A.Raja/Kalmadi/Chavans&Deshmukhs, Reedys and lot many. Will someone please address this.
I struggle with this lack of an alternative. Each one is worse than the other – the only thing people can pick it seems is the pace at which we deteriorate and how completely we do. Corruption is still the benign option compared religious intolerance and in-your-face violence and death. Should we have to choose between the two? Of course not. But here we are.
The governance situation in Maharashtra is bad today but still better than if the Shiv Sena were to be in power. Did you see that Munde wants to ‘exchange’ his LS (that would read elected to most people!) seat with his daughter? Regardless of which party he belongs to, should someone be able to play the lottery with an elected seat?!
In reply to Sangitha
You’re right. And this is what bugs me when the UPA says “We are the elected representatives of the people.” Arre bhaiya, we elected you only because there was no one else to vote for!
Also perhaps it’s too much to ask for – but maybe just maybe – if another party comes into power riding on this wave, they’ll realize that people didn’t vote for them because they agreed with their communal policies but because of pure governance related issues.
That might make them afraid that unless they did a good job governing, they will be thrown out as well.
Optimistic no? :D
In reply to bhagwad
Well, thats what happened in TN a decade ago and a half ago when ADMK was voted out and then again this year when DMK was voted out.. Do you think that detered any of those parties elected from becoming corrupt.. The first 2 years they focus on governance and then its back to paying off the party loyalists and letting the party machinery have a living..
Same as Sangita, I am tired of not having an alternative.. Ever since I became eligible to vote, I havent missed any election when I was in the country, but everytime I voted out a candidate rather than voted for one.. And the last general election, I didnt want to vote for any of them and didnt want to waste my vote, so basically voted against all of those I did not want to come to power (well, my single vote doesn’t make difference, it atleast gives me the right to criticize) ..
I was discussing this with my dad the other day.. He believes that when this whole generation of politicians die and people from our generation come to power this will change.. But well I think he is just too optimistic and looks at our generation with rose tinted glasses am too cynical than that..
In reply to sakthi
Who knows? Maybe politicians still think that people vote based on caste or other inducements (who knows they may be right. I assume they’re more in touch with these things than I am.)
Perhaps if it’s every 100% certain that a particular government was thrown out because of corruption and nothing else like the UPA might be thrown out this time, the next party to come in will have to show that it’s different and enact better processes and improve the laws.
And with civil society, the Internet, new commentary etc, we’ll be able to see whether the government really is doing a good job or is all hogwash. All this might combine to change things.
As of now, I feel that politicians don’t believe that we Indians really care about corruption. Until they get it into their thick skulls that we do care, things won’t change I think…
For some reason, people on the Internet believe that India is a democracy. It is obviously a republic and clearly not a democracy.
In reply to required
True. But no one is asking for the people to directly vote on the bill. It’s still a draft and there’s no rule which says that the government can’t consult the people for making a draft bill.
In the meantime, if the government ignores what people want, they will be taught a lesson in the coming elections.
In reply to Bhagwad Park
well, if you feel so strongly about it, have you contacted your local MP and registered your opinion? You do know the address right? Right? Voter participation does not end with elections. If enough people cared to send letters to the local leadership, things would certainly be different.
In reply to required
How do you know I haven’t tried?