Anna Hazare: New Age Gandhi

Corruption is a part of India's DNA.
India's Corruption Curse.
Corruption: Threat to India's Economic Development.

I don't even live in India and I cringe every time I read headlines in the news regarding India's corruption. In 2011, India is considered a future superpower. "Watch out for India!" people are always saying. And for the most part, I smile, seena taan ke, proud to be Indian. But who am I kidding? No one but myself. Corruption in India is hardly a matter that can be swept under the carpet. It exists and there is no denying. But when it starts to affect the future and the growth of the country, then you seriously have a problem. While the Middle East is looking to change the way their nations operate within their governments, we hardly have that issue. India is one the most democratic countries in the world. And yet, we are one of the most corrupt.

It has taken the likes of a 72 year-old Anna Hazare to come out and fast-unto-death, he says, in order for the country to stand up and take notice of this issue. At first, much like the rest of the country, I too thought to myself, "Yet another publicity stunt." But today, I look at myself as nothing but as an ignorant fool. Ignorant because I allowed myself to look down on a man who is out to make the biggest change that will hopefully come to India in last decade. An activist, Social Worker, an soldier for the Indian Army and man who is out to change the face of India forever, Hazare has done what only Gandhi could have done perhaps. While the former is out to rid the country of a "bacteria" better known as corruption, the latter is the Father of Nation and gained India freedom from the British. Anna's accomplishments thus far, and we're talking about a 72-year-old man here, are immense. It all began with a small initiative: to eradicate alcoholism from his village. From then on, he went on to make bigger and better changes including building the first secondary school in the area. And all this not by force. Anna educated his village and encouraged to volunteer to partake in modernizing their village. His dedication to social work and to the country is beyond words.

This isn't the first time Anna has gone on a fasting strike. Back in 1991, the social worker fasted until corrupt forest officers, who were duping the country of Crores, weren't bought to justice. The otherwise sleeping government was forced to wake up and take action, which they did.

"So what does he want this time," I asked. The answer: to fully eliminate corruption from the country altogether. While it does sound farfetched and impossible, it is possible to lower corruption rates with his bill better known as the Jan Lokpal Bill. And when you read what the bill has to offer, you are immediately excited at what it could do for the country. For starters, institutions all over the country, known as LOKPAL, will be set up in every state. This ultimately becomes the hub for citizens who can bring all their issues regarding corruption to. There will be no ministers or beaureacratics involved in any investigations and all cases will be dealt with over the course of a year. But the best part of this bill is what it offers to the people of India. Irrespective of how big or small your corruption issue is, LOKPAL will take care of it. Passport or ration card isn't being processed in time, head to your local LOKPAL center, file a complaint and they basically take care of it. The accused will be handled quickly and punished swiftly. And to ensure that no members of the LOKPAL themselves are involved in any corruption, all transactions will be kept "transparent". In addition, as an Indian citizen, you need not worry about being victimized because you have chosen to be brave and stand up for corruption. LOKPAL will take care of you and provide protection to all those to speak out over corruption.

The bill has been presented numerous times to a number of regimes only to be sidelined and ignored every single time. Realizing that the situation had hit the roof, Anna decided it was now or never. So here he is giving up his life for the country in the most peaceful of ways.

The benefits are immense and will only help India grow into a country that is truly ready then to become a superpower. What's most interesting is how the yuva (youth) of India are standing up for Anna.Just over the internet itself, Indians from all over the world are standing up to support the activist virtually. One only hopes India's big brother, Anna's fast breaks to a new dawn in India; one that is free of dirty corrupt politicians, one that allows the country to grow and one that will change the face of revolutions. Are we headed for our very own Egyptian revolution? It sure smells like it. Jantar Mantar is now officially India's answer to Tahrir Square. The face of the youth and corruption is about to change in India. All this courtesy of one brave bachelor whose life has been to change India. Irrespective of which part of the world you're in, if you're Indian, it is your ultimate duty to back this man because if we lose him, we'll not only lose a man who could have done heaps for the country, but will tell our youth that there is no hope for India. Is this the lesson we want to give to the youth of India? This is your moment to shine young India. Stand up now and show them you care and will not allow them to ruin your future. Wake up India. Wake up.

Radical Egypt!

As Indians, we have much to thank Egypt for. A small mundane example is Misri, crystalized sugar which we use for offering to our Gods. And for Sindhis, Misri is also the name for the engagement ceremony. Into a well decorated pot, 7 kgs of rock Misri is filled and handed over to the groom's mother. The sweet Misri signifies an abundant amount of sweetness which family and friends pray will roll over into the couples marriage. But this is all off topic.

Over the last two weeks, Egytians have set precedence for the Arab world. They have defined the real meaning of fighting for a government that just doesn't work. With the use of Social Media, the youth of the country took to the streets and protested. They simply were not going to deal with the atrocities that they had dealt with with 30 years of Mubarak reign. And while by now you know that I'm an NOT a Barkha Dutt fan but the lady put it all in perspective. "At one point in Cairo we feared that Tahrir could become Tiananmen square. Instead it gave birth to a modern day Salt March.." With Gandhi as her muse, the journalist compared the revolution of Egypt to the independence struggle of India. Perhaps, the Egyptians really understood Gandhi-giri better than we did and ever will. In complete unison, they set out to change the face of the Arab world. Albeit violence, they managed to overthrow a regime that wasn't making the cut. And all this, conducted by the youth of the country. Egypt will never be the same again. This isn't to say the journey is over for them. That is hardly the case. In fact, they have a rather steep hill to climb from here on. We've seen the military come in only to get too comfortable vis-a-vis Pakistan. And now, with no clear leader, the amount of corruption is bound to hit an all time high. A scary fact is the sheer fact that the opposition leader happens to be an Islamist. For Egyptians, that should raise warning signs. So yes, red flags are around but doesn't mean they haven't accomplished anything; their determination and courage deserves a global standing ovation. The question that hit me almost immediately was simple: why couldn't the youth of India do the same?

Look, we are hardly in need of a revolution. India in itself is a revolutionary country that has faught long and hard. In turn, this has made the country practically immune to any external and internal strife that it have have to face. However, there are major issues in the country that need resolving. The youth are the only ones who can take to the streets in matter of leadership, corruption and other important issues that have been put on the back burner. But they won't. And the answer is simple: the Indian youth is lazy, indifferent and more than anything scared of voicing themselves only because they have been ignored far too many times in the past. I personally believe that the youth is far too self involved to care about the country, far too comfortable with their indifference. I've repeatedly heard of youth leaders who have gone on to state that they are just too tired with being told by the government that they are "too young" to understand. And so, the best attitude is to shrug. But can you imagine if the youth of Egypt would have done the same? They wouldn't have accomplished what they have today, February 11th, 2011. 


It doesn't involve violence but mere determination and a fearless attitude (Dabangg anyone?). The youth of India are not incapable. Now if only they would take some inspiration from the Egyptians and get on with it. Until then complete power to Egyptians. May your revolution take you from strength to strength. Today you have proved that the Arab world is changing and you have made that change. Forget "Yes, We Can"; Yes, You Did!

Paapu CAN Vote!

The amount of sites that have been popping up that are encouraging the youth and their counterparts to vote has been phenomenal. Jaago Re, Lead India and Vote India are just a few that I personally follow but many fabulous News sites too have great coverage of the upcoming elections: Hindustan Times, India Times and India Today. The previous three have all been put together by the youth which makes them a tad more special in my opinion. Each one has an individual reason to why India should vote and how their single ballot makes a difference. Google "Vote India and over 35 million hits come up. Amazing!

It was beautiful that the "youth rose from the ashes" after the Mumbai Terror Attacks. They gathered together to stand up against how the situation was handled, their claim for safety and stood up realizing they had to make changes. Change. A simple word and idea that had they had forgotten about. This is the time to make that change and help your country move ahead.

It is every citizens innate right to vote and more important that they exercize that right. Rahul Kanwal very interestingly pointed out, "Half of India's population is under 25 and two-thirds under 35. That's 700 million people who could potentially be agents of change." That clearly is should be a wake up call to every citizen in that age bracket (and otherwise): VOTE! If you are in that age frame, you need to do it for your future, if not, vote to secure your children's tomorrow. The youth's vote is perhaps the most important because of multiple reasons. Firstly, the youth are the educated lot who will be the deciding factor for the future of India. Secondly, sadly they are being deemed as "self-obsessed." The youth should not stand for this and in fact, by voting are showing that they are just the opposite. Rising and asking for a change in administration will help the youth gain more credibility and help raise the standards of politicians in India. It is now that the politicians of India need to get younger- in age and ideals. The time of the "oldies" and more older men and women in the Indian society needs to come to its conclusion and this is the perfect time for this youthful change to occur. The biggest democratic country in the world must draw inspiration from Barack Obama and François Fillon; both young leaders of the modern world.

It is a decline in these very standards that has caused a deteriotation in the election of politicians. Murderers, thieves, prisoners, even terrorists have become politicians in the past. How has that been allowed? Corruption is a big factor that is not helping and in fact only adding to the disgrace of the country. Being the biggest democratic (and most secular) country in the world, this is a worrying thought. Afghanistan recently voted in a number of Taleban members into their government, however, this is expected from a country that is in complete political shambles and does not allow its citizens to vote freely. From India, this is rather discomforting. Ultimately, what is the point of celebrating over 50 years of Independence when the no one is utilizing their democratic right correctly, if at all.

However, only the youth can change this insane phenomena. The youth is not simply enclosed to a particular age group. It is not based on a mere number but in fact stands on the equilibrium of modern and traditional ideas. As our perceptions in life and lifestyle changes, so should the expectations of our government. The problem is clear. The involvement of the youth in politics is scarce. But can you blame them? Every time a member of the youth stands up and voices his opinion, he is shut down and told he is "too young" or are told it is their "khelne-khoodne ke din" (days to have fun and frolic). Perhaps if the government would then sit up and listen to what the future of their country wanted, they would see that the youth has views, values, morals, needs, wants and expections.

The first way for them to be recognized it to vote. The country houses over one billion people. India should, in fact, have a record number of citizens turning up to vote in comparison to any country in the world. However, because a major chunk of the educated lot have not voted in the past, the uneducated go ahead and vote for ones that promise them castles in the sky but are unable to pull through. As educated and informed people, it is your job to help the rural folk who innocently vote for politicians who either threaten them, pay them or promise them changes that never actually happen.

I wish I could- and believe me I would do anything to vote in India. However, I do not have that privilege but if you can, you must and you should. By not voting, you deprive your country and someone else casting a ballot. Make your vote count and refuse to be a silent spectator. And if you need any reason or inspiration to vote, check out the sites! They can provide some great reason to vote. Vote India (youth or otherwise) Vote!

As for the government who is calling you- the youth, a "Paapu" for not voting, here's your chance to prove that you ain't no "Paapu" and you can vote.

Photo Credit: Bollywood.com

March Mayhem

It is only three months into the new year and March is already a month reckon with. The Indian Cricket team went on to create history and win a series against New Zealand after eons. Kudos to Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag who hit amazing knocks against the Kiwis. The women's Indian Cricket team, who unfortunately do not get enough accolades or recognition, are also doing fabulously at their World Cup. Team India beat the worlds best Australia in great pomp and style. I wish the media would cover their accomplishments and give them some publicity. These ladies are such fabulous sportswomen and its such a beautiful achievement on their part. No one may recognize it or see it, but kudos to you ladies.

On the other hand, it has been a week of some serious ragging in India. Young Aman Kachroo fell victim to "Ragged to Death," by his seniors and unfortunately only lived to be nineteen. Ragging is a tradition in many colleges across India where college freshers are bullied and teased in what is supposed to be a fun few days. However, in the past, this custom had taken a serious toll when youngsters took the fun and game too far resulting in a number of deaths. The government banned ragging of any form but it obviously has no meaning for the youth. Aman Kachroo was beaten to death by a group of seniors. School officials took over a day to finally inform the police of the incident. This piece of news made headlines all over India and made audiences believe that a point had been made - this is unacceptable. However, a few days later, a young girl attempted suicide after she was asked to dance naked as a part of her rag. To me, after such instances, I can totally understand why the government has no hope for the youth of India. I can see what they see: a youth that does not understand its boundaries and has no respect for life. Kachroo was a young boy who was the future of his family. It is even more disturbing to learn that he was a medical student and the group of imbeciles that killed him, were potential doctors. Is this what our youth has become - murderers in the form of medical practitioners?

And then there are the upcoming I.P.L's. Both of them: the Indian Premiere League in the form of Cricket and the Indian Parliament eLections. Coincidentally, both leagues will be occurring simultaneously which is a major cause of concern for the national security forces. Clearly both are important in their own ways, but election season has to take precedence. If a match occurs on a voting day, it is more than likely that voter turn out will fall. This is not good considering that the government needs as many votes as they can. At the same time, in the light of potential terrorist attacks which is a universal daily issue that must be tackled, protecting national politicians, international cricketers and our own desi cricketers will prove to be too strenuous for the local police officials. Ideally, the cricket league should either be completely avoided this year or pushed back to a more practical time. The I.P.L and B.C.C.I will beat themselves on the head if anything catastrophic were to happen on any of the match days. In the meantime, VOTE INDIA VOTE!

Keeping with voting season and taking a more positive outlook on the youth of India, they too have decided that this year, the balancing scale needs to be outweighed. A great group of youngsters have gone ahead and started the Lead India Campaign which has some great ways YOU and the government should/can help their country. You must take a look : http://www.lead.timesofindia.com/. You can add to the list of oaths, sign the pledge and get involved.

Hopefully the March Madness soon calms down and all ends well. Until then, my message this month is one of hope and peace. Hope in the form of a new bright India filled with a youth who is willing to take India into the future and peace for our country, our surrounding neighbors and around the world.

Photo Credit: thewip.net