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The Turf war has begun. For 63 years since India's independence politicians ruled the roost in the world's largest democracy. Taking advantage of the very large population of illiterate and poor masses, they became a class accountable to none after once winning elections in every 5 years. Winning elections was logistically an expensive exercise. The electorate was spread out in remote towns and villages connected by a network of less than adequate roads and trains. The advertisement campaign to reach remote far flung locations cost a fortune, and any programme to connect with the spread out voters needed organisation and liquidity. Political parties that grew from humble roots during India's freedoms struggle had now become cash rich, monolithic and gigantic, bureueacratic and corrupt.
As India became prosperous during the last 10 years, the political class and the bureaucracy became deal makers with accounts in Swiss Banks siphoning of kickbacks worth billions of Dollars. The middle class Indian however also became increasingly rich, extremely aware and vocal working in the fast growing professionally managed Indian corporate sector and global corporations . Foreign and Indian NGOs working in the social sector gave rise to a new set of stake holders the "social and political activists" who often took up causes of the have not's and created a considerable stir in the media and following among the masses.
When the UPA Government headed by Manmohan Singh got embroiled in multiple scams from the Common Wealth Games, to the 2G Spectrum Scam, the Adarsh Housing Scam and the Money Laundering Scam, the media went to town and put the Government on notice. The Government knowing it had a comfortable majority and a 3 year 6 months of its 5 year term left appeared smug . It stoutly defended all those accused and delayed investigation probes despite being repeatedly pulled up by the opposition and the Supreme Court .
That was when the activists jumped into the corruption war . They literally put the Government on the back foot. The war on corruption got a boost due to the credentials of Anna Hazare and mass support he got. Sensing a bigger movement on the streets , the Government quickly agreed to a joint committee of the Activists and Ministers to draft the Lokpal Anti Graft bill. However the moment two noted activist lawyers
were named in the committee all hell broke loose. The father and son duo of Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan were constitutional experts and battle hardened pros. Unlike social activists they could tighten the screws on Government negotiators.
Soon a forged CD was sent to the media to malign the activist lawyers,which independent forensic experts ripped apart. Thereafter a land allocation by a state Government to the lawyer was splashed in the media, though there was no proof of corrupt practices involved. The politicians and activists on Government panels
and the Government backed NAC Activists have overtly and covertly asked for the resignation of the Bhushan duo and are trying their best to derail the team of negotiators. With the deadline for the Lokpal bill set on 15th August by Anna Hazare, it will be interesting to see who blinks first.
The Turf war has begun. For 63 years since India's independence politicians ruled the roost in the world's largest democracy. Taking advantage of the very large population of illiterate and poor masses, they became a class accountable to none after once winning elections in every 5 years. Winning elections was logistically an expensive exercise. The electorate was spread out in remote towns and villages connected by a network of less than adequate roads and trains. The advertisement campaign to reach remote far flung locations cost a fortune, and any programme to connect with the spread out voters needed organisation and liquidity. Political parties that grew from humble roots during India's freedoms struggle had now become cash rich, monolithic and gigantic, bureueacratic and corrupt.
As India became prosperous during the last 10 years, the political class and the bureaucracy became deal makers with accounts in Swiss Banks siphoning of kickbacks worth billions of Dollars. The middle class Indian however also became increasingly rich, extremely aware and vocal working in the fast growing professionally managed Indian corporate sector and global corporations . Foreign and Indian NGOs working in the social sector gave rise to a new set of stake holders the "social and political activists" who often took up causes of the have not's and created a considerable stir in the media and following among the masses.
When the UPA Government headed by Manmohan Singh got embroiled in multiple scams from the Common Wealth Games, to the 2G Spectrum Scam, the Adarsh Housing Scam and the Money Laundering Scam, the media went to town and put the Government on notice. The Government knowing it had a comfortable majority and a 3 year 6 months of its 5 year term left appeared smug . It stoutly defended all those accused and delayed investigation probes despite being repeatedly pulled up by the opposition and the Supreme Court .
That was when the activists jumped into the corruption war . They literally put the Government on the back foot. The war on corruption got a boost due to the credentials of Anna Hazare and mass support he got. Sensing a bigger movement on the streets , the Government quickly agreed to a joint committee of the Activists and Ministers to draft the Lokpal Anti Graft bill. However the moment two noted activist lawyers
were named in the committee all hell broke loose. The father and son duo of Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan were constitutional experts and battle hardened pros. Unlike social activists they could tighten the screws on Government negotiators.
Soon a forged CD was sent to the media to malign the activist lawyers,which independent forensic experts ripped apart. Thereafter a land allocation by a state Government to the lawyer was splashed in the media, though there was no proof of corrupt practices involved. The politicians and activists on Government panels
and the Government backed NAC Activists have overtly and covertly asked for the resignation of the Bhushan duo and are trying their best to derail the team of negotiators. With the deadline for the Lokpal bill set on 15th August by Anna Hazare, it will be interesting to see who blinks first.
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