Good Governance is NOT Taking Sleeping People by Surprise

[P. Uday Shankar]

 

Anti-corruption movements have now caught the attention of people all over the world. People around the world are not tolerant anymore to lopsided accumulation of wealth by the few who have the opportunity to govern a country and the audacity and clout to stockpile money at home and abroad. During recent times we saw Anna Hazare coming out successful in convincing the Government to draft a bill. He also had to start the whole effort with a fast and had to pass lot of hurdles. Thank God it was all peaceful.

In sheer contrast we now have Baba Ramdev questioning the Government on black money stashed abroad. His approach may have been a bit uncouth for many to assimilate but then he also has an agenda and a good following. What irks me is why did not the government arrest him when he entered Delhi if they believed that he was a “thug” or a “crook”? Why did the Government grovel behind him and then pounce on him at midnight? The Government had taken a great risk by throwing a surprise on the crowd at midnight. Just like the participants from various religions who volunteered to sit with the Baba on the dais, we saw thousands pouring into the Ramlila Grounds. The secular crowd on the dais and the floor was evident of the long burnt hunger of the middle class in India against corruption. I have my own filthy moorings with the cursed middle class. Despite three generations we are yet to wriggle out of the proverbial middle class moorings.

It was indeed very sad to see an unarmed crowd of women, children, old persons, being taken into task at the stroke of midnight. Every learned Indian should condemn this act which is basically an infringement of Human Rights. The most seasoned and level headed response to this Emergency like act came from Mr Santosh Hegde.

Please use this URL to view the video on CNN-IBN:

 http://ibnlive.in.com//videos/156810/hegde-disappointed-calls-polic...

Similarly, many eminent persons have come out in the open to criticise the Government.

P.Uday Shankar.