Today's newspapers have reported that the Government of India agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation have taken up the task of investigating the source of funding of four Non Governmental Organizations that were involved in staging demonstrations against the proposed nuclear power plants at Kudankulam (I hope I have the spelling right, if it is wrong my apologies for bad spelling). One newspaper has even connected the exercise to a speech that the Prime Minister of the country made a few days ago saying that funding for NGOs that was meant for a certain purpose was being diverted towards organizing protests against the building of nuclear reactors. Anybody who has been reading my blog knows that while I stand for democracy and for people using their free speech to be heard, they will also know that I do not believe that democratic protest can become obstructive. In India, in the name of democratic protest, obstructing the functioning of the government, government functionaries and institutions has become a norm.
I have been saying that the culture of bandhs and protests where common people are put to great suffering is uncalled for. I have also maintained that we should respect the constitution and act within the boundaries of free space that the constitution provides us with and also etiquette which reminds us of our responsibilities to fellow citizens. I have been a critic of Babu Rao Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal for precisely these reasons. But what is a little difficult to digest is the fact that the Government takes recourse to strong arm tactics in order to intimidate and quell any public opinion which is central to any self-respecting democracy.
We know that corruption is rampant in this country; even among anti-corruption activists. Kiran Bedi's falsified accounts (she says it was for a good cause, but I believe that ends do not justify means) and Arvind Kejriwal's outstanding dues to the government (public money) are striking examples of this. Now what miffs me is that the government will wait for someone to say something against them before launching into the past of these people and organizations. That can definitely be called a witch hunt. If people protest and if while protesting they have broken a law, then they should be suitably punished. But this idea of digging into people's lives and intimidating citizens is definitely a disturbing trend one that is indicative of a legitimation crisis that the Government of India is experiencing and by extension the Indian State as well. Fascist tendencies do not yield results. History has taught us enough lessons about that. The Government and the State have to overcome their legitimation deficit by winning over the confidence of the people and not by scaring them.
While one is on this subject, I shall turn my attention to the speech that the Prime Minister is supposed to have made about funding for agitations. While the State, Government and their agencies are persecuting non-political (not apolitical) citizens, why do they not extend the same privilege to their colleagues in politics? Why do they not investigate the source of wealth of a two bit politician who becomes one of the richest people in the country? There are so many shining examples of this. Why are they exempt from being investigated? Why does the State not investigate the source of funding for agitations sponsored by political parties? Large scale meetings, trucks for people to be transported, food for them, not to talk about booze, they all cost truck loads of money. Why does the Government not investigate these? I suppose that is because ultimately all politicians look out for each other and take car of each other. It is only the common man who thinks a democracy means expression of his position that gets intimidated, threatened and forced to retract. A bad omen, a dangerous portend to way things will be in democracies now. Be careful and pay heed to George Orwell. Big brother is watching you, and needless to say me too.
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