Swami Vivekananda,Raja Rammohan Roy,Gandhiji - Anarchists?

Presently, we are a democratic society and can bring changes through parliamentary process. We cannot compare the anna team to raja Ram Mohan Roy or Gandhiji. Raja ram Mohan Roy wished to abolish Sati sytem and he did this successfully by effective liaisonong with then rulers. He never created anarchic conditions. Mahatama gandhi had clear object for freedom and agitated for this.

The slogans raised by anna team are devoid of any meaning. Bharat mata Ki Jai, Inquilab Zindabad, I am Anna- etc are just meaninless. His immediate object is just Lok Pal. Neeedless to say this can be passed only by parliament. If you or anybody feels that the present government is not working properly, there is remedy to replace the government by democratic means as Mamata banerjee did in West Bengal or Nitish Kumar did in Bihar.

The anna team will not enter politics but dictate from outside that their version of so called Jana Lok Pal be passed by parliament as dictated without any modification even about comma or full stop. You may remove a government but cannot force anyone to do what he does not seem right. Hence UPA government cannot be forced by any one including anna team to act as dictated. If you do not agree in full or agree even 99% with anna team, they will create chaos and fool all with empty slogans.

It cannot be said that presently there is no remedy about corruption. Even now grieveances can be placed before CVC. Presently, CBI is supervised by CVC. CBI may be placed under LOk Pal as demanded by team anna. But any authority- Lok pal or any one else has to be either under parliament or executive. But team anna wishes that porposed lok pal should be neither under cabinet nor under parliament and be above all. This ids anarchy. Government has to act according to constitution and not as dicated by anna team on strength of their blackmailing tactics, creating hooliganism and disorder. Even Lok pal has to be under some constitutional authority and there has to be a procedure for his removal also. It is fallacious to say that Lok pal will remove all corruption and bring Ram Rajya. The LOk Pal team may only replace CVC with some changes. Team anna does not intend to bring any other positive change. They are not bothered about corruption of parivate sector and foreign aided organizations including those of team anna members.

What a linear and facile interpretation of history! Raja Rammohan Roy did it by liaising with rulers- overlooking the threats of mass protests and even bodily harm of the elements of orthodox society which is well documented in Bengali literature. Even Swami Vivekananda faced trmendous odds and he later years of his short life felt frustrated!

Now coming to the beauty of the parlimentary process which has left some so capitavted that has almost led to development of a tunnel vision!Those who are left admiring the architectural beauty of the Parliament House and I don't want to disturb them but what has been the form of our democracy. I didn't get any convincing why this country with all its glorious democracy has not passed this Lok Pal in the course of the last six decades. What is the conviction of rate of cases handled by CBI and how many politicians have been found guilty. Even Sukh Ram whose case ran for so many decades that he was allowed to grow old and then walked free because of his age! Whereas there are inmates in Indian jails who are above eighty. It's not the question of bringing Ram Rajjya with a single piece of legislation rather the mindset to put an end to Ravan Rajjya!!

We cannot compare anna team to any greatmen like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Mahatama Gandhi. Raja Ram Mohan Roy abolished atei syatem by cooperation with British. No doubt he would have faced opposition by orthodox but this is not anarchism. Swami Vivekanand simply preached and did not blackmail anyone. Mahatama Gandhi fougth for independence and was ready to take over from British.

Team anna is very unique. They will not like to come to power but accept the government of the day to do exactly what they want without any change in their draft- even comma, full stop. They will not even accept to contest elections and join government and do what they want. In a democracy, no body can expect that whatever he wants must be accepted without modification. If you do not agree with them even on one percent, they will start coercive protest and blackmail. The freedom fighters or revolutionaries always get ready to take over. But team anna does not even wish to come to power. They will neither do anything nor let others do anything. In a democracy, nobody can expect that what he says must be accepted 100%. If some one does so and begins creating chaos if not accepted, he is nothing but anarchic. In thsi context, any reference to French and Russian revolution or Gandhian striggle are irrelevant. Even Maoist are not anarchic as they intend to form their own giovernment. We do not agree with maoists and Naxalites but even they are not anarchists like teamm anna. Non violence does not mean anna team any less anarchic and irresponsible.

@Gulshanji

You have ignored completely the historical accounts of struggles and sacrifices of these greatmen which I once again repeat and refer to large body of Bengal literature. Swami Vivekanda never needed to balckmail but he faced even social ostracization and there were criticism on similar lines you have advocated and advocating. If you don't find anyi logicality in my reference made in some other post to French and Russian revolutions, I find yout calling it irrelevant to be equally irrelevant as pointed out in the said post.Because you have not examined the historical contexts.

Be it a movement of Swamiji,Ramamohan Roy or Gandhiji.Be it French or Russian revolution -all they or these represented rich ideas which moved masses and consequent upheavals which brought radical changes.But critics were always frightened and incapable of comprehending their depth and soon fell by wayside. Any fallacious argument that some were against Monarchies or some other is incomprehensible. We all know the fates of critics of Vivekanda,Gandhiji and others.Whether Anna belongs to that category of these historical figures is beside the point as minimum historical distance is called for to judge a person,the point he is advocating is some thing very unique and a significant section of our society is attracted to it- even praise has come from Dr. Manamohan Singh and others.

I would have welcomed your views on my central question:Why Lokpal Bill was not enacted in the last sixty odd years! And now would add one more who has brought the Lokpal issue to the centrestage!

Ana's initiative in bringing the issue of Lok pal is definitely a matter of praise. But the parliament is to be given a breathin space and the process allowed to be completed. There is no point in threatening fast unto death at every stage- report by standing committee, consideration of report by cabinet, presentation to parliament and passing there. Then Lok pal bill is to be passed in parloament and not jantar mantar. The fact that Anna justly brought the issue to centrestage does not entitle them to dictate that the bill must be passed vebatim as dictated. Good or bad, only M.P.s can enact law amd we have to bear this. Lok Pal has to be under P.M. or parliament. Lok Pal must be under some one- P.M. or parliament. It is not possible to wish away these considerations under any pretext. What ana team is doing is definitely gross irrresponsibility and anarchy and nothing else. Under party system, which is essential feature of parliamentary democracy, it is definitely anarchy to terrorise MPs who do not accept ana team directions and instead go by party line.
If anna team is so confident of popularity, it is better they test this by contesting elections. there are definitely more people who peacefully and silently oppose the anarchy of team anna. The crowds gathering in anna team just concentrate at certain places and are active but they definitely do not form majority of Indian people.

Lot of material has been already placed in the site and it nnecessary to add more.

Thank you,Gulshanji! I once again repeat that a solution to this logjam has to be found within the parliamentary democratic framework of the country. Our men may be at fault but not the system! Thank you once again for your comments!