An Open Letter to All Politicians for the Formation of a New (Anti-Corruption) Party

Dear Corrupt and Non-corrupt Politicians of the Ruling, Opposition and Other Parties at the Center and the States of the Nation of India:

Thanks to the great and long-awaited awakening Shri. Anna Hazare has been able to evoke among the masses of our Nation, thanks to the mobilization of people’s power against the evil of corruption that he has been able to so passionately engender, fighting the pernicious and pervasive corruption that’s now stifling all walks of our lives now seems to have interestingly topped your agenda all of a sudden. How welcome would it have been if it really were at the top of your real agenda! But, unfortunately, nay, that’s not to be! Rooted deep in self-serving politics, the majority of our politicians are still playing the dirty game of hoodwinking the people who voted them to power, still playing the dirty game of disfiguring and debilitating real democracy to serve their vested interests. But it is now no more hard for the people to see how hollow their intentions are, how deceptive their efforts are, however hard they struggle to erect beautiful facades over it with their crooked schemes and well-trained lip servicing. The times are fast changing. The people are awakening. The death-knell of dirty politics is now being heard in the peripheries of an emerging new India. The day is not far when the people’s power shall have grown so much as to root out this dirty and demeaning politics from the very heart of our nation.

So, awaken, my dear politicians! Our Democracy is now in peril. The sword of Damocles now seems hanging over the heads of all our elected representatives. Know well, at least now, that the fate of all of you lies in the hands of the crores of common people of this country. All your ill-earned wealth will not be of any avail if the people resolve to throw you out of your seats once and for all. Know well that the people’s tolerance of corruption and maladministration is now nearing its melting point.  Look at what has been the ultimate fate of wicked and corrupt politicians, especially in the past few decades, in so many other countries round the globe. Be wise enough in time and you can save yourselves from falling prey to such unholy political obliterations. Don’t ever nurture the folly of construing non-violence as a weak force to reckon with. Please note that when history gets repeated, sometimes it repeats itself with unimaginable strength and in unprecedented proportions.  

I know that, irrespective of the parties you may belong to, there are so many among you who are really well-meaning, clean, highly efficient and for whom the welfare of their people and their nation means much above their personal interests. But the sad fact is that, as long as you stand with your corrupt colleagues and your crooked parties, the people cannot but count you too as part and parcel of some of those undesirable political packages.  So, my dear politicians, what’s the way out? Will it still be possible for the really good ones amongst you to keep yourselves untainted, win the respect of the now-awakening electorate, come to power and give yourselves to venerable service of the nation? The solutions are not far to seek. The options are many. But of all the options, I think, only one would be really worthy and highly effective, if daringly pursued. 

To try and cleanse your parties by throwing out those with unclean and dubious distinctions and thereby try to enhance your own and your parties profiles in the eyes of the public, though a lot difficult especially considering the reactions and repercussions it usually creates, seems a very viable and easier to pursue proposition, no doubt. But judging by the criteria of its efficacy, stability, credibility and long term beneficial impacts the proposition would certainly rank low in the order of options available. So, let’s now take a look at the one other very best albeit very difficult option available. With all the courage of conviction it rightly demands, give up your corrupt parties, come out in the open, reveal your real intentions, and, irrespective of the parties you come from, join hands amongst yourselves and form a New Political Party that our country is now so much in need of – yes, that’s it.

Although on the surface it seems a bit utopian, the formation of a new political party comprising of the best of politicians from almost all the existing parties of today, is very much the need of the times, and is very much feasible should a few highly respected and bold ones amongst you venture to take the initiative. Although not impossible, very difficult it sure is. Why? Particularly because, it demands a lot of sacrifice from each of you who takes initiative to build the platform. You will then need to considerably rein in your egos, forget your strained pasts, forgive your rivals, shed your parochial political ideologies, reaffirm your political will, reset your priorities and interests, redraft your political agenda and give yourselves selflessly to the new political formation. You will then need to deliberately eliminate all differences arising from divergent economic, political and social theories, and concentrate on giving the nation and its people, a corruption-reduced, efficient and people-friendly administration, a soundly working and highly tolerant democracy, welfare-oriented, pro-poor, socially-just programmes and measures, sustainability, stability and security. In the beginning, although you might experience some opposition and a sense of being forsaken, in course of time, I am sure, the whole nation will be behind you. This is the time for you to show how true and committed you are, and not only the India of today but posterity too will certainly be highly indebted to you. 

What I am giving here is just something for all of you to seriously contemplate on and hence neither am I going to elaborate any further nor wind up my proposal with a request. With sheer faith and hope, I just leave the rest to the wise ones, the clean ones, the well-intentioned ones amongst you.

With regards and best wishes,

Kannan G.

(An ordinary, humble citizen of India)

An Open Letter to All Anti-Corruption Crusaders (especially to Team Anna)

Dear Shri. Anna Hazare, Shri. Santosh Hegde, Shri. Aravind Kejriwal, Shri. Shanti Bhushan, Shri. Prashant Bhushan, Swami Agnivesh, Sri Sri Ravishankar, Dr. Kiran Bedi and other Anti-Corruption Crusaders:

I, a humble citizen of India and an admirer of ‘India Against Corruption’, write you this letter with hope you will give serious consideration to the humble views and suggestions I put forward herewith. 

Considering the pros and cons of the unfortunate situations prevailing in India now, I think, a Well-Organized, Comprehensive, Coordinated and Constructive Nationwide Movement to Combat Corruption is the need of the hour. And, I think, the existing India Against Corruption under the leadership of Anna Hazare and all of you can, if it shows the necessary will and wisdom, soon transform itself into the proposed highly powerful and organized Nationwide Movement. This Mega Movement, of the people, by the people and for the people, can serve as an Umbrella Organization for all NGOs and Individuals working on this field. Such a Combat Corruption and India Reconstruction Movement can, no doubt, ensure good governance at all levels of our private and public lives.

Considering the hard realities grappling our country today, genuine efforts to curb corruption, should no doubt take precedence to one and everything if we, as a nation, are to make any substantial progress and development. It is true that we have sufficient resources and manpower to make ours a developed country, but nothing would be of avail, unless we make earnest efforts to combat this cancerous corruption which has now unfortunately spread to almost all walks and spheres of our lives. Tackling the corruption that stifles the common man should ever be high on our agenda.

Anyone who wages a war against corruption and injustice is now more vulnerable to loss and defeat because of the tyranny, wickedness and unity amongst the forces of evil as against the scattered strength of the non-corrupt and the good-intentioned. So what we find now is that more and more people who are good-natured by themselves are tending to become silent and inactive and indifferent and tolerant to more and more acts of corruption, injustice and cruelty. This should change. The responses that ‘India Against Corruption’ could garner in its recent campaigns for the Jan Lokpal Bill, is evidence that the change is happening, that the country is now on the awakening. But it is only by raising their awareness levels, by encouraging and supporting them to stand up and fight , by equipping them with enough courage and strength, by organizing them for valiant action, by providing them the necessary background and backup that we can successfully combat this scourge of corruption. It is under these circumstances that a Well-Organized and Comprehensive Nationwide Movement to Combat Corruption becomes inevitable. A movement as proposed will be real empowerment of the people.

Such a Movement by its sheer assertion of strength and determination to combat corruption at all levels will prove deterrent to the corrupt, to a large extent. When the people are groomed to be vigilant and pro-active by such a programme, supported and strengthened from the top, there is bound to be a tremendous check on corruption right from the grassroots. Such a movement will ensure that all governmental and non-governmental activities (including that of corporate and other private bodies) will come under the scanner of one or the other branches of this Movement. Under the arms and eyes of such a nationwide coordinated Movement, measures such as necessary legal and fiscal reforms; clear cut legislations and enforcement of stringent laws for those found guilty of corruption; supportive justice delivery mechanisms; time bound unearthing of black money; strict monitoring and evaluation of all vital activities; generation of awareness and vigilance amongst the common citizens; creation of Combat Corruption Armies at all levels; reinforcement of existing crime detection, anti-corruption and vigilance agencies; engendering greater and constructive media participation; tapping on the advancements in science and technology to ensure corruption reduced and effective governance etc. will, no doubt, bring about the desired results. In due course, it would also be possible to evolve and implement a sort of ‘Five Year Plan to Combat Corruption’ with a multi–pronged strategy, by a joint body comprising representatives of the Government and of this Movement. 

The proposed Movement, I think, should have an Apex Council at the national level followed by a hierarchical structure of councils at the state, district and primary or grassroots level. The primary level could represent a village/municipality/corporation or a suitable combination of any of such adjacent units. Although the functioning of the Movement will be from bottom to top, the origin and structuring of the Movement will have to take place from the top. At the outset, the present anti-corruption crusaders at the national level need to call forth a national level preliminary meeting/meetings to discuss the possibilities and modalities of such an Organized Nation-wide Movement. Following this, once a national level council of the movement is formed and the organization is registered, state level preliminary meetings should be held. Subsequently, after formation of state level councils, the campaign should be intensified to encourage the formation of district level councils. Care should be taken to see that no politicians, however clean they be, are allowed to become members of these councils. Next comes the primary and the most important grassroots level. This level should be held open to clean politicians too (be they of whichever party). Membership at the grassroots level could be classified into three, as Working Members, Nominal Members and Advisory Members. Awareness campaigns should be intensified and efforts should be made to enroll, as many citizens as possible, as at least nominal members at the grassroots level. After the initial constitution of councils at various levels, a selection mechanism can be enforced to ensure time-bound ascension of willing and qualified members to higher levels.

Anybody found guilty of crime or corruption should strictly be prohibited from enjoying membership of this Movement at any level. Stringent rules and regulations need to be made for the conduct of this Movement at all levels. A code of conduct needs to be framed and implemented for the members. Highly transparent, honest and effective accounting practices should be maintained with respect to fund raising, allocation of funds, expenditure, etc. In due course, a student’s wing of the Movement can also be launched for inculcating principles of honesty and fair governance amongst the youngsters. No doubt, if conducted well, this Movement will, in course of time, serve as a school for better citizenship and sound leadership. Up the way, members groomed up by this Movement will find their rightful places in our parliament and state legislatures. Politics will by then become a lot cleaner and our country will be on a real developmental track. 

Reforms engendered with wisdom and foresight is required in almost all spheres of our social and political life. Consciously implemented slow and steady reforms aimed at a total revamp are always preferable, for any country, to a naturally and inevitably occurring total revolution, which will bring in a lot of destruction and deceleration. In order that things move in a very orderly, non-violent and democratic manner (without creating an unhealthy civil unrest and without jeopardizing the stability of our country) and in order that we achieve the desired ends before situations worsen, I think, no short-cuts would be of avail, only the hard but effective means need to be pursued – and those means rightly point towards nothing short of a Well-Organized, Comprehensive, Coordinated and Constructive Nationwide Movement to Combat Corruption. Hope, all great personalities and organizations of our nation engaged fearlessly in efforts to safeguard honesty, transparency, righteousness and justice, will give serious thought to this line of thinking and at level one come forward to become the torch bearers of this great Movement to Combat Corruption, of this great Mission to Reconstruct India, of this Glorious Revolution.

What I give here is just food for thought. Kindly put in your hearts and brains, and come up with the right solutions. 

With thanks and best wishes,

Kannan G.