Conversations!

The anti-corruption Jan Lokpal Bill was finally adopted and presented in the upper house of the Indian Parliament yesterday by the Standing Committee. It reportedly had agreement on 13 major issues and dissents on more than 20 other issues. The committee said that a few crucial issues have been left for debate in the Parliament and that these issues need to be debated over a long period of time. Nothing wrong in that because nobody can expect such a crucial Bill to be passed overnight and corruption eliminated next day!

Anna Hazare, as expected and in tremendous anticipation (knowingly?), is going ahead with his one-day strike in the Indian capital tomorrow. The opposition parties would again join gleefully to continue opposing the Government for an issue they only never allowed to be discussed and debated upon.

I am privileged to overhear a discussion between two commoners today at a public place. One of them middle-aged and the other in prime youth. First the elder one commented on Anna Hazare traveling in luxurious cars. He said,'Why at all? Why should he go for all the comforts while attacking others for corruption and opulence?' Then he made such an epic comparison that I was taken aback. That was so real and revealing! "You see, nowadays you should never ask for comforts. If I ask my wife or my younger brother to give me a glass of water she or he says, ' You get it yourself, man! You know it's there only!'"

Vigorously nodding agreement the young man commented on a related issue, 'That day have you heard Pranab Mukherjee's speech in Parliament? ...He talked so much sense and hard economics. But still the opposition parties kept on shouting. These opposition parties just go on opposing for the sake of opposing!'

Well, even Anna recently opposed the retail Foreign Direct Investment! How much of economics he understands is anybody's guess!

One this becomes clear from such conversations--the common man should not be taken for granted. Let it be Team Anna, the opposition political parties or the governments.

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