Right To Reject: One Historic For Voters, One Shocker From Rahul!

The Supreme Court of India gave a historic judgment today. The public litigation petition demanding the Right to Reject for voters had been pending for last nine years and Anna Hazare during his Movement against Corruption in 2011-12 made a lot of hue and cry for this too. Today the Supreme Court put its seal of approval on this. Now voters can reject all the candidates in his constituency if s/he thinks all of them are crooks and useless.  There will be a new option in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), ‘None Of The Above’, so that all candidates of all parties could thereby be rejected by the voter. Exactly when the EVMs are going to be adjusted or the date of effect to this decision is a matter of pure speculation at the moment.

This is basically a negative vote, but the apathetic voters now need not sit at home and abstain from their constitutional duty. They can go to the polling booths and exercise their Right to Reject by voting for the new option. Maybe Voters’ Apathy could finally be tackled effectively. This landmark judgment has huge dimensions in terms of its possible repercussions, cascading impact and the final result. Politicians of all parties have been very guarded in their reactions and justifiably so. Already haunted by the words like ‘split votes’ or ‘hung houses’ they are scared indeed at the core of their hearts as to what this may finally lead them and the country to. The Supreme Court verdicts must be respected and followed at all costs. The consternation is more due to the Assembly Elections lined up for December, 2013 and then the real humdinger of a General Election in April-May, 2014. The Supreme Court very clearly points out that voting is a constitutional right while the right to reject is always a fundamental right. For all lesser mortals it is indeed a cause for great celebration.

Although not corroborated by facts the Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi seemed to have been so very much inspired by this ‘right to reject’ that it immediately guided him making a brief appearance at an explosive press conference and rejecting the Ordinance on convicted politicians promulgated by his own government. At the Press Club in Delhi along with Congress General Secretary Ajay Maken Rahul said that the Ordinance was complete nonsense and that ‘it must be torn up and thrown in the dustbin’. He elaborated that all political parties made such compromises to suit their ends and his own party made a mistake in this same way. Just before making a dramatic exit Rahul was quick to add that this was his ‘personal opinion’. In the process he managed to shock literally everyone of all hues and colors—his own UPA government, all opposition parties, all varieties of the media and all citizens at large. Ajay Maken, continuing the press conference, supported Rahul by saying that his word is Congress policy. Several other Congress ministers followed with their support to their future poll prospect. That it has caused one more profound embarrassment for the distressed UPA government and finally the  Prime Minister who is presently in the USA is anybody’s safe guess. Some News channels have already started raging debates if the Prime Minister should really resign now. The opposition political parties including BJP especially seem to be fighting to come out of daze to properly react.

The Union Cabinet on 24^th September had cleared the Ordinance to negate another landmark judgment of the Supreme Court that struck down a provision in the electoral law which allowed a convicted MP and MLA to continue in their post if they make an appeal to a higher court within three months and ruled that if convicted for a crime with a punishment of more than two years the concerned elected members must be disqualified instantly. This verdict was hailed in all sensible quarters in the country as an effective step to counter politicians with criminal backgrounds. The Government claimed that an all-party consensus had been reached on August 13 on this issue of negating the SC verdict and the BJP was very strongly in favor of legislation. Since the bill could not be passed in Parliament the Government took the Ordinance route. In this crazy political times the BJP vociferously opposed the Ordinance and yesterday represented with the President Pranab Mukherjee to send it back. This BJP move had tremendously angered the Government who termed it as the party’s consistent ‘double standards’. Now, with Rahul Gandhi coming out in opposition it is to be seen what the Congress led UPA government finally tells the President to do. In all, both these momentous events augur well for the lesser mortals of the country like us.

Meanwhile, the eloquent Information and Broadcasting Minister, Manish Tewary, seemed to in his elements at another press conference in the capital today just preceding the Rahul one. When asked by journalists to comment on the recent statement of Narendra Modi that ‘CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) is going to fight the coming general elections, not the Congress party’, the minister said, “At times the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi ends up speaking the truth only. Indeed, the CBI is going to fight the elections. The ‘Communal Bureau of Instigation’ is getting ready on his behalf for this’. And then he smiled, of course.

India Vs Pakistan: PMs To Talk, Terrorists Strike Double Blow!

As the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was en route to the USA to participate in the United Nations General Session scheduled to hold talks with the Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines, terrorists belonging to Pakistan groups struck twice in the morning hours today. Three terrorists in Pakistan Army uniform entered Indian territory and first attacked a police station at Kathua in the Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir and then an Indian Army camp. Ten people including an Indian Army Lt. Col and four policemen were martyred. Gun battle raged on for most part of the day in the jungles and the Indian Army issued a release announcing the end of the operation and confirming that all three terrorists had been killed.

The Indian Prime Minister condemned the attack saying that such dastardly attacks were aimed sabotaging the peace process. He, however, maintained his determination to push forward the dialogue by meeting Nawaz Sharif on Sunday. The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister also said that the terror attack was launched to derail the Indo-Pak dialogue. Meanwhile, it has been all slam and bang all over India with the opposition parties, mainly the BJP, slamming the Government for its weak kneed response to terror and for going ahead with PM level talks. Jingoistic voices have also been heard across the country including media newscasts and discussions.

Questions are many. While it can be argued that it is very necessary to carry on with the dialogue on a bilateral level for a lasting peace between the two neighbors the question remains as to peace at what cost. And, peace talks with which Pakistan—the Pakistan held hostage by the anti-Indian forces or the Pakistan with the normal people who want peach like the normal Indians? The Government of Pakistan represents which one? As per all facts and figures available always at India’s cost the terrorists and the Taliban dictate the government there to tread continually on the anti-India route. When would the democratic Pakistan show courage enough to get bold and take on the terror? When would the Pakistan Army get itself disengaged from the militants? When would the Pak process of eternal denial end ushering in peace rationalism? When would Pakistan break out of the stigma of a rogue nation? For India now—how to achieve peace with Pakistan and at what cost? At the moment it seems futile to chase a mirage called peace.

Humor In Corruption: The Grateful Bribe Taker!

The corrupt are the most despicable creatures infesting our Mother Earth in large numbers, particularly India. This is just not right not to be seriously critical about it. However some amount of humor in corrupt practices is always there to tickle you in the abyss of absolute darkness. And, if you are corrupt you can still laugh in a guilt-ridden introspection and maybe you give it up in the effort to enjoy. If you are honest you can laugh all the clearer and louder. Since in the present constipated situation in India you need to laugh out a lot we have decided to start a new Series ‘Humor In Corruption’ on September 8, 2013 and today this is the second installment. If you have your experience on this please leave your plot or write out the full story as a ‘comment’ below. We will publish it in your name.

Once upon a time somewhere in India I was having my warm cup of tea wrapped up cozily in woolens with the newspapers for extra company that wintry morning. I was on a family visit to one of my relatives in a lonely little town. My relative was an officer of the civil service posted there. I was to take the afternoon bus back home that day.

There was a knock on the door, and immediately the man servant came up to open it. As the door opened I could get a glimpse of two men in not so presentable attire fighting against the cold and with rather haggard looks. The servant asked them to wait and ran inside. I directed my attention back to my newspaper assuming that, as usual, they were the locals with those land related problems or issues.

My relative entered with a bovine smile as if he was expecting them, and waved them inside. Only then I noticed the loads they carried. One entered with two real big river fishes and laid them on the floor. The other entered with a maund of rice (maybe around 25 kilos), opened it a little and showed the variety. I immediately recognized it as the finest quality of rice with a sweet fragrance. The men stood aside bowing respectfully.

Aware of my quizzical looks my relative assured me, “Grateful folks, you know! How I helped them to clear their land settlement issues! No…it is not what you people want to think. They are just expressing their gratitude. This rice they have just harvested from the land they own now. And the fish…seem almost alive…no? Caught live and fresh from their ponds in their courtyards, you see!” The men remained expressionless all the while not even with faintest hint of a smile or grin.

I muttered to myself, oh really! They hardly sow and harvest this kind of export quality rice these areas. …And the fish seemed too big for their ponds. They must have spent a lot of money to be ‘grateful’. I kept on staring at the ‘gifts’ and back to the grinning officer.

Sensing my total unwillingness to believe him my relative came and sat by my side grinning ear to ear now. He called the servant who took away the loads to the kitchen. The men saluted and left. He leaned back on the sofa philosophically.

“You just cannot refuse such wonderfully simple and large hearted local folks, can you? That will break their hearts. It is only the love and joy they want to share with you. Anyway…I would suggest you stay back for the night. Have a feast! You’ll really relish the fish curry with that steaming and fragrant rice!”

I decided to take the 11 o’clock bus so that I did not have to stay even for lunch.  I refused to think about how heavenly the fish curry would taste.

“Grateful people!”

“(to myself) Grateful, huh? Try to fool me…you bloody fool!”