More talks with Ramadev on Friday: Chidambaram Why a situation like this arrives that the union government has to take urgent talks with the representatives of ordinary people on corruption? Governments everywhere, especially the central government, are full of corruption. Not only people inside the governments are corrupt; they also shield other corrupt people by their power and influence shamelessly. In 64 years of independence the country has lost more money in corruption that it earned possibly. The matter has become so serious that some likeminded social activists with the support of people have spearheaded the campaign against corruption in governments that created definite headache to the government.
First it was Anna Hazare went for indefinite fast in Jantar Mantar for the introduction of a no-nonsense Lokpal Bill, for which the government had to buckled down under the pressure of people and formed the Lokpal bill drafting committee with equal public participation. Now it is the yoga guru Baba Ramdev with millions of fan followers and also support of the general public has announced the same path as that of Anna Hazare to be commenced on 4th June at Ramlila maidan in the capital. This huge show down protest has been organized in a manner that the campaign would go on till the government accepts the demands laid down by Ramdev. The main point in the list of demands is bringing back huge black money stashed in the foreign banks estimated to be 400 lac crore, which could be even more.
Ramdev reached Delhi yesterday (1 June) and immediately the central government puts its force into action to convince him to cancel his indefinite fast. Senior ministers like Pranab Mukherjee, Pawan Bansal, Subodh Kant Sahay, and Kapil Sibal all met the guru at the airport soon after landing and presented the government’s intention in this respect but could not persuade him from going into fast. Indeed the biggest power is the people, but they are also the most helpless lots being suppressed often by the power. Without a charismatic leader, they are not able to vent their ire on the wrong doings for want of getting united. They have now found leaders like Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev through the anti corruption campaign is taking shape.
It is a simple fact that for the sake of continuing in power at the centre, the leader of the coalition UPA, the Congress Party, allowed some ministers to loot the government with full immunity. The central government headed by the Prime Minister should be made responsible for the tacit permission given to some ministers of other coalition partners for their support in the government. How long it would take to cleanse the corruption from the government is a different question; but the process must start without further delay, and the government is vehemently trying to subvert it. Yesterday it failed to convince Ramdev, and today further discussion with the guru would be held for the same purpose, according to the Home Minister P Chidambaram. This is simple trick of the government to restrain people from going into agitation by saying all all good things and later dishonoring the same. We hope Ramdev would be able to convince the government to accept his legitimate demands and refrain from going into the indefinite fast; but that is a day dream for us.
Corruption should be considered as one of few biggest crimes and punishment too should be in line with heinous crimes. Government servants neither take their work seriously, nor are they loyal to the country. Hence, the provocative stands taken by Hazare and Ramdev are the right way to make the government aware of their wrong doings.