As if we were short of enough reasons on why we desperately need honest, credible and 'good' people entering politics, March 8th, 2010 provided yet another exhibit to only make the case stronger.
Having said so, I must confess first-up that despite whatever reasons/majbooris from my side (naming which is as unimportant as it is irrelevant and still not justifiable), I have myself not yet entered politics and do not look likely to, atleast in the near future. So although I will be doing something to walk my talk in future, I have not done anything just yet except airing and sharing my ideas/concerns with friends and netizens in discussions and platforms such as blogs - so as I talk and share my ideas, concerns and thoughts, I'll actually be happy and satisfied only after I would be able to someday really walk my talk.
It's simple - if we are genuinely concerned about cleaning the mess, we have to get into the thick of things and not just talk about the consequences of the mess which are only too apparent to one and all. The point is, exactly what are we doing to solve the problem, instead of just lamenting and cursing?
So before I talk about the state-of-affairs in our country, I would like to state that I myself wish to, and will work actively towards actually doing something and not just writing/bemoaning about arey-ye-bekaar hai, wo bekaar hai. So I do plan to DO something like getting into the rot atleast sometime, some way, to clean it but surely, writing about my thoughts and sharing them as of now isn't a bad idea either.
I guess writing helps me vent my anger/frustration of the moment in a channelised way, and as I write, it also makes me more clear, objective, dispassionate and more organized about exactly how and where things stand, how strong my conviction is, and how I can plan and see any solutions ahead.
Ok, coming back to the reason for this post...the Women's Bill:
The 8th day of March every year is celebrated as International Women's Day.
The Congress - the dominant party in the government of the day, chose to mark this day as the day when it would make the women of the country empowered with 33% reservation in the country's legislatures. Why it chose to wait till only the Women's Day for the tokenism, when it could have also been done much earlier is confounding, but as they say, better late than never. Also, to give credit where it's due - atleast they did, unlike every other government of the past.
And in a rare show of solidarity, the BJP and the Left also stood on the same side of the argument, as that of the Congress. In most cases, such unanimity among these 3 main parties should be enough to quell any opposition to any legislation. However, the petty interests of our regional parties put paid to any plans of a swift acceptance for the Women's Bill.
Yes, the government could still wriggle its way out in this episode and somehow generate consensus - either coercively by stonewalling any voices of dissent or persuasively through behind-the-door discussions with those who are opposing for their own ulterior motives.
So even if we might finally get to see the bill being passed somehow sometime, the moot question is why should it come to such a state at all, in the first place?
Why should we have to endure sorry sights of MPs behaving like goons?
Why should it seem as if expecting to watch the nation's Parliament functioning professionally, gracefully and debating rationally is as easy and as likely as teaching goons to sing soulfully, melodiously and in chorus in a choir?
WHY?
The way the MPs conducted themselves has brought about another round of humiliation, shame and despondency for our democracy as it should also be, for the electorate who vote them in - though I wonder if we have any better alternatives available to choose from in the first place - which again brings us to the point that the only solution is to have good, honest, credible people taking up politics.
Politics in itself has become a synonym for everything bad, corrupt, sinister and apathetic towards the nation. Actually, it is because of the leaders we have had, the leaders we have chosen and made for ourselves and our nation. Politics is bad if we see it as a verb, and not a noun!
It is perhaps this quagmire of politics (v.) behind people, parties, and various policy decisions/indecisions that puts off most good people from entering mainstream politics.
After all, if we look at it, politics (n.) is the only way and means of how one can actively debate, influence and take decisions for the country - by being part of the legislature.
I personally think we should spell the Women's Bill the way it is called - We-Men's Bill. Because this is exactly how we, the men, have treated our women and this bill too. Seriously, this bill is so like our women - never been allowed to flower, blossom, treated as only a subject, opportunity, as only a behind-the-scenes supporting cast but not and never the protagonist, the leader, the torchbearer - and this is why and where the 'good' people need to come into politics.
For, it is atleast they, who should be able to see the reason and the merit in issues like these, whilst putting aside their egos, petty politicking, personal/party/constituency-wise interests - in that order. Yes, we can debate in the House but debate sensibly and rationally.
Debate on something like the fact that instead of blindly earmarking/reserving a fixed quota of legislative seats for women, whether we'd better off ensuring that all parties are directed to allocate atleast a certain number of election tickets for women to contest, whereby the seats would be filled through people who come by virtue of being elected through competition and merit instead of just the plain, 'reserved' category reps.
But we do not debate on such lines. Infact, we do not debate at all. And as far as lines are concerned, the lines and words that some of our esteemed MPs use, is the reason why we have a word such as 'unparliamentary language' in our lexicon.
We just know how to snatch papers, abuse each other, storm the well of the house, make the people of the country see their taxed money (most of which is used in activities such as running the Parliament) go waste, as session after session gets adjourned due to unruly behavior. All this for what fault of the common man? Is this why we pay our taxes? Is this what we deserve for being the world's largest democracy? Largest democracy shouldn't mean loudest noise and chaos.
All this drama, gross indiscipline, intolerance, and facade, just because of the insecurities and the selfish aims of a few parties and individuals who undo all the hard work, tenacity and efforts of a few good men. And yes, the good men are truly, very few - as said, that's why we need lots more good men to be around, to see India do better, in every walk of life - economically, politically, and socially.
