Our MPs outraged
28/03/2012 08:50:14  Dr Mrs Hilda Raja

Members of Parliament were outraged at Anna team specifically at Arvind Kerjiwal’s ‘derogatory’ remarks. It is quite understandable the righteous anger of the MPs! But they who seem so offended and hurt have lost the sensitivity to feel the pulse of the common people. Nobody is thrilled with our MPs.If an opinion poll is taken the MPs will hardly score 5 out of 100.Why this disdain and disrespect for our MPs? Has anyone of the MPs been true to his/her oath. Again this statement may be an exaggeration but when one wants to make one’s point there is bound to be some exaggeration to hit the nail on the head. Just last evening a friend of mine reported that ‘all the children at the society’s park are fighting. I was perplexed and wanted to see this ‘fight’.When I went there to witness the ‘fight’ of all the children I found just three children having a small tiff among themselves while the 7 others were playing. So what did the ‘all the children’ mean?

It is a way of emphasis. Arvind Kerjiwal should have specified that 165 MPs including the 14 Union ministers have alleged charges of corruption,murder,rape exortion etc.But this will take off the sting when thus stated from a public plafform.This is exactly why the Coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal meant when he said that many departments suck blood like mosquitoes-but later clarified that he did not mean the Finance department. There is a way of talking to be more emphatic. What makes one horrified at the horrified hurt, and the tone and tenor that Arvind Kerjiwal’s remark triggered among the MPs? They closed ranks and all condemned him. It looks that they were waiting for some opportunity to close ranks! Lets coolly look at the whole picture which made Arvind Kerjiwal make such a comment-calling the MPs names as thieves, rapists, murderers.

Arvind Kejiwal communicated his agony and hurt that the representatives of the people sitting in our august Parliament had 165MPs who called for probing their alleged involvement in crime and criminality. Had it been even 5 this is outrageous as far as the common people are concerned. Were the horrified and hurt MPs like Sushma Swaraj,Sharad Yadav of the JDU and of course the Congress MPs not been  pained at having to  sit along with them in the august forum of the Parliament? Did they not think it necessary to rack up this issue? Did they not feel it below their dignity to be their companions? Did they not think that the sanctity of Parliament was tarnished and dragged down?

 What is worse is that Sushma Swaraj stated that AK wants them to give him the Lok Pal but defames them.It seems that these MPs think that LokPal is something which team Anna wants as its private property. And it seems that team Anna has to be careful and use ‘civil’ language if they want the MPs to give it the Lok Pal.Does it not show that the MPs are not serious in fighting corruption. Is it not ridiculous to have such a slant of thinking? The Lok Pal is for the people-it is meant to arrest to a great extent corruption and graft .It is what the people need. Team Anna is just spearheading this need based movement. So to tell them ‘better mind your language if you want us to give you something you are asking for’ is not only childish but also wrong. It shows the mindset of the MPs. It reveals that they are not honest in wanting the Lok Pal.

Arvind Kerjiwal is right when he says how can corrupt persons  want a Lok Pal.It means fighting themselves. To be frank let us take a head count and see how many of the MPs really want the Lok Pal. It is true what Sharad Yadav said that ‘this Parliament has been fighting corruption the most’. This is not because the MPs were so concerned about corruption but because scams were raining all the sides and what other business could they engage in other than fight corruption in Parliament. There was no governance by the GOI-there was no sensible debate and no areas of reform for the MPs to debate and set the highlights for legislation. True it is their business to legislate but it is the business of the people to force them to do so-or at least to see that the MPs reflect the aspirations of the people in their words and actions.

Look at the Adarsh scam –only now a few arrests have been made. This will go on dragging till the people forget the case and other fresh scams will break out.The Coal scam is one such. The reference point to the quantum of money loss to the exchequer is always the 2G scam. Is it more than that or less than that? That there is a loss to the exchequer is today no more valid-one needs to quantify and then starts the squabbles over the amount. Like in Spectrum 2G according to Kapil Sibal there was zero loss. Then he squirmed in his seat when he had to eat his words-this from an MP who is a Union Cabinet Minister. Why do they shoot their mouths off? It looks that the Cabinet Ministers are least bothered if there is a loss to the exchequer. One wishes this to be linked to the perks, salary and other fringe benefits they enjoy. No wonder they are magnanimous when it comes to give away the national assets-to cut down at the flow to the exchequer. What reason would one otherwise give for Kapil Sibal to reduce a fine of 650 crores imposed on the Reliance to a mere 5 crores? It is people’s money what if it was Kapil Sibal’s private organization? Would he be so magnanimous? It simply goes to show how callous and  indifferent the government has been when it comes to loss to the public exchequer. When it comes to auctioning or not auctioning-when it comes to first come first served basis etc. they do not put the country first and then discharge their duties. This is exactly why often I say and so do others that almost all the MPs-including the PM and the cabinet ministers have betrayed the nation and the people’s trust because they have not been loyal and faithful to the oaths they had so solemnly taken. Why then cry for the head of Arvind Kerjiwal. Are the MPs now wary of the Anna team? If they are honest they should get going with the task of unraveling the black money issue which figured in the manifesto of the BJP-the Congress should worry about the tainted ministers and the scams during its period- The NDA and the UPA has much to answer to the people. Do not waste time to going after team Anna and in bringing Privilege Motions .It will boomerang. The people must bring in Privilege Motion against those tainted but sitting cozily in Parliament at the cost of the people and calling it the august body-the sovereign body of the people. Can there be a greater insult to democracy? Do not bother what is civil and uncivil in the Civil society –the people are bothered with much larger issues and hopes that you as the MPs will also rise up to that task rather than be engaged scoring petty brownie points.