In 1970's the US industry were controlled/led by 'the bean counters'- a deregatory term for Finance people, who lacked strategic vision, but evaluated each proposal purely on Financial terms, resulting in disastrous consequences. The companies lacked the vision and imagination to look beyond their noses and completely ignored viable, but risky ideas that would have taken US industry to a different level. This weakness was exploited ruthlessly by the Japanese, who went on to rule the world. They in turn had their blind spot - depending too much on Process Control people, which in the end produced the exact end result - yielding space to competition. Both US and Japanese industries are in doldrums. Companies have to be led by right brained visionaries, who possess entrepreneurial spirits, who are willing to take a risk and be ready to innovate. Any Company failing to appoint such a person, does it at its own peril.
I was reminded of this analogy watching the Central Government totally botch up the Anna Hazare issue. Instead of winning over Anna Hazare to its side by giving concessions on Lokpal Bill (even conceding most of his requests - pray tell me what will happen if PM was to be brought under the Bill's ambit? Precisely nothing. We already have a Chief Vigilance Commissioner, Chief Election Commissioner and many Lok Ayukthas. How many politicians have been indicted or punished so far by any one of these. I include CEC because many of our current MPs and MLAs have won their seats through blatant election malpractice, including our current Home Minister P Chidambaram. How he overcame a deficit of 5000 votes in the last round of counting is an open secret to all but the CEC and the Courts. And we have a PM, who has given a bogus address in Assam, and is representing Assam, which I dont think he has even visited. Also, we have the classic case of Sonia Gandhi deliberately giving false information about her educational qualifications to the EC, and she is roaming free. The less said about CVC and Lok Aukthas, the better. And the political class will find ways to 'manage' the Lokpal head similarly), the Government took Anna head on, little realizing that he was echoing only common people's sentiments. The ordinary man is fed up with malgovernace, inflation and corruption. They were waiting to be led. And in their eyes, Anna Hazare was doing a 'Nishkama Karma'.
The Anna Hazare movement had to be tackled politically. But it was tackled as a pure administrative matter. And there lies the failure of the Government. But what can you expect from a Bureaucrat Prime Minister and 2 Lawyer Ministers, the contemptuosly dismissive PC and the blatantly arrogant Kapil Sibal (apart from 2 lawyer motor mouths who brief the media - Manish Tiwari and Abhishek Singvi). The country is being run by the modern day 'bean counters' - lawyers, who like to think always that they are smart, and others dumb, and they can spin a story when one doesnt exist, just because they are trained to speak smartly. It is also why the Government will bite the dust in this fight. It just doesnt stand a ghost of a chance of taking on and winning the battle against Anna Hazare, because the fight against corruption is a fight between Dharmam and Adharmam. And Rajadharmam shall always back Dharmam to triumph in the long run.
I was asked by a friend of mine through E-mail as to what I think about the PM and whether Anna's current protest will result in a Revolution. The reply I wrote to him is reproduced below,
Revolution ?? No chance. Anna Hazare protest is more for the TVs and Delhi Centric. For a revolution to happen, someone has to take this message to the masses, who doesnt give a damn whether PM is in Lokpal bill or not. What they are interested is in the corruption happening in their village offices, RTO offices etc that affects them directly. As such they dont have much stake in this high level fight.
Anna Hazare' constituency is the TV watching Upper Middle Class, who are generally apathetic to Indias problems. And they have absolutely no morals. They dont mind paying bribe to get their thing done. And anyway they dont vote. Congress knows this well. It is why it has taken the police-jail route.
But PM and Congress made a big mistake. This has brought them so much negative publicity that it will be herculean for them to get out of this mess. It is amusing that while terrorists, separatists and maoists who kill people are allowed to road free and govt. enters into dialogue with them, they cannot do with a person who is holding a peaceful protest.
Regarding our PM, anyone who reads my blog knows what I feel about him. He doesnt deserve to be a Peon, leave alone the PM of India. That sums up everything.
The country is being run by a bunch of arrogant lawyers like Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Manish Tiwari and Abhishek Singh Manuvi. What else can you expect from them?
P.S: Do not be surprised if there is a twist in the tail as far as this Anna Saga is concerned. The Government perhaps has deliberately botched up the issue, and created a situation that is tailor made for Madam Saviour, who is in a hospital bed in US, to issue instructions to release Anna and score another brownie point, at the expense of her own government. Somehow, I have a gut feeling, that this is what is likely to happen
P.S: Do not be surprised if there is a twist in the tail as far as this Anna Saga is concerned. The Government perhaps has deliberately botched up the issue, and created a situation that is tailor made for Madam Saviour, who is in a hospital bed in US, to issue instructions to release Anna and score another brownie point, at the expense of her own government. Somehow, I have a gut feeling, that this is what is likely to happen
