It was a good resounding slap, whose resonance is still being heard and felt across the nation. Yes, we are talking of the slap on Sharad Pawar this week that is being televized ad nauseum across various TV channels. While I am not condoning the action of the (apparently misguided) guy who put his palms firmly on Pawar's cheek, I cannot but somehow agree exactly with Anna Hazare's statement (the first one, actually) when he asked the reporter 'sirf ek hi jhapad mara'. Our so 'holier than thou' politicians who are up in arms and in brotherly solidarity with Pawar are crying this is anti-Gandhism. My question: in today's scenario when corruption is eating away every nerve of the Indian polity (and mostly thanks to the politicians) it would be laissez faire not to harp on Gandhivaad. And surely we should not be told or taught these lessons by the politicians.
I agree that we should ideally condemn such actions as it indicates a growing trend towards anarchy. But what can be done if the curse of corruption is gradually choking away and suffocating the lives out of our national collective conscience. And especially when there is a widespread impression that this man Pawar is one of the prime examples of that corruption. Here is a Union Food and Agriculture Minister who has not just been unable to curb the growing food inflation, but has shown a brazen 'I don't care' attitude. Rather he seems more interested in all sorts of backroom machinations in the cricketing world, another area where corruption seems to be rife in recent times. Even if we give him the benefit of doubt, there is bound to be growing public discontent against him and which often finds such violent outbursts.
Channel partners too are victims of corruption in their daily business aspects. In various forms ranging from cost undercutting, lack of services as promised, underhand dealings, wholescale frauds to massive embezzlements. And the perpetrators range from principals to distis to sub-distis and even the smallest resellers. Perhaps here too resentment is growing and there is a high probability that similar outbursts could soon take place. However, there is and should be no place for such physical violence in a civilized society; instead of going back to barbarian attitudes, partners should resort to actions which produce the same impact, but avoid the physical part of it. These could include strict legal actions, raising issues in all appropriate forums or fully exposing the misdemeanors committed. Often our partners, in the final count, instead of going for the tough hard action, go for underhand understanding. They should remember even if it solves their particular issue temporarily, it will impact others and one day will come back again to haunt him. What is needed is a good solid slap (figuratively only) and they are bound to hear its resonance for a very long time.
And sirf ek thappad hi mat marna!
(rajneeshd@cybermedia.co.in)
