USAGE AND WASTAGE

Scene 1 : The party is over. Everybody has left. Staff of catering services has now to wash the plates and bowls. In most of the plates some leftover was there. Hardly any dish was empty in real term. They have no option but to throw the remains in the dishes to the  garbage bins.

Scene 2 : Sharma’s is a rich four member family. Residing in a six bedrooms’ posh bunglow. It is 10.00pm. Mr Sharma is busy in his office work in his study room. His son is doing something in his laptop in his bed-room. Her daughter is watching a movie on her personal LCD TV in her room. Mrs Sharma is watching her daily-soap on 72” LED TV in drawing room. The cook and other servants have finished the work. No one in kitchen or in dining room, but lights were on in kitchen and dining room. Tow lamps were shining the porch area. Three tube-lights were on in the garden area, though no one was there. Four lamps were on in the chandeliers fitted on two entrances. A lamp was on in the terrace also. Electricity bill was not an issue for millionaire Sharmas.

Scene 3 : Shah’s family is in a hotel for dinner. They were six persons including family members and guests. Every one has started placing order of one’s choice. The waiter served the food. Placing of further/repeating orders was continued till the dinner was over. When everybody finished, almost 30% of the food was remained unconsumed on the table. Mr Shah paid the bill with a credit card, even without looking at the amount in the bill. Left a heavy tip for the waiter. The cleaning boy of the hotel collected all the semi-filled dished and throw everything in the garbage bins.

Scene 4 : Mother asked Jonny to buy a bread from the corner shop. Jonny’s bike was taken by his friend. Jonny pulled out 1800cc car from the garage, draw down to less then half kilometer away glossary shop, buy a bread costing 15 rupees  and came back. Petrol consumed by the luxury car was not a problem for Jonny, because his industrialist father was giving him quite large amount as pocket money.

We are witnessing such scenes frequently. Sometimes, knowingly or unknowingly, we become a party to such scenes. In all above scenes, money was not a problem. They have enough money to pay for the wastage they have made. But here the question is about the resources, scarce resources, misused or wasted. The food wasted in the buffet or in hotel could have been saved and made available to the needy. The electricity or water we are wasting can be used for better productive purposes. Of course we are paying for the wastage. But by the power of extra money we have, we are depriving others of the scarce resources, only because they have not enough money to pay higher prices of the resources. And the prices of resources are increasing because of this wastage also.

There are people who are hand-to-mouth. They can hardly meet their minimum requirements. On the other hand there are people who are wasting basic resources like food, electricity, water, fuel etc. on the strength of the extra money they have. Everyone has right to live the best possible life one can afford. But it doesn’t mean that we should waste the resources. If we can afford, we have all the right to eat the best food, live in best house, use electricity/water/fuel etc. for our comfort. But it does not make any sense in just wasting all these stuff only because we have paid for it. Because of wastage done by the rich, the poor either do not get the required resources for living or forced to pay higher prices for the same.

Basically, we are very careless in using the resources. Only because we can pay, we are using the resources which can be saved and used for better purpose. We are wasting electricity like anything and then we have no enough power to run the factories or providing irrigation facilities to the farms producing food grains. And then we keep complaining for increasing cost of the products/produces. We just forget that we can print the currency, but the resources are not in our control. Mother Nature has decided the quota of each resource for us. We use it or waste it, it is our choice. If we waste it, someone will not get his/her quota. Which will ultimately result in social unrest. I am not supporting Naxalites  at all. But it is time to think about the proper distribution and even more proper use of the resources. ( Distribution of wealth is all together a different issue.) Definitely use what you really need and can afford. But ensure that it is really used and not misused or wasted.

Start from your home, today itself. It will be a great contribution to the society.

LOKPAL - CBI, CVC, EC AND ANNA HAZARE

Anna Hazare demanded for formation of a joint committee for appointment of Jan Lokpal (People Ombudsman). Government has agreed to the demand and made a notification forming a committee for deciding the Lokpal Bill. And people of this ‘unfortunate’ country have started celebration to the extent as if corruption is eradicated from the country. As if all dishonest politicians and bureaucrats are punished. Are we really so innocent or are we fools? People of this country have always, from ancient times, waited for some superman to come and remove all the evils. (Our ancient epics like Ramayan and Mahabharat have also same stories where the “ bechhari-janata(poor people)” was saved from all the evils by some “heros” like Ram and Krushn). Perhaps they have seen their ‘suparman’ in Anna.  Poor folk.

The history of independent India has witnessed that such independent entities have not performed well. CBI, EC(election commission) and VC (vigilance commission) are examples of such authorities. These institutions are given immense powers and independence (at least on paper) to perform without any fear or interference of governments. But the track record of these authorities is far from satisfactory.

CBI, the highest investigating agency has always remain a handy tool for the ruling party to use against the opposition or for own benefits. The working of CBI has always remained doubtful because in many cases the flow of investigation kept changing with the change of power in the center. Bofors is one of the best examples of such so called investigations.

Election commission is such another entity having vast powers. However, during sixty years of its existence, only during the tenure of Sh Sheshan, electoral reforms have taken place. People were made aware of rules and regulations need to be followed by the contestants. But after Sh Sheshan has gone, no further reform took place. Not a single politician has been given exemplary punishment for breach of election regulations.

Until the Tomas issue came out, very few have heard anything about the Vigilance Commission(VC). The reason is this institution has done nothing remarkable ever. Looking to the magnitude of corruption in the country, perhaps this authority has maximum opportunity to show its performance. But this authority has just past its tenure and enjoyed facilities available at the cost of the money of the exchequers.

The basic reason of total failure of such agencies is  that the posting of top-brass of these agencies is still in the hand of the government, directly or indirectly. Due care is always taken by the authority to put ‘right’ person at right place in such agencies. Mostly the persons retired from government jobs, and have track-record ‘suitable’ to the ruling party, are placed in such agencies. (Thomas was just befitting the post of CVC for this government.) For such persons the hefty pay-packet and other perks are extra benefits in addition to the pensions. They just pass their tenure peacefully without annoying their ‘aakaas(masters)’ in power to ensure extension or such another posting. No question of performance comes at all. This system need to be changed. (Our constitution does not allow to express anything against the President of India, otherwise lot can be said about election(!) of some of our presidents, also.)

In light of this situation, appointment of a Lokpal will not make much difference. On one hand some of the demands of Anna Hazare are not fair and tenable. His demand for giving full authorities to the Lokpal for receiving complaints, investigating and punishing the culprit is dangerous if fell in hand of some unscrupulous person. Remember, the Lokpal will be a human being after all and that too appointed by the ruling government. Process may whatever be, our experience is that the ruling party in this country can influence any posting, appointment and even election. On the other hand, again the person posted on this post will ensure that he/she get another term or another such assignment from the government for a peaceful and prosperous retired life. This will definitely affect the performance of the Lokpal.

It is not that nothing can be done to remove corruption from this country. But for that every one should have to start from the scratch. Gandhijee has said “Be The Change You Want To See”. How many of us have got a driving license without paying bribe or using influence? We pay donations to get admissions in any good school, teaching our children that this the way of getting work done. We are not ready to follow even simple traffic rules made for our own safety, leave alone thinking about the safety of others. Instead of asking for our rights, we always trying to find out short cuts to get our work done. We elect criminals and send them in parliaments and then blame the system. No Lokpal can do anything unless we are ready to fight against the corrupt and dishonest politicians/bureaucrats. Instead of searching ‘super/spiderman’ in Anna or some other person, it is better to be a ‘man’ ourselves. If most of us, if not everyone, will become a man/woman and fight for his/her lawful rights as a human being, we do not need any Lokpal.

Unfortunately the situation is totally different. Economic crime has become a status symbol. The definition of good character is reduced to sexual relations only. ( Refer to Loose Character....  in this Blog). Instead of social boycott of corrupt politicians, this lot gets more and more supporters. If we want to remove corruption, the simple way is to stop giving bribe. If most of us will refuse to give bribe, the person asking for bribe will have to change his/her mentality. Instead of voting for any party, we need to cast our vote in favour of the least culprit available in the list.  A coalition of honest persons is far better then an absolute majority of criminals in parliament. If we do so, the political parties will have to rethink about selecting their candidates.

So don’t wait for Lokpal or any other ‘superman’. Such heroes exist in stories and movies only. In real life you are the hero/heroine of your life. Prove it.