And they say, we are a developing country

  15th August, my country got its Independence. 26th January, which passed a few weeks back, my country became Republic. With Independence, India became a country which can be ruled by its own people, whether you like it or not. Republic, gave a constitution to us, formulated with it the fundamental rights for every citizen. Today, a simple question I ask myself: Are we democratic?  Do we still enjoy our fundamental rights?

  Some of our neighboring countries has developed leaps and bounds, however they are not democratic. We think what is the point in growth when people cannot express their views and do not have a say in things. However, a closer look at ourselves reveal that we have neither grown nor have things which should be in a democratic country. Being democratic, one of the things is a citizen should be able to talk freely. A citizen should be able to  express his views openly. Are you able to ? Fundamental rights of India lists out 6 Fundamental rights recognized by the constitution. Are we able to exercise them?

Self development books always tell you to stay away from negative news for the simple reason it will put a negative thought in your mind. Hence, I religiously used to turn the next page in newspaper the moment I see the words CWG, Adarsh and 2G. By the sheer weight-age of the numbers in 2G, Adarsh and CWG looks peanuts. How much ever I try to avoid exposing to negative news, I simply lose control the moment it is 2G, the magnitude of the number just forces me to read and look more at it.Yes, it is the popular figure 1.76 lakh crore.  The same number which we are seeing day-in and day-out and flashed in our TV screens. The number which has given sleepless nights for the government  For my readers, let me put the number in Rupees.

Rs.17,60,00,00,00,00,000

  One of our fundamental rights in India is the right to freedom from exploitation. Look at the above number and ask yourself: Are not we exploited? Let  me explain to you what the above number means. Imagine this: Dolls are becoming scarce in India and is in huge demand. X is an Indian, Y and Z are foreigners. One fine day, X suddenly wakes up and thinks to sell the dolls in a hara-kiri. Y comes to India, meets X and buys a beautiful doll for Rs.10. Y got it because Y came first, fair enough. Please do not ask a stupid question like how Y came first OR how come only Y came? Y immediately meets Z and sells the same doll to Z for Rs.1000. Its deal.

3 possibilities here:
   i) X is a joker.
  ii) Y is very shrewd.
 iii) X and Y organized a BEAUTIFUL game and made the country a joker witnessed by  a billion audience.

   You decide which is right. And yes, this kind of scam has happened 

i)  in a country in which more than 70% of the population lives on less than Rs.30 a day

ii) in a  country in which this amount is 3% of its GDP

iii) in a country which ranks 53rd in the list of poor countries.
iv) in a country which has one third of the world's poor people

   Dear Prime Minister, the nation looked at you as the best person to lead the country, even when a coterie kept saying  Soniaji is the de-facto Prime minister. Not anymore. The above number has re-defined the word corruption. The longer we stare at the figure, the more it de-moralizes us. For the sake of simplicity, media is showing it in terms of lakhs of crores because to read out the actual number, we need to google it out.  The nation demands an explanation from you sir. The country needs a JPC. For once, the opposition is right on being hell bent on JPC. For the sake of the nation, please do not embarrass us in front of the world.

  I am just an ordinary citizen, like one of those million citizens who gets fumed when looking at things like these. But,  can I do something? Or do  I have the guts to do? Do I have the courage to talk about a wrong doing politician openly? Or am I brave enough to write honestly about these ruckus created by our government in my blog atleast? The answer is NO. I admit I am just one of those virtually dead Indians who see and do nothing, and yes I am in a democratic country. To give you a sample of what is in store for us if you happen to take it to your hands, read this:

  Satish Shetty, an RTI activist from Pune is just like one of us. Never he got deterred by those dangerous viruses existing in our country. Used the RTI act and blew the horn on the umpteen land scams which happened in Talegaon, Lonawala and Pimpri Chinchwad. Not just that, he exposed many such scams such as the keronsene being sold in the black market which is meant to be sold in ration shops. Satish Shetty, in fact digged out the pattern and the methods used to get this keronene in which he found out a large number of fake ration cards are being created and bought kerosene through these cards and sold out in the black market. What do you think will happen to somebody who does all such bad things for the government? End Result:  Was brutally murdered by some un-identified people in broad day-light near his house in Talegaon. And in this country those un-identified people will remain un-identified.

 Yashwant Sonawane, an IAS officer from Malegaon, is one of those honest IAS officers whom we get to read in newspapers. Sonawane was very popular for his secular and pro-sentiment views. Coming from a Dalit background, always worked to bring the Hindu and Muslims together in the sensitive malegaon region. Had a huge vision for the Malegaon area. On his way to Chandvad, Sonawane spotted oil pilferage going on outside a shop. Immediately, took the video footage of the entire incident and calls the officials for raid. Its quite logical that people like these is bound to face the wrath of those anti-social elements, no different in his case. End Result: The servants and shop-keeper of the shop poured keronsene on Sonawane and burnt him alive.

  Forget about you and me, a minister sitting inside the assembly needs securities to survive the assembly session. Incidents like this will make the common man to be bound to his house. But how many of us at least know incidents like these? How many of us really know what we are supposed to receive from the government and what we are receiving?  Do we know who is our MLA? The famous section falling in this reluctant category is, yes you guessed it right, the salaried middle class which mostly is the IT class, which includes me as well. It is this IT boom which made the country feel India becoming a super-power in 2020, and my favourite president Abdul Kalam forming his slogan, "Vision 2020". Today, it is the same IT which I feel is partly responsible for the ruckus. How many of us really bother about who is in power, who is not? Which minister is doing what? Only when a group is discussing some serious issue, we go join them and pass one odd comment and laugh it off. This is our way of discussing a issue.

  Let me explain this with an example. A few weeks back when the Telangana issue was on the boil, I was having dinner at a restaurant near Electronic City. A group of 3 guys were dining in the table next to me. 2 of them were having intense discussion on the Telangana issue which at times looked more serious. The third one  did  not talk, and was busy eating. One of the guys asked the 3rd guy his opinion, on hearing which  got me clean bowled: The 3rd guy said: " Forget about Hyderabad going to Telangana or Andhra man. Even if Bangalore were to go to Tamil Nadu tomorrow, I don't care as long as I get my salary on the 1st of every month". Friends, this is the what I call, the salaried class of IT India.  All we are bothered is how am I, how is my family, how much I have saved, how much can i save more, how many flats I have, which school do my children go to and all these at par or atleast one more than the neighbor next door. Damn the rest. IT India's slogan is pretty simple: "Baad mein gaya duniyadaari".

  We dont go to vote, we don't care about what the government does to us, murderous incidents like above will discourage us from thinking anything in those lines. But yes, we will look at the sops the next day the Finance minister presents his budget early next month. We are always concerned at things that hits our pocket. The least that is expected of us is to go out and vote when our turn comes next time. But please, not on the basis of caste or religion.  On the basis of the candidate or the Government's report card. And for this to happen, people need to know what is going around them. The good things done to us, the bad ones forced on us, the games organized in-front of us, everything.  Let's not a turn a blind eye towards everything hurled at us. The country has sank enough, not any more.  True to Mr. Kalam's vision, I am also one of you who wishes this country becomes a super-power by 2020, this country the most developed one by 2020, the country with the best governance by 2020. For now, all we need to say is: "Hey Bhagwan, hamey bachale."