India Against Corruption, beyond democracy?

                     In the nation, 1.2 billion strong (and kicking), the originally-conceived notion of democracy has long surpassed the French revolution and American Independence. Much like the swift adaptation of the British High Tea to the 'nukkad wali chai', it has been boiled innumerous times, loaded with 'desi' spices, and given a flavor making it very distinctly ours.
                   The word though, means very different things to different people. To the pitch-man in Obama, marketing the US in the Indian Parliament, it's a way to hit on some commonality to help sell planes. To the self-proclaimed experts adorning Indian media, it transforms to pre-polls sooth-saying and post-polls witch-hunting TRP-upping exercises. To the ignorant, it's a five-yearly on-the-house public feast of free electronic freebies, binge drinking and (then maybe) a stained fore-finger (pun intended). To the 'charismatic' political dynasties, it's a free ride, ironically on the backs of spineless sycophants.
                     Like every Indian with a loaded 'expert-opinion' on cricket and politics, I too have my two cents' worth on Indian democracy and perils of the path it's currently treading. For the lack of a formal terminology, let me refer to it as the 'Pixilated-democracy' and it all begun with a tiny event at Jantar Mantar which snow-balled into one of the greatest movements in India in recent time. In a first, the yardstick for national consensus was not the ballot but the bytes dedicated on the 24X7 electronic and social media to the cause. The democracy of our country was hijacked by the pixels, literally.
                      Let me at the very outset put forth my great regard for Anna and Co - good team with the damn good cause. My sole endeavor is to point out the hazards of the precedent it's setting. In the land of the 'Jai Kisan', only 6% have access to the web. More importantly, not everyone who does toes the IAC line. It is imperative to draw the distinction between the huge support the slogan of anti-corruption enjoys and the specific implementation of the Jan Lokpal Bill. The 2.5 Crore missed calls IAC boasts are most likely unaware and not necessarily in favor of every clause, comma and period of the bill.
                      The idea of an 'Almighty' Lokpal too, is far from convincing. In spite of never having opened an LLB book and living with a phobia of white shirts, I still believe there exist more laws than needed to tackle the menace. The machinery which implements them, if at all, is shoddy. Unfortunately, the touted saviors of the Lokpal will not descend from the skies but will be appointed on the ground, one way or the other. I'm certain the media blitz and Anna's push will ensure a great first batch and laudable initial success but there is no gainsaying the potential of a Frankenstein monster not too far, accountable to none.
                     Mr. Kejriwal is quick to raise fingers at the 'chors' occupying the benches in the parliament but he conveniently disregards the franchise of the very people he endeavors to rescue. The vitriolic rhetoric is trying to solve the wrong problem. The crux of the issue does not lie in the thug-full side of our legislature, but with the mindset of the voter who pushes the wrong button on the EVM. Sir, akin to your great contribution to the RTI cause which empowered the masses, please enable the electorate rather than abuse the thick-skinned polity.
                    Also, I fail to get my head around the perpetual denial of the team to acknowledge the movement as a political one. "Kick the cheater Congress out" is by no standard the slogan of a civil movement, the ambivalence is misleading. The focus is fast moving from the matter at hand, corruption, to jettisoning the party in power, the Congress. Is there any assurance the BJP will fare any better on the 'Anna yardstick'? Will pamphlets then be handed out printed with a black 'lotus'? And then a 'Cycle' with deflated wheels? And then an 'Elephant' without a trunk?
                    Indian Railways is perhaps a fitting microcosm of the Indian democracy. Both criss-cross the metro and the hinterland alike. Swindlers often get on the bogies. So do the hefty and sons, who usurp the upper berths. The fans are generally mere noise-making machines and the shining neon bulbs frequently flick out. The din is disproportionate to the pace and both leave a lot of shit on the way. There are perpetual delays, and occasional derailments, but at the end of the day, our best bet perhaps is to re-invent the ticketing-system and bolster the tracks, rather than laying shaky parallel ones.