This year, will the PM make the Independence Day speech citizens want to hear?
By : Kiran Bedi
Mr Prime Minister, allow me to present you with a draft of your Independence Day speech that this country is eager to hear :
My fellow Indians, i stand here today, on this day of immense patriotism, to ask for redemption. I know that events that have unfolded before us over the last several months do not make any of us proud or indeed happy about our moral compass as a nation that stands shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the world. And while i may be guilty as charged by some of you on not speaking enough about these matters in the past, i do so now with the utmost conviction.
First, please allow me the privilege of highlighting some of our achievements since i last spoke to you from the ramparts of this historic monument.
One, as a result of our social and economic policies, we lifted tens of millions of people above the poverty line.
Two, as a nation we achieved a world leading growth rate of over 8%.
Three, FDI inflows reached record levels and major sectors were deregulated further to allow for better productivity and job creation.
Two, as a nation we achieved a world leading growth rate of over 8%.
Three, FDI inflows reached record levels and major sectors were deregulated further to allow for better productivity and job creation.
Four, tele-density, electricitydensity and broadband penetration rose significantly to reach even the remotest areas. Five, as a member of the G20 and the WTO, we increased our leverage with other powers by negotiating significant trade and nuclear agreements for ourselves. Six, women and dalits now form more than a third of our elected representatives, thereby ensuring that their voice is amply heard.
While i could go on with the complete list which is quite long given what we can and have accomplished as a nation, i know most of you are concerned that we might wither away the advantage we have come to enjoy because of these very accomplishments.
As i stand before you today, my fellow countrymen, i feel the pain in your hearts and the wariness of your spirits. Unfortunately, the list of scam-tainted issues is also long. These events have cast such a cloud of aspersion on our achievements as a great nation that they have thrown into doubt even the relevance and sanctity of some of our finest democratic institutions. 
I am not here to either defend the government or to lay blame at someone else’s door. We have had many occasions to do so and will continue to have many more.
I am here to ask you for one more chance at redeeming your faith and trust in these very same institutions as well as newer ones that we intend to create in order to lead our country to its rightful place in the world. While the errors of omission and commission are best left to the investigative agencies and the judiciary to evaluate and act on, i wish to outline my plan for the next 600 days.
One, we will enact a strong and airtight anti-corruption law, which includes effective whistleblower protection and swift justice, that will weed out this menace that afflicts our country. I am painfully aware that this menace has touched each and every one of you in some form. Ours is a democracy of the people and i will ensure that we are proud of what we collectively put out. I will ensure that my office is included in the purview of such a law for i must lead by example. As should every member of every public service in this country of ours.
Two, my team shall be available to you via public forums, including the internet, to listen to your feedback and grievances.
Three, i shall ensure coordination, due deliberation and timebound decisions amongst all members of my cabinet with full accountability and transparency. All decisions shall stand the test of fairness and professionalism. The common man’s interest shall be the end goal and this intent will never be suspect.
Four, to improve governance standards, i have instructed all ministers and bureaucrats to make at least two field visits, one announced and the other unannounced, to their respective constituencies – schools, hospitals, public services, offices, police stations, ration offices, Railways, post and telegraph, passport and the like – to ensure their smooth functioning.
Five, my office will review the service delivery mechanisms of each ministry on a quarterly basis to ensure that these are kept honest and efficient.
Six, our borders are secure because our defence forces and i will ensure that our safety, security, sovereignty and freedom to live, as we desire, are not compromised in any fashion. Seven, i am thankful to our free although not always fair media for their constant hawk eye on us. I am sure they will be equal partners in the enormous tasks that lie before us.
We are a nation of high accomplishments. We have many more milestones to reach. We may not have put a man on the moon yet but we certainly made a woman capable of going to space. And let us each do our part on this road to collective excellence. Let us resolve that you too shall fully comply with the law of our land and deliver on your citizen responsibilities.
My fellow countrymen, it is time to reclaim our destiny. And we do not have a moment to waste. I am conscious that my seeking redemption may be construed as admission of poor performance. So be it. I am willing to face your vote of confidence. I am confident that with your renewed trust we shall win together as a nation.
Jai Hind...!!!!
The writer is a former IPS officer and a social activist.
4 comments:
Jai hind
ONLY ASSET DECLARATION by Govt IS NOT ENOUGH.
It is GOVT’s duty to publish BREAK-UP of such DATA of those minister/politician whose asset has grown 50/100 folds within a period of 5 years. EXAMPLE OF WHICH IS READILY AVAILABLE FROM ALMOST ALL POLITICIANS IN KARNATAKA (BE IT CONG OR BJP), now in ruling Cong as well.
JUST CHECK THE ASSET VALUE FROM ONE ELECTION TO NEXT ELECTION, THERE ARE AMPLE EXAMPLE WHERE IN FIRST ELECTION, THE ASSET DECLARED IS 50 CRORES AND IN NEXT ELECTION THE SAME GUY DECLARE HIS ASSET AS 300 TO 500 CRORES. WE THE AAM AADMI HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO WATCH HIS ASSET GROW MULTI-FOLD, and yet there is no mechanism in place which can reveal how 50 Crore has become 500 Crore within a span of 5 Yrs simply because none of our present and past Govt. dare to impose a mechanism which can reveal break-up of such HUGE GROWTH OF ASSET.
By publishing such break-up, GOVT will not only help AAM AADMI to take INFORMED DECISION but also GOVT will MOTIVATE AAM AADMI how to earn in BILLIONS, Moreover AAM AADMI will start worshipping these MONEY GOD MINISTERS by keeping their photo next to BILL GATES and WARREN BUFFET!!!
What is so difficult in revealing the BREAK-UP of asset growth (from 50 to 500 Crores) as submitted in IT declaration by an Individual , as all data are readily available in IT record, all need to be done is break them into layers of asset . Hence, it is Govt’s priority to reveal the BREAK-UP of asset growth(from 50 to 500 Crores) of every individual (be it BABA RAMDEV/HASAN ALI/Kamal Nath/BSY/Reddy Bros or for that matter ANY POLITICIAN whose asset grow by leaps and bounds) and let AAM AADMI take INFORMED decision while supporting them:
1. Start with initial asset value = X after validating the source of X.
2. In next IT return asset value declared =X+50=Y;
3. Now all our IT dept need to do is to probe source of Y whether this additional 50 is LEGITIMATE or not and accordingly publish in MEDIA (for AAM AADMI to validate apart from whatever action taken by Govt), each and every deal / transaction done by tax-payer to reach this figure of 50.
Note that above example is only against DECLARED ASSET, IMAGINE THE QUANTUM OF UNDECLARED ASSET (earned by Ministers in 2G/CWG deal) which also need to have a mechanism to track which can be easily tracked by QLY PERFORMANCE AUDIT which can be explained if your platform select this article.
Just in case Govt refuse to provide BREAK-UP, it should be MEDIA’s responsibility (who has already done the excellent job of exposing 2G/CWG scam which was supposed to be done by GOVT) once again to use RTI to get all the HIDDEN info of such break-up of ASSET JUMP of POLITICIAN/MINISTERS HIDDEN in IT record as AAM AADMI cannot take the risk of using RTI as in no time they will be MURDERED as happened with a whistle-blower lady Shehla Masood recently in M.P.
Just because a minister has grown his asset 50/100 folds within a period of 5 years, does not mean he has done it by UNFAIR MEANS, he may have done so the same way as BILL GATES and WARREN BUFFET have done in US, why not give a fair chance to those MINISTERS (by publishing above break-up of ASSET GROWTH which will simply inspire AAM AADMI like us) to prove that US has only one BILL GATES and one WARREN BUFFET whereas our political/governance system have plenty of them!!!
MANAGING ELECTION PROCESS WITHOUT SPENDING CRORES OF RUPEES:
Any election process can be easily managed by installing TV at certain places where recorded speech can be shown as per declared timings. On those spots only Poster/Banner of all candidates can be displayed, not over all places. This will stop dirtying the entire constituency. Ensure broadcast done on pre-declared timings.
Absence of candidates physical presence along with their GOONs will encourage people to come out and vote without any fear. In fact, TV broadcast of recorded message/debate can be far more effective in helping AAM AADMI take informed decision and that too at a fraction of cost of physical election campaign which cost BILLIONS to our country where still bare necessity like house, sanitations, food , drinking water are not available to Poor.
All Gram panchayat can be central hub for TV broadcast of recorded message from candidates who must not be present physically. Ensure to show recorded message of all candidates. Even face to face debate can also be recorded and broadcast for public view. Additionally, BREAK-UP of asset growth of every candidate since last 3 election must be shown with complete break-up from IT record.
Just in case Govt refuse to provide BREAK-UP, it should be MEDIA’s responsibility (who has already done the excellent job of exposing 2G/CWG scam which was supposed to be done by GOVT) once again to use RTI to get all the HIDDEN info of such break-up of ASSET JUMP of POLITICIAN/MINISTERS HIDDEN in IT record as AAM AADMI cannot take the risk of using RTI as in no time they will be MURDERED as happened with Shehla Massod recently in M.P.
ONE WORD OF CAUTION FOR ANNA TEAM : This PERFORMANCE AUDIT must happen Quarterly basis instead of Yearly. If Corporate India can present its quarterly result, why can’nt HIGEST CHAIRS (every Minister & his Ministry) publish their performance result every Quarter. Yearly audit will be too long a period (by then another SCAM can be easily hatched and executed in A/C Cabin about which AAM AADMI will never know any thing until MEDIA like Times or Tehelka expose it, rather than Govt exposing it which will never happen for OBVIOUS REASON) for these ministers to validate their work in front of AAM AADMI. Moreover, these PERFORMANCE AUDIT must be telecast live (except some ministry with security reason) for AAM AADMI to evaluate the work of these Ministers whom they have sent to power. More detail can be worked out by me if ANNA TEAM wants to take it ahead, as the hidden power of such PERFORMANCE AUDIT is successfully exploited by our IT industry and thats why entire world class MNC clients are being served by Indian IT companies who are treated with HIGHEST LEVEL OF HONOUR and DIGNITY very much UNLIKE our MINISTERS(be it from any party) who are every second day SHAMEFULLY exposed to some scam or the other.
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