The Fast(ing) and The Furious

How much time do we spend discussing and debating current events at lunch with colleagues,with friends over a drink or otherwise?

During the past couple of months thousands of minutes of airtime and reams of newsprint would have been spent on discussions and debates on corruption. A topic that perhaps has been on top of this 65 year old democracy's memory. State of affairs is such that the only thing seemingly clean with nations politicians is their starched pristine khadi's. Even the white ambassador has made way for swanky 4x4's.

Yes, a healthy debate is the corner stone of a parliamentary democracy but the debates and discussions cannot be endless. The onus is on all parties to discussion to either convince, concede and conclude.

Must admit, I have been fascinated by the buzz that is being generated by the digitally enabled social networking populace. Twitterati apart, several of us have in these past few months put up status updates voicing support for or condemnation of the governments. The figures on updates or even jokes doing rounds on CWG, 2G etc would be of the order of millions.

The fascination however, has not stopped me from wondering whether mere digital airing of support for causes such as the ones above or the Tsunami in Japan or a Famine in Ethiopia have any meaning or more importantly of consequence.

Are we just falling prey to this wave of "Armchair Nationalism"?

While we get jingoistic about these social causes are we failing to do something in our span of control/sphere of influence?

How about not pushing a 100 buck note to the cop when he stops us for jumping the lights. How about paying our taxes as they are due? How about not sliding the extra 500 bucks for getting the paperwork faster? How about not fixing the electricity and water meters?

All of the above are forms of corruption are they not? And we willy-nilly are to blame for allowing it to breed around us and honestly within us.

Our efforts and angst seem to be directed at the "big fish" as though making examples would suddenly awaken the conscience of the small fry down the line.

While nothing can be taken away from the fact that thousands of crores have been swindled or flushed down the drain.

I believe it all got broken down to the extra 1000 bucks some officer somewhere allowed some contractor to make. The reason he did that it is that all of us believe a 1000 bucks here and there would not make a difference. Fact is it does make a difference.

So here's hoping that this awakening is one which starts within us and impacts things around us.

Else, all we'll do with these "Facebook Revolutions" is make some candle guy some where a rich guy.

And to close a few lines from a number made popular by Tracy Chapman

Don’t you know, they’re talkin’ bout a revolution
It sounds like a whisper
Don’t you know
They’re talkin’ about a revolution
It sounds like a whisper

While they’re standing in the welfare lines
Crying at the doorsteps of those armies of salvation
Wasting time in the unemployment lines
Sitting around waiting for a promotion

Don’t you know
They’re talkin’ bout a revolution
It sounds like a whisper
Poor people gonna rise up
And get their share
Poor people gonna rise up
And take what’s theirs

Don’t you know
You better run, run, run, run, run,
run, run, run, run, run, run, run

Finally the tables are starting to turn
Talkin’ bout a revolution.......