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Its very Indian, hunger strikes by holy men on political and social issues in India.
Though a well managed, highly focused "Indian Summer" against corruption only, and NOT the whole political system would also be useful in Delhi, in front of the Lok Sabha. A million people protesting vociferously against the corrupt netas and babus.
As India becomes richer the opportunity for corruption widens and increases...indeed, the alleged $1,500 billion in Swiss bank vaults looted from India ( remember besides Switzerland there are also 70 tax havens around the world) was generated mostly in the 1990's and the last decade after the deregulation of the economy, both financial and structural.
From Wikipedia:
"India tops the list for black money in the entire world with almost US$1456 billion in Swiss banks (USD 1.4 trillion approximately) in the form of black money.[9] According to the data provided by the Swiss Banking Association Report (2006), India has more black money than the rest of the world combined.[10][11] Indian Swiss bank account assets are worth 13 times the country’s national debt"
Let me repeat the Indian government is a small player in the Indian economy of $4000 billion, where the budget probably accounts for a mere 13% of the REAL economy. Most of the corruption in India is probably outside of the governments power and control. However if you are campaigning against "corruption" and you want to galvanize the aam adhmi, you have got to start somewhere, and targeting Netas and babus is a good place to start....to set an example.
Corruption in India begins with Sonia, and concerns everybody else. It has become a way of life. Consider the small scale corruption of the police, where the average constable earns 3500 rupees, but makes it up with bribes totaling 18000 rupees from the public every year.....real salary 22,000 average for the low level constable. This is the case for almost ALL police in India of 1.2 million....AND what is their job? To protect the law and fight crime.
The Indian economy could be growing by 12---13% if this looted money was not taken out of the economic cycle of India, and dumped in foreign off shore tax havens....lying idle and unused, and uninvested.
The majority of the people of India, who live in abject poverty....surviving on 20 rupees a day, and one meal a day consisting of rice and nothing else deserve better from their Macaulay Brown Sahib masters educated in exclusive Western universities, and emotionally detached leaders who wax lyrical about development for the aam admi with blurry meaningless platitudes, whilst sipping Johnny Walker with CNN in the evenings.
India has 69 billionaires. Many of the top politicians, and many MPs are corrupt, along with the babus. Its 63 years since "independence" from the evil British Raj........ordinary Indians should expect and deserve a far better society from which the majority of people struggled to free themselves since 1947.
The Hunger strike by Baba Ramdev has symbolism and is also grounded on reality.
I support it, as long as its done with the understanding and coordination of his fellow travelers in this area in Delhi.
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Ramdev firm on fast, says corrupt should get death sentence
By Times of India.
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Friday said corrupt ministers and officials should be given the death sentence and vowed to press ahead with his hunger strike against corruption on Saturday.
"My fast will start from tomorrow (Saturday)," he told a huge gathering at the Ramlila ground in central Delhi.
"Corrupt people have no religion, they are demons. All corrupt ministers should be given the death sentence."
Ramdev, who plans to go on an indefinite fast against corruption and illegal money in tax havens abroad from Saturday, said his movement is not against any political parties or individual.
