Originally posted in Aug 2011 :
The ‘Anna phenomenon’ compels us to coin a few words and add them to the lexicon. The word ‘fast’ has to be joined with ‘-cracy’ ; ‘-crat’ and ‘-ic’ to create ‘fastocracy’ ; ‘fastocrat’ and ‘fastic’ to get the equivalents of ‘democracy’; ‘democrat’ ; and ‘democratic’
A one-liner crafted by Winston Churchill seventy odd years ago has been doing the rounds in debates and books, since I was a child. It says,
“Democracy is the worst for of government, except when compared with all other forms tried so far”
This may be a clever and politically correct statement, but it is not reveal the whole truth. When I first learnt social sciences, I thought there are just about five or six forms of government. But now, on Google, I find that it is a long list. Even the comprehensive analysis seems to have missed out ‘Fastocracy’. The suffix ‘-crat’ relates to power or the process of ruling. Thus, just as you have autocrats, democrats and meritocrats, we have ‘fastocrats’, who can alter the destiny of the country through ‘fasting’.
One section of people have criticised Anna for subverting the power of democratically elected members of parliament. They believe that the members of the august ‘sansad bhawan’ are supreme, and no one has the right to challenge their authority. They accused him of using coercive tactics to achieve his ‘narrow objective’
In my own humble way, after the morning prayers and a bit of meditation, I sat down and made a comparison between the members of parliament and this ‘fakir’ sitting in the Ramlila ground, and surviving on water for thirteen days. I find that it is far more difficult to become a ‘fastocarat’ than a member of parliament. Here is how
To get elected, you need a few lakh voters to come and cast their franchise. The voters’ effort is limited to a few minutes of standing in a queue and then pressing a button on a machine just once in five years. To gather lakhs of people on a venue, defying the heat and sun for days on end is a lot more difficult. It must also be remembered that the ‘demonstrators’ can be subjected to lathi-charge, tear gas shells and water canons. Voters are exposed to no such risk. The ‘fastocrat’ lives on water; under the scrutiny of the whole wide world. And has to face criticism. The MP lives in luxury and makes as much money as he can for himself and his kin. If the tide turns against the ‘fastocrat’, he can end up in the jail. He takes a far bigger risk than any one else in the society. In a crowd, almost anything can happen. Fighting the establishment is not easy. The people in power are known to have used all means, fair and foul to ‘break’ the ‘fastocrat’ and his ‘fastics’.
All in all, the dice is loaded heavily against the ‘fastocrat’ and his flock. Those who choose this hazardous path deserve to be heard, specially when they have mass support. A comprehensive list of the forms of government tried since the days of the ‘city states’ in India, Egypt and Mesopotamia as taken from the Internet is given at the end of this mail, but it would be seen that Anna’s method is not contained in this list. ‘Fastocracy’ is an Indian phenomenon, devised by Gandhiji. The movement now started by Anna Hazare does not seek to subvert democracy. It merely proposes to alter its format, to make it more responsive. Their message is,
“We, the people, sent you to the Parliament. But you can not forget us for the next five years!”
Do you know why members from all parties got united yesterday? It is because they were threatened by a ‘fastocrat’ who was willing to sacrifice his life for the national cause. His commitment for his cause is far more sincere than the self-seeking, egoistic and greedy politicians.
In my humble view, what we have seen so far is just the beginning. We are headed for a social revolution. The last sentence of Anna was prophetic. He said, “All this is because power is concentrated in Delhi” And did you notice that there was no trace of ‘victory’ or exhilaration on his face when he spoke?
With best wishes,
Surjit
PS
A list of the forms of government tried so far is given below:
This forms ofgovernment and political systems, according to a series of different ways of categorisingthem is given below. The systems listed are of course not mutually exclusive, and often haveoverlapping definitions.
· Autocracy (The Rule of One)
o Dictatorship
§ Military dictatorship
§ Stratocracy
§ Despotism
o Kleptocracy
o Kritarchy
o Monarchy
§ Absolute monarchy
§ Constitutional monarchy
§ Duchy
§ Grand Duchy
§ Diarchy
§ Enlightened absolutism
§ Elective monarchy
§ Hereditary monarchy
§ Non-Sovereign Monarchy
§ Popular monarchy
§ Principality
§ New Monarchs
§ Self-proclaimedmonarchy
§ Regent
o Plutocracy
§ Timocracy
o Police state
o Oligarchy
§ Saeculum obscurum
o Theocracy
o Tyranny
· Anarchy (Absence oforganized government)
o Ochlocracy
o Tribalism
· Anarchism (Government ofconsent, not coercion)
o Anarchist communism
o Libertarian socialism
o Libertarianmunicipalism
o Anarcho-capitalism
o Green anarchism
o Isocracy
· Socialism
o Socialist state
o Communist state
o Collective leadership
o State socialism
o Soviet republic (system of government)
· Democracy (The Say of the People)
o Consociationalism
o Deliberative democracy
o Democratic socialism
o Totalitarian democracy
§ Dictatorship of the proletariat
o Direct democracy
o Egalitarianism
o Futarchy
o Open source governance
o Participatory democracy
o Representativedemocracy
§ Parliamentary system
§ Consensus government
§ Westminster system
§ Polyarchy
§ Presidential system
§ Semi-presidentialsystem
Republic (The Rule Of law)
o Constitutional republic
o Parliamentary republic
o Federal Republic
Thanks OP for sharing this, I very much enjoyed reading it and admire his wisdom !!
Nicely worded. It is true that there may be many more attempts to get one’s demand met by Fastocracy
Anna achieved because for following blunders on part of the central Government
1. Right from the Day one Gave him VIP status by nominating a GOM headed by No 2 in the cabinet Pranab Mukherjee . Opposition criticized the weak government
for starting a new trend of involving private groups in drafting of bills So called civil society was propped up just as Sant Bindrawale in pre militancy days in Punjab by Indira Gandhi , Both grew from cat to tigers and went out of control of those who inflated them
Even in case of Swamy Ramdev also it was blunder to send five senior ministers to welcome him at the airport . Such a reception will go into any ones head . He may be next one to sit on fast till all Rs 500 and 1000 are withdrawn from circulation
2. Un pardonable blunder of arresting and after the magistrate sent him for 7 days preventive detention , send him to Tihar jail , made Anna National Hero over night . He used anti corruption as a cause which appealed to public country wise. In Police circles in Delhi their is a strong suspicion that it was a pre planned and well thought of mischief by the Mr Gupta , Commissioner Police Delhi . who is known to be Safron Brigade man well and was DG Tihar Jail before becoming Commissioner His act brought bad name to the government and helped Anna to became National Hero
Anna no doubt deserves all the praise for grabbing the opportunity and using anti corruption as the slogan and stick to beat the government with . He deserved Phd in Mass Communication and Leadership . . Within 48 hours of his starting fast cash worth Rs 50 L were delivered by various donors at the Ground and 10 reputed caterers including Haldiram had set up free kitchen It is any body’s guess as to to the source of all this money
One day was caught in traffic Jam near Jaypee Hotel near Vasant Vihar for 30 mins . When i got down to enquire i could see five Green Line DTC buses and four private carriers being loaded with ” volunteers” from the Juggi Jaumpadi complex to be taken Ramlila Ground ( free meals and …) .
If educated people stat advocating fastocracy , time is not far that , democracy in India wall be replaced by what , we saw happening in Pakistan , Nepal , Burma
Wait till Judges like ex CJI Balakishan and Judge Nirmala Yadhav of Punjab high court, who are facing action for corruption manage to get nominated to the LOK PAL group of 11 and start dictating term to central Government and Supreme Court. Lok Pal will issue notice to PM whenever every one points a finger at us and we will stast having new PM every three months , much to the liking of those who think 5 years is too long a time for elected goverment to rule WE will end up in having PMs like Charan Sing ,Dewa Dauwda , Chander shekhar Satish Gujral Musical chairs s ever
Today Delhi police is not allowed to carry even a lathi . IF there is another attack on the Parliament . neither police nor CRP will have arm or ammunition and the authority to open fire at the attacker Just as it Had happened at Babri masjid
Pentagon has warned India against joint build up on Indo Tibet Border by Pakistan and Chines forces . It does not alarm us , Procurement of arms and guns ,has come to stand still.l as no one in the WE Dte wants to recommend any gun or weapon system and Ministry of Defence is too happy the procurement budget is being surrendered . If there are no purchases . no one in Army , MOD or PM can be accused of corruption . So best is ti not to import weapons system
It is Amazing that Army chief , who is fighting a personal battle with MOD over his date of Birth , has openly supported Annas campaign in the press. Is Army also running risk of its Chief being sacked just like Naval Chief Bhagwat ??
We read in history that India came under foreign rulers because . owing to infighting , our Rajas sided with invaders to defeat other Indian Rajas and British perfected the art of Divide and Rule
Today we are dividing our selves in the name of cast , religion and weakening ou government and institutes , in the name of Anti Corruption . AS if Corruption is only in the government and not in corporates , business houses and crorespatis who give and encourage corruption because by giving one lakh they make a gain of 20 lakhs / Who says there is no corruption in NGOs , Media, TV Channels, practicing lawyers , private 5 star hospital , universities and even Armed Forces . No one wants then to come under Lok Pal but want PM to be answerable for every act of omission by any of the 40 Ministers and resign every three months n
Mahrashtra banned Dancing Girls in bars ( forced them to take to prostitution) but kept eyes closed when a fil actress charges 50 lakhs for one item number on new year eve
God save India
excellent…sent to many friends