Machiavellianism means ‘employment of cunning and duplicity in statecraft or in general conduct’. Today, the 16th century Italian diplomat, Niccolo Machiavelli, who formulated this art, would have admired some of India’s proponents of cunning.
If the Jan Lokpal Bill comes into force with all its provisions, the use of corrupt money will be at stake. Therefore, the fight and struggle is to protect the corrupt. During their meeting in a five-star hotel on June 3, Kapil Sibal told Swami Ramdev that the government would not allow the Jan Lokpal Bill to be passed but his demands would be met.
He was told not to come on the same platform as Anna Hazare. One can safely assume that the swoop on Swami Ramdev at Ramlila Maidan on June 4 was primarily because Hazare was due to visit the Ramlila stage on June 5.
So began the Machiavellian 2 Ds process: division and doubt.
Branding Anna and his team as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bharatiya Janata Party stooges was an attempt to create a religious divide by playing on the insecurities of Muslims, Christians, and other minorities. Questions were being asked by the religious minorities and by concerned citizens.
Branding Anna and his team as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bharatiya Janata Party stooges was an attempt to create a religious divide by playing on the insecurities of Muslims, Christians, and other minorities. Questions were being asked by the religious minorities and by concerned citizens.
Anna’s comment on the village-level administration system in Gujarat was extrapolated to mean support for communal politics and, in the extreme, support to the riots in Gujarat.
Fortunately, the spirited response of Team Anna removed many misconceptions.
In the Dalit media and society, an impression was being created that India Against Corruption is against the Constitution, implying that Hazare was against Baba Ambedkar.
At a meeting of Dalit activists in Mumbai, all questions were related to Anna vs Baba Ambedkar. But, once convinced, the leaders completely backed the Jan Lokpal Bill. A need to engage with various communities cannot be overstated.
The government’s deal with Swami Ramdev, almost agreed upon on June 3, was another attempt to divide the people fighting against corruption. Fortunately, the attempt did not work.
Some journalists, bloggers, NGOs, etc, who are not part of the core movement and thus feel left out, are used to show that there is a schism among intellectuals and activists.
Some journalists, bloggers, NGOs, etc, who are not part of the core movement and thus feel left out, are used to show that there is a schism among intellectuals and activists.
This is being done by pitting Team Anna against the NAC team. The more important and well-orchestrated campaign is to create doubt in the people’s minds. The first step was to discredit the leadership that was demanding the anti-corruption bill. This was done through lies and half-truths masquerading as public service.
An initial, badly planned, attack on Anna’s credentials was aborted. The Bhushans were targeted next. But using a discredited politician to mount the attack turned out to be a mistake, accentuated by the fact that it was done immediately after the government accepted a joint committee.
After the early doubts, people started seeing through this game, forcing the powerful and the cunning to step back. Second, questions were raised about the process, which was called undemocratic, unrepresentative, and anti-parliamentarian. Issues were not discussed; instead, a scare was created over national security, and takeover of governance, playing on people’s fears.
Third, doubts were created by refusing to discuss specific issues but by the use of certain words — Frankenstein’s monster, supercop, bossing over PM and judiciary, taking away MPs’ rights, impractical, etc. If properly examined, none of the accusations would stand. But the belief was: ‘Let us throw mud, something will stick.’
Fourth, and most insidious: create a bill that will confuse. One can expect the Cabinet’s draft bill to be very carefully and smartly worded to appear as if the government is reasonable and in sync with the Jan Lokpal Bill.
The NCPRI (National Campaign for People’s Right to Information) has put out a seemingly strong Lokpal Bill but broken the functions of Lokpal into five different bills and not given a single agency any power. The government will adopt major part of this suggestion. This is a smart move to break the Jan Lokpal Bill.
What is apparent in this entire negative campaign are another set of 2 Ds: disconnect and denial.
A referendum in Mumbai showed that over 95% approved of a Jan Lokpal Bill and media opinion polls show overwhelming anger against the government and support to Team Anna. But the government seems to be in complete denial about the mood and totally disconnected from the people.
The only way to fight these tactics is truth. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. It may be a slow process, but it is a sure one.
The writers are a part of the India Against Corruption campaign
The writers are a part of the India Against Corruption campaign
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