How the Govt. messed up tackling Anna Hazare

Or must be laughing his arse off at the antics of the Indian Government and its Ministers vis-a-vis the fasting Anna ‘my-way-or-highway’ Hazare.

If anything is taught in schools and any sane person learns quickly in life is that lying is very dangerous to one’s personal reputation, honour and character.  That is the reason I never lie in my personal life, as I’ve seen people who venture on that path soon find themselves entangled in a massive web of lies from which they cannot extricate themselves.

In professional dealings one at times has to resort to deception, misinformation and half-truths, which is understood and accepted within limits.  This is true in almost every profession, but to my knowledge, there are two human vocations in which ability to deceive, misinform and double-deal are pre-requisites.  One is Diplomacy and the other is Politics.

In both the professions excellence in such conduct is not derided, au-contraire it is termed a virtue and a skilled practitioner is honoured as a ‘statesman’.  Such a conduct is also extolled as Machiavellian.

Long before Machiavelli, India had a son of her own who excelled in statesmanship, though he was content to remain as an advisor of the largest empire ever in India - Chanakya of the Maurya Empire.

(Image courtesy Wikipedia - Maurya Empire)

The famous text on statesmanship, the Arthashastra, accepted to have been written by Chanakya is really awesome and frightening at times.  Compared to Arthashastra Machiavelli’s Il Principe is a child’s work.  

Read a small abstract and summary by R. Boesche at Journal of Military History.

If you don’t have the time or inclination, here is an except from what Boesche had written:

Is there any other book that talks so openly about -

• When using violence is justified?
• When assassinating an enemy is useful?
• When killing domestic opponents is wise? 
• How the king can use women and children as spies and even assassins?
• When a nation should violate a treaty and invade its neighbour?
• How should a king test his ministers, even his own family members, to see if they are worthy of trust?
• When must a king kill a prince, his own son, who is heir to the throne?
• What precautions must a king take against assassination by one's own wife?
• When is it appropriate to arrest a troublemaker on suspicion alone?
• When is torture justified?

Kautilya — and to my knowledge only Kautilya — addresses all those questions. At some point, every reader wonders: Is there not one question that Kautilya found immoral, too terrible to ask in a book? No, not one. And this is what brings a frightful chill. But this is also why Kautilya was the first great, unrelenting political realist.

If that is not frightening, tell me what else is?  BTP, an oft quoted principle in Arthasashtra and equally oft neglected in practice is the

• Sam (Agree/Appease),
• Dhan (Gift/Bribe),
• Bhed (Isolate/Divide) and
• Dhand (Punish/Threat/Physical action)

It is said that in any confrontation in civil matters, it is the order in which the problem should be approached (Sam - Dhan - Bhed - Dhand) to evolve a solution.

What is interesting that the present Govt of India and its Ministers, born of the same nation as that of Chanakya, have either not understood, had never learned or do not care for such clear progression of thought and action.

Look at the how the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his administration reacted to the hunger-strike-against-corruption brouhaha of Anna Hazare.  In the order of progression, the Govt’s actions have been:

• 1)  Arrest and Physical restraint of Anna Hazare to prevent the fast -the Dhand principle
• 2)  Release of his co-conspirators (Kiran Bedi and Shanti Bhushan) to try to isolate and sow dissent - the Bhed principle
• 3)  Appear magnanimous by agreeing  to provide infrastructure and amenities for the fast at the venue - the Dhan principle
• 3)  Give in and depute senior minister to talk to Team Anna and as of this writing surrender to the original demand to include PM under Lok Pal purview - the Sam principle

Either my Hyperopic eyes have become Myopic else the Govt has applied the Chanakya principle in reverse.  As I am still wearing the same glasses, it must be the other one - the govt is acting arse-backwards.

:-P

God save us!

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