Google has challenged the smug corporate assumption that business alone will liberate. It will not.
Fellow traveling businesses will allow corrupt, inefficient and doltish coteries, cliques and regimes to bask from the reflected glory of hard won wars for equity, freedom, enlightenment and excellence that have been fought in societies that have produced such new, thoughtful responses.
Fellow traveling businesses, that squander their freedom and slip into cozy relationships with the authorities betray the " poorest of the poor and the weakest of the weak" in the case of even democracies these are all those without a vote – children, the environment and the future.
Such businesses produce cynicism, and conformism, not innovation and wonder.
Such businesses die slow, inglorious deaths.
Google’s decisions – first to engage and then draw the lakshmanrekha – the line in the sand – are both that will inspire life conscious people.
Since the past two decades, the Government of India, the Government of my own state, Andhra Pradesh, the Andhra Pradesh High Court , the Chief Information Commissioner and State Information Commissioner have combined to impress on me that what works in India is what I have called the "patronage paradigm" – the paradigm of shoddiness, irresponsibility, cronyism and corruption – and that ideas of the rule of law and democratic processes are merely spectacles to lull the gullible.
I have been denied the recognition that were commended to me, I have been unable to earn a decent living, the office of the Governor of Andhra Pradesh incited my neighbours to cut off my water supply, the Indian editorial class published government "spin", the information commissions in the state and at the centre denied me my right to information on spurious, brazenly illegal grounds, punished me for daring to seek it, the high court denied me my right to competent counsel and punished me for complaining.
Even as we speak, Dr Manmohan Singh’s office, "Daredevil" Pratibha Patil’s Rashtrapati Bhavan, Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, State Information Commissioner CD Arha are all in an obvious conspiracy to deny me justice.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court, in the inimitable manner of the Indian judiciary, has misbehaved egregiously.
Such dysfunctionality, and recently they appearing to pouring down in India, has drawn only an occasional murmur from Indian industry, that at best comes up with palliatives.
I have met with at least one Indian "altruist" IT "icon" on appointment and he appeared to be completely clueless and at a loss for words and ideas.
Please visit and participate at:
Andhra Pradesh High Court’s Pernicious Rebellion Against The Law .05/29/09
RTI Act 2005 Abuse In Andhra Pradesh- SIC Cheats! Chief Secretary Lies!05/07/09
Prejudiced CIC Laps Up PMO Lies 05/05/09
Compelling Criminality. Divakar S Natarajan and Varun Gandhi Cannot Both Be Wrong ! 01/28/09
And India’s editorial class will not report the story!
sathyagraha.blogspot.com
News and views from Divakar S Natarajan’s, "no excuses", ultra peaceful, non partisan, individual sathyagraha against corruption and for the idea of the rule of law in India.
Now in its 18th year.
Any struggle against a predatory authority is humanity’s struggle to honour the gift of life.