Activism: Why Swamy gets it right and Team Anna wrong

He’s not one of the most likable people around. He neither has a popular base as a politician, nor a dedicated following in the intellectual class. He is known to be as much a danger to enemies as to friends. He is ambitious but too fickle; he loves to fight the good fight — and make it bitter and personal — but there’s no apparent sense of purpose in the exercise. But what makes Dr Subramanian Swamy so effective as a crusader? ‘Knowledge’, should be the one-word answer. Extended a bit, it is his ability to work out the beguiling nuances in the functioning of institutions correctly and framing the problem areas as legal questions. If he has been successful in forcing the PMO or Home Minister P Chidambaram into the legal wringer — the consequence might be politically disastrous for the latter — the credit goes to his dispassionate intellect. With this handy, he does not need the media to back him or frenzied men on the street cheering him on. He works within the system and finds solutions to its problems within the system. [caption id=“attachment_201379” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“But what makes Dr Subramanian Swamy so effective as a crusader? PTI”]  [/caption] The Supreme Court order on automatic sanction for persecution of officials in cases of graft is a huge a step forward in fighting corruption in bureaucracy. It yanks off the shield protecting corrupt officials. The next step should be attachment of property of such officials. Unfortunately, the importance of the order was reduced to whether it was a slap on the PM’s face. There has been a similar apex court order earlier but the credit of reviving it must go to Swamy. On Thursday, the Supreme Court besides cancelling the 122 2G licenses issued in 2008 by then Telecom Minister A Raja, left the issue of whether P Chidambaram should be probed by the CBI in the 2G case to the trial court. The home minister gets a breather but the sword of prosecution keeps hanging on his head. It also leaves the entire government on tenterhooks. Isn’t such court action a huge disincentive for corrupt practices in big deals? It is certain that by the end of the 2G trial, a strong mechanism will be in place to address corruption in high places, particularly in issuing licences. The political class – graft is not a Congress-specific or BJP-specific problem, it’s a common trait among all parties — will be suitably chastened and forewarned against indulging in corrupt activities. Swamy, though he is not the only one to go after 2G irregularities, must get due credit here too. What makes his fight stand apart? Well, he is clear on how to go about it. He does not suggest fancy ideas outside the arrangement of institutions – like the Lokpal of Team Anna – but still remains an agent of change. He appears convinced that governments — caught as they are with their own vested interests won’t bring change, courts would. And, it helps that he is thorough in legal matters and can easily catch foul play by opponents. The background noise — the media, popular support — is irrelevant in his fight. They are a distraction from the main cause. If only Team Anna understood it! Threats and blackmailing tactics don’t bring changes, the power of persuasion does. The Right to Information Act, a game-changing legislation in ensuring transparency in governance, was the result of the dogged effort of Arvind Kejriwal, now a vocal member of Team Anna. The passage of the Act and the lengthy deliberation preceding it was not a high profile media affair. But the effort was purposeful and the result is visible for all. In both cases, the approaches are different but they deliver the results. Swamy’s small victories are a big lesson in activism. His intentions might be spurious – he is selective about his targets and his offensive does not follow a principled position on issues – but so long as they deliver the right results it should be nobody’s concern.