8/6/2019 Open Letter to President Obama (13 August 2011)

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AnOpenLettertoPresidentObama

NewYork,NY

August13,2011

DearPresidentObama,

IamwritingthistoyouasanAmericancitizen(ofIndianorigin)whoseesgrossviolation

ofbasichumanrightsbythepresentGovernmentofIndiawhichhasbeenovertly

involvedindestroyingeffortsbyuprightandincorruptibleindividualsinIndiawhowant

tobringintoeffectstrongandeffectiveanti-corruptionlegislationinIndia.

ItiscommonlyknownthanIndiaisbesetwithcorruption(politicalandbureaucraticatall

levels)andthishasbeentheprimarydriverofwide-scalepovertyinthatcountry.The

corruptpoliticians,severalofwhomhavebeenmembersofthepresentcabinetdonot

wantthepassageofaneffectivelaw.WerecorruptionbereducedinIndiathrougheffectivelegalmechanisms,thepoorcanbenefitfrombetterallocationofresourcesand

liveinfreedomfromfearofthecorruptandrealizetheirnaturalpotential.ItisastonishingthatwhileIndiacallsitselfasthelargestdemocracyintheworld,severalofitsparliamentarianshavedisturbingcriminalrecords,includingaccusationsofmurder.The

intentofthisIndiangovernmentisclearfromitsrecentproposalthatwhistleblowersbeincarceratedfor2yearsforunprovencomplaints,whilecorruptofficialsandpoliticians

(uponbeingprovencorrupt)mayonlybeincarceratedfor6monthsatthemost.

CorruptioninIndiaalsomateriallyaffectsUSinterestsbecauseitslowsthegrowthofone

oftheworld'slargestconsumermarkets,sowsseedsofsocialchaos,anddetersUS

businessesfromachievingtheirfullbusinesspotentialintheIndianmarketbyrendering

UScompanies/investorsuncompetitivebecausetheyareboundbyForeignCorrupt

PracticesAct.

Aboveall,therighttopeacefulandnon-violentprotestagainstcorruptgovernanceina

democraticsocietyisacriticallyimportantAmericanvalue.ThisIndiangovernmentandsomeofitscabinetmembersarewillfullyinvolvedindenyingMr.AnnaHazareandhis

supporterstheirrighttopursueanon-violentcivildisobediencemovementagainstthisinfrastructureofcorruptioninIndia.ThePrimeMinisterofIndia,inspiteofhisportrayed

wisdomininternationalforums,standsamuteandincompetentobserverasthese

fundamentalhumanrightsofdecentordinarycitizensarebeingviolated.

AsonewhodeeplycaresaboutAmericanvaluesoffreedomanddemocraticprotest

aroundtheworld,IalongwithmanyotherIndianAmericansandfriendsofIndiain

America,urgeyoutourgentlyraisethismatterwiththeIndianPrimeMinister.Starting

onAugust16th,2011Mr.AnnaHazareandpeopleacrossIndiashouldbeallowedto

pursuecivildisobedienceinanon-violentandpeacefulwayacrossIndia,whereverandas

longastheywish.

ManishSrivastava

AdjunctAssistantProfessor

NewYorkUniversity

NewYork,NY