I absolutely hate it when people categorize my expectation of accountability from fellow beings as naivety. Oh,you expect your LPG vendor to return the change,you must be naive;you expect a favorable police report for your passport application without a bribe,you must be naive. I don't understand why expectation has b'come a bad word. More and more,we have come to expect less and less of each other,which is why anyone can get away with hurting our feelings and hurting the sensibilities and scruples of this 61year old republic of ours. From personal relations to professional and governmental affairs, I expect people to own up to what they do. For all those people that think that expectation is a foul word, I want to scream and shake you if that could wake you up from the slumber I think you are in. Let's say I am a great friend of yours and I offend you, would you not expect an apology from me? Do you think it is too much to ask of me to apologise while knowing you were wronged by me? Let's say you do overlook it owing to the fact that I am friend and that I said something I wouldn't say otherwise. I appreciate the trust you put in me, but do you not agree with me that whatever I said to you hurt you and that an apology or me owning up to what I did would make you feel better? I also love the classic answer of "I am like this, you either accept it or you don't"...this is the best worst scenario of all, coz either ways, its a win-win situation for the other person. When you accept that he/she "is like that" you are letting them go for whatever they did without an answer. When you do no accept it, well they have made it clear "i am like this" which means whether you accept or not they won't change nor budge. When you do try to drive home your point you are just treated as someone with huge expectations and that you are old-fashioned. The norm of the society has become such, i'll do whatever I want, so long as you do not voice your own opinion, we are cordial, we can even be friends. The minute you have an opinion that's even an iota different than mine, it's time for adios. This is a terrible way to live. When I invest my tax money, when I do my duty, I vote, I live by the law, why cannot I expect my government to be accountable. Agreed that there are 100s and 1000s of tax evaders, and it is not that the govt is irresponsible just towards me, infact I am lucky to have this life, I have a square meal and a roof to live under..But that is not a reason to let my govt get away with doing anything it likes, how can I not question it scam after scam after scam? Land, political power, telecom, mines, natural gas..how many scams have we seen? How long are we to tolerate.
My suggestion is that we start at grassroots. Start by being accountable ourselves first. Start by holding your friends, family, neighbors accountable. If we all are collectively owning up to what we do, it gives us the power to hold our governments responsible too. Neither power is something that is solely the property of those with money and political influence nor power is something someone can give you, you get it by being right and doing right.