Tweeterati #12: The Tweet-sourced Draft of the #FastingBill2011
In this week’s Tweeterati column in Mail Today, I presented the draft of the #FastingBill2011:
It seems that all fasts aren’t created equal. While Anna Hazare’s fast struck a chord with India’s social media savvy middle class, Baba Ramdev’s fast has turned into the subject of a humorous Twitter meme.
Blogger and columnist Nitin Pai (@acorn) started the #FastingBill2011 hashtag to draft the Fasting & Political Blackmail (Regulation) Bill, 2011 and several other popular Twitter users like Pragmatic Desi (@pragmatic_d) and Harini Calamur (@calamur) pitched in.
Here’s the unedited text of last week’s Tweeterati column:
Tweeterati: Gaurav Mishra Deconstructs Popular Culture on Twitter
The Tweet-sourced Draft of the #FastingBill2011
2011 is turning out to be the year of the fast-until-death with yoga guru Baba Ramdev following activist Anna Hazare’s example to go on a fast against corruption.
However, it seems that all fasts aren’t created equal. While Anna Hazare’s fast struck a chord with India’s social media savvy middle class, Baba Ramdev’s fast has turned into the subject of a humorous Twitter meme.
Blogger and columnist Nitin Pai (@acorn) started the #FastingBill2011 hashtag to draft the Fasting & Political Blackmail (Regulation) Bill, 2011 and several other popular Twitter users like Pragmatic Desi (@pragmatic_d) and Harini Calamur (@calamur) pitched in.
Here, then, is the draft of #FastingBill2011, curated from the Twitter timeline, with strategic inputs from yours truly.
The minimum age for fasting until death will be 25. Gazetted officers and defense personnel may not fast unless they obtain permission from a District Magistrate or equivalent. All fasters should have a valid photo ID for their demands to be considered. No one may not fast within 100m from any licensed restaurant, cafe or drinking house. No one may fast within 100m of the Line of Control, Line of Actual Control and international border. Fasting will not be permitted in government premises, property and rolling stock of Indian Railways, airports and aircrafts. All fasters will be treated equally, regardless of race, religion, standing and credit rating, as long as they have submitted their income tax dues for the last three years.
Fasters must, at the time of application, specify the reasons of their fast and conditions of termination thereof. Fasters must obtain a certificate that they were full when the fast started. Fasters must specify consumption of liquids, including calorific value and purity levels. Fasters must record their weight, blood sugar count and blood pressure every three hours and file it with the sub-registrar. Women fasters must be provided with enclosed spaces to protect their privacy. A fast will be considered a bona fide fast, only if it is conducted in the presence of newspaper and television journalists, preferably Burkha Dutt.
An officer of the rank of Superintendent of Police or above can force feed the faster after giving due warning in writing. A successful fast unto death will only be permitted three times during the lifetime of an individual. No fast shall be deemed to have been broken unless certified by the National Fasting Authority or State Fasting Authorities. Income from fasts by way donations, extortion and misappropriation shall attract Income Tax at the prevailing rates. Fasters who cause others to fast by financial or other inducements shall be fined Rs 5000 and one year of rigorous imprisonment.
Eleven impeccable people will be appointed to the National Fasting Authority to implement #FastingBill2011. President, Prime Minister & Chairperson of NAC will be exempt from #FastingBill2011. #FastingBill2011 will be applicable to all states and UTs of India except Jammu & Kashmir, unless ratified by state assembly.
Gaurav Mishra (@gauravonomics) writes about how the social web is changing business and society at www.gauravonomics.com/blog.
