I was planning to write something about Anna Hazare for the last few days, particularly after his fast in Delhi in mid August that gathered thousands of Indians on streets against rampant corruption. The mass media were so overwhelmed about this movement and so profuse in pouring out information, it was difficult to grapple with all the developments. Without going into details of debates about Anna’s persona, I will focus how his determination to make India corruption free impacted Indian people and strengthened their optimism that India can one day be corruption free. I heard earlier about Anna Hazare, who belonged to Indian state of Maharashtra. Any internet search will generate thousands of items in his name; hence I will not go into details about biography of this great Gandhian of 74 year old. Anna is a crusader against corruption since decades, and his honesty, simplicity, and his lean figure, and cool and innocent demeanor often bring before me the image of Vinoba Bhave, or Baba Amte, or Mahatma Gandhi.
Some people compare and contrast Anna with Gandhi. His detractors criticize Anna that he is masquerading Gandhi. His admirers compare him with Gandhi and call him Gandhi in independent India or Gandhi of modern India. I am not entering into polemics and that is not my purpose here. To me, it seems absurd, and also unnecessary. Anna himself says, as I listened to him in TV, that he has no intention to don the robe of Gandhi but to be his true disciple. He will be very happy to sit at the feet of Gandhi and learn from him and implement his principles of truth and non-violence in his life and in society.
I think it is the cause which is greater now, than the person. Gandhi himself was a great crusader against corruption, and he believed that the rich, molded by the principles of simple living and high thinking, should donate their wealth for greater cause and behave as trustees, not owner or possessor, of their wealth. Anna believes in Gandhi and his principles. It is analysts and intellectuals, some of them so-called, who debate about Anna. They measure his credentials according to their perspectives and make Anna a Mahatma (great soul) or a devil.
The important point here is the cause for which Anna is fighting. It is perhaps true he is the only leader who could galvanize the teeming millions of India to raise their voices against corruption and against government apathy to check the menace. It is a wonder in itself. Any casual observer can observe how millions thronged streets of India and pledged themselves to fight along with Anna against corruption. Anna is not a big politician of a particular political party nor is he a celebrity like a sports star nor a film star, nor is he a magician. But the mass following he could generate within a span of 2/3 months, is no mean achievement for the good of India.
Let me focus a little on corruption. Corruption is gangrene in Indian society, eating into the very vitals of modern India which the great Indians like Gandhi wanted to establish. Any common Indian will affirm that he/she faces corruption in every step of public dealing. Going to public office to make a license, to get a ration card, to be eligible for something deserving, all can be done by means of corruption without going through the process of red tape or official harassment. Rajiv Gandhi, the late Prime Minister of India, had said some 30 years ago that one rupee (Indian national currency) sent by government of India is reduced to 20 paisa (1/5th of rupee) when it reaches the intended target at grassroots level. The recent corruption cases at upper levels such as Commonwealth Games scam, Telecom scam, etc. have further raised apprehension in common Indian mind. Anna caught the public imagination in right time. And his fight is not his personal fight. It is a selfless fight, which is meant for all Indians. Hence, it is not important whether we call him Anna (itself a word of respect) or Mahatma (great soul), but his work, his determination, his fast in Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan brings forth the realization we have still persons built in the image of Gandhi, who can play the role of great catalyst to bring social transformation in India. In that sense, Anna Hazare is an embodiment of India’s anger, frustration, and desperation but in a saintly frame towards achieving a corrupt free society to which the political class seems to be apathetic.
The heated debates in the parliament in the last days of August 2011 could have begun few days, months or years back. Anna demands a kind of Ombudsman which can check corruption at high and low levels. In fact this system of Ombudsman (which we call Lokpal) was already introduced in Indian Parliament several times since 1968, but it was not passed. Who is to blame? I blame the apathy of the political class, the lack of coordination between divergent political parties, and also the lack of political vision and statesmanship. Perhaps, all these point towards India as a nation state is not yet mature, vibrant and fair. Leaders like Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, Ambedkar and other builders of modern India could have lamented the present state of India.
Anna rises above all petty debates. He aroused the spirit of India from slumber. Indians irrespective of differences and diversities must support him and his vision.
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