Round one is over. Team Anna is the undisputed
winner. There is a barrage of editorials, articles, cover stories and features
across the country which have in all probability covered every last header and
footer of the saga better known as the Lokpal ( Jan or otherwise). Opinions
reciprocate India’s diversity remain divided. There is a large section which
blindly reveres the Jan Lokpal as its Holy Grail and thinks of the Government
as Crusaders. This section is contrasted with those who think the entire process
is ridiculous and pointless, not to mention undemocratic. Implementation of already existing laws and
committees is their chosen path. In addition there are those who recognize the
facts and fallacies of both sides and are hopeful of carving an intermediate
path which produces maximum efficacy. Amidst this clutter of opinion, the one
unanimous voice which was vivid and vibrant was the long dormant voice of
India.
As a country, we were overjoyed on 15th
August 1947 and had every reason to be so. Even the bloodshed of the partition
couldn’t dampen our elation at being free. Understandably, there was no
hesitation in accepting leaders like Nehru and Patel who had struggled for our
freedom at the helm of affairs which involved running free India. They did not
disappoint. Neither did their immediate successors. The NAM, five year
development plans, the Bangladesh war are just some instances of acute
governance which can form crucial chapters of a book, “How to run a country” .
This led to a dependence which in turn to negligence of the masses towards
their governments affairs. The good work done was taken to be the norm.
Gradually, leadership changed and so did mentality. The irrepressible and
unidirectional zeal to work for the country was replaced with personal power
and benefits. The government came under the control of people born into free
India and thus people who did not realize its value to the extent required. By
the time, the people of India realized the predicament; they had developed an
apathetic attitude which had become incorrigible. Everything was acceptable in
the country as long as there was a way to circumvent the situation,
irrespective of the means to do it. The only protest came in the form of tea
time discussions which critiqued the political workings of the country on a
superficial level. It had to end some day. The omnipresent criticism was
indicative of pent up anger. Anna Hazare just ignited it. For the first time in
their lives people found themselves fighting for something they believed should
end, something that had been a menace to each one of them. Corruption became
the common enemy of the country and a mass movement unlike any witnessed by most
in their life time. Google registered a significant number of hits on
Parliament statements, protest venues and government reactions- a phenomenon
which was hitherto unheard of. The people of the country finally woke up from
their slumber to the fact that living in a democracy necessitates participation
without which it abstains from being one.
As Indians, we have this dubious distinction of
having a view on every possible subject, our blatant and often shameful
ignorance notwithstanding. The unprecedented support that Anna Hazare got
during this protest is an indication. A small section of the huge number of
protestors had adequate knowledge of the provisions of the Jan Lokpal and the
Lokpal bill, its differences, the meaning of the difference and the subsequent
implications. The others followed the Indian tradition of following the mob
irrespective. The fact that the media left no stone unturned in terms of Anna
public relations was more than just helpful to make sure the Anna was the new
trend in town.
Supporting or opposing the Lokpal, Jan Lokpal is a
matter of personal opinion and each voice in the matter has equal right to be
heard. It is a fair argument that some action against corruption is imperative
and immediate. On the other hand, to create a powerful body like a Lokpal gives
rise to genuine fears of future obstacles. It is very easy to draw comparisons
between Anna Hazare and Gandhi, yet it must also be remembered that Gandhi
fought against a foreign rule; the scenario today pits the civil society
against its own government which for all its fallacies has managed to uphold
the core values of the Indian Constitution thus far. The important message here
is that people should form an informed opinion which is not based on just a
single newspaper or channel. India was probably tired after the momentous
freedom struggle. Finally, Anna Hazare has managed to create an alarm loud
enough to awake it. Every person in the country is free to support or oppose
him, only condition being that the decision is his/her own and not just another
way of being part of the mob or media circus.
