The India for which Anna fights

Anna Hazare has been arrested by the Delhi police. The famed Gandhian was about to begin his fast unto death against corruption at the JP Park in the capital of the country. However, the government and the police turned the tables on Team Anna by not only imposing sec 144 a day before but arresting many who had gathered at the venue in his support.

The entire area was cordoned off and in a matter of minutes the colour of khaki had replaced white. None was spared, not even the senior civil-society members who have a reputation of their own. Thus Kiran Bedi, Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan saw themselves getting packed into buses for a destination not disclosed. Many are protesting on the streets and some are courting arrest.

Almost everyone in this country is aware of what Anna is fighting for. The 74-year-old, born as Kisan Baburao Hazare, was already a known figure in parts of India (he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 1992). However, his rise to fame came only this year when he chose to fast unto death on April 5. Though the fast ended in four days but by then waves of supporters from many parts of India had joined him forcing the government to agree on a Jan Lokpal Bill to check graft in public offices.

This time, Anna was threatening the government with the same weapon since the Centre had failed in its promise.

In a televised interview before his arrest, Anna said that this is the time for a second Independence struggle. He urged the fellow countrymen to come together and court arrest so that the “prisons are packed to capacity”.

How sad. It seems he is not living in the 21^st century. Anna, rather unfortunately, still believes that the preachings of Mahatma Gandhi stand true in today’s times in this country.

India is a country where things run more on a ‘copycat procedure’. At the time when Anna was holding his fast in April, waves of protests had erupted in many parts of the world – particularly North Africa. Thus Anna’s fast got a big boost through the social networking sites. Reports reveal that many people who had then sided with Anna were either unaware of what the agenda was (except the clichéd word corruption) or were corrupt themselves.

The clever government agreed to Anna’s demands for the time being only to let the issue ‘cool down’. It was a well thought-of plan and it worked. Indian politics says that the people have a very short memory and less patience. They may raise their voice for a particular cause but will not be able to hold on to it for long.

Here in India, the people are busier with their daily lives than anything else. Whatever little education they receive, they are content when they get a ‘sarkari job’. The next step is to get married and the ‘customary’ give and take of dowry. In the next step they carry out the ‘necessary’ task of having a child. In a year or two, the first child needs a companion to play with and thus a second one is introduced in the household. Now mind it, the second one has to be a boy if the first one was not. In case the second one too turns out a girl (which is unlikely because of cases of sex determination), a third one is planned. The series will go on until the ‘saviour’ boy arrives.

The next step in a common man’s life is to feed his family. To do so he needs money and in this rising inflation living on a ‘sarkari’ pay is not easy especially if the man is little learned. Thus, exchanging hands under the table becomes a common act. Even if the person is unemployed, this will not deter him from marrying and having children (often seen in rural areas of the country).

This type of a common man constitutes more than 2/3^rd of this country’s population. Of the remaining 1/3^rd, at least 30 percent of the people have all the luxuries they need. This leaves only a few who may join their voices with Anna. But indifference to the nation is another factor that will chaff off many more from within the probables. Those left will be the only ones fighting for Anna and they will only have small section of the youth. 

Faces of middle aged and old men were seen on TV channels airing the protests live. Not many young guys were there on any of the 20 leading channels of the country.

The opportunistic youth of today are busy with their careers and, if possible, leave for ‘that foreign land’. Who said USA is the only country?

In India a century by Sachin Tendulkar is far too important than a disabled boy winning gold at a world championship. In India staring at Ambani’s Antilla means looking ‘up’. Who cares for the homeless?

In India election of a leader on the basis of his caste is mandatory. Is there a criminal case against the candidate? We don’t care.

In India ignoring traffic laws, evading responsibilities, using unethical means to climb the ladder and differentiating between ourselves on any basis are some of the ‘rules’ by which people we have been living and will live.  

This is not Gandhi’s India. The concept of Ahimsa now stands good only for a movie script.

Thus, Anna’s agitation will not continue as anticipated by him. Yes, there will be protests for some time in his support but not for long. It is an established fact that a battle overstretched is a battle lost.

We v/s We

Anna Hazare, probably India’s most influential social activist, has staged a fast-unto-death to root out the biggest epidemic of the country—corruption. People across cities and from all ages have joined in support of the Gandhian style protest through candlelight marches, fasting for a day or promoting the cause itself. Many are calling it the Jasmine revolution of South Asia. Such has been the effect of the demonstrations that a prominent minister has stepped down from his position in an elite government group.

The large numbers of people who have turned up to express their support to Anna are proof of the growing resentment in the masses against corruption and political parties. In an article written earlier which found place in a leading newspaper, I had mentioned that if we have to put the blame of corrupting the country on any one person then that has to be ‘us’. Yes, collectively it is ‘us’ who are corrupt and strangely, today we are rising against ‘us’.

The demonstrators are asking for new powers in an old law (as if the already existing laws were not enough). Obviously, the government is trying to downplay the demands. Opposition political parties are trying, somewhat in vain, to gain milage out of the tumultuous situation. The great Indian Media has big news in the post World Cup scenario.

Protests are not new to this nation. We have been protesting since— God knows when. Some of those protests were successful while others failed. It was the protests that led to our Independence. The media and the people equal this agitation to the one that were held in the pre-Independence era. However, there is a difference.

The protests before 1947 were against a government and a class that was entirely foreign in all aspects of a civilization. Everything is different between the societal customs of the British and the South Asians. This time, the people are opposing a few of their own. Ironically, those few were elected by the very same people who are out on the streets today. In this regard the Jasmine revolution that swept the sands of North Africa is closer in comparison. Yet again, there is a difference.

The one that happened in the desert nations was a movement of those who thought on the same plane. The demonstrators were a mixed lot of high class and low class people, filthy rich and pathetically poor individuals, people from different ideologies or religions irrespective of their societal standing. On the other hand, India is a country of 1.2 billion people and is far more divided in societal structure than any other country in the world. Thus, it is extremely difficult to generate public opinion for a good cause. Why?

Look at the World Cup that ended on a happy note for India. Tickets were in great demand and this led to black-marketing. Tickets worth Rs 25 were being sold at Rs 25,000. Someone was ready to sell off his kidney for a ticket so that he could watch the game. Millions were spent in a matter of days and billions were earned by the corporates and the BCCI. As for the cricketers, do I need to write anything about them and their incomes?

On the night India won the World Cup, 18 million children went to sleep on the streets of this very same country. They do it every day. While many of us were busy in celebrations, thousands (maybe lakhs) were wondering about their next day’s meal. My simple question is: If the people of this country have so much money to spend on brands and an overpriced ticket for a match, then why hasn’t the number of poor in this country reduced? If the owners of big corporates have enough money to spend on palatial 26 storey buildings for their personal comfort, then why are those 18 million children sleeping on the streets?

No revolution can find success until everyone takes part in it irrespective of differences. Human psychology is weird; they may say something and do the other. Before trying to root out corruption, it is necessary to root out the greedy side within us. That is difficult, very difficult in this materialistic society.