I Salute Anna Hazare

It is too early to conclude what would be the outcome of the movement ignited by Anna Hazare at Jantar Mandir in Delhi. However, I am thrilled to see the massive response gaining momentum within a couple of days after he began his fast unto death. All that the Gandhian is demanding is an effective Lokpal (not the sham that the draft Bill prepared by the government) against corruption. These days I was little too pessimistic and always thought nostalgically that the era of peoples movement and protests are over forever. Rather I hardly saw any space for civil society protests in India. This feeling is not without reason. Look at Irom Sharmila’s non violent struggle for the last 10 years against the draconian AFPSA in Manipur. I was completely disappointed when I tried to discuss this issue with few students from the North East. They in turn asked me who is Irom Sharmila?. The movement, which is a Gandhian one, in every sense of the term, deserved better response from the government and the civil society. Here I am not trying to reduce the efforts of the groups that are taking up the cause for the last 10 years as non-consequential. The Narmada movement under the leadership of Medha Patkar too, though got wider publicity, should have got better treatment and support. I did look at the movement of the people in Egypt with envy.

I started thinking that the people, especially the large middle class, who benefitted out of the political system, are too self centered to think beyond themselves and the poor never had the space and time for organizing or be part of a protest; as their prime concern is to deal with their own everyday existence in this maddening world. The young generation, I thought, is no good as they are hooked to facebooks and tweeters and to their mobile phones. However, I stood corrected when I saw the crowd at India Gate and Jantar Mandir. And that too a large number of young people! I got touched when a young girl of 17, still in school, told that “if a 73 year old Hazare sab can fight for us, the least we can do is to be part of that fight in large numbers”. She further said, “no; we did not bunk classes. We told our teachers and parents that we are going to take part in the procession”.

It was nice to see the young ones sitting as part of panel discussions in TV channels (for a change) along with veterans like Lord Megnad Desai (Of course, Vinod Sharma, a journalist by profession and an eternally loyal supporter of the congress establishment was there too) and venting out their anger against corruption. It was clear that their participation in the movement may be spontaneous, but their anger was accumulated. It was accumulated against the corrupt system, corrupt politicians irrespective the colour of the flag they belong to, against corrupt bureaucrats and ultimately the inefficient system that invariably failed to take action against the corrupt. The anger and frustration were writ large on their faces.

An old man who came with his two young grand children told, amongst the candles of vigil, that he wanted his grand children to become part of this great moment. This is for them for years to remember.

I watched with pride the mass of people, swelling like flood water; felt bad that I was not there physically; and sing such songs that we used to in the university: “we shall overcome someday” or Bob Dylon’s “times are changing”. I see people- young, middle aged and old, men and women, from different parts of the country. People chanting…people singing…. I liked it when they turned back the politicians (who came to appropriate the movement in the pretext of supporting the cause) not so politely.

The visual media vied with each other to show the people at India Gate and Jantar Mantar with candle lights and brought live discussions to the drawing rooms of those who sit far away. I thank them for that. However, I got nausea when I saw Burka Datta anchoring a programme on Hazare’s fast. What an audacity! When she herself is very much part of the corporate-politician nexus with corruption! The least that NDTV could have done to the people was not put her up on such a show. And how much I wished that one person from her audience asked her: What about you madam? What right do you have to talk about ethics and corruption? Perhaps that was the only disappointment of the evening. I am eagerly waiting for hear more news on the protest. We are also thinking to do something in Chennai to show our solidarity to the cause.
“Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly again'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changing'.