I really wonder why some in the media, press, intellectuals and politicians keep finding fault with Anna Hazare, Baba Ramdev and their team whenever they talk about corruption, black money or some alleged corrupt politicians. The trend is, to argue that these activists have lost focus, find flaws with the words that they had uttered, detect some misunderstanding or internal fight amongst their team members or bring up allegations of corruption against one or the other member of the team. Alleged rivalries and one up man ship by one individual or the other are exaggerated in an attempt to play on the egos of individuals aimed at creating friction between the crusaders and to make public believe that all is not well with the activists. Are these aimed at hiding the main concerns raised by these individuals by diverting attention of the people to some, not so very important issues? Let us face facts, the so called fault lines in the movement may concern the armchair political strategists, intellectuals and the media but are non issues for the masses who believe that these technicalities do not make the issues raised by the activists less important in any way.
The question is, are Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev preaching wrong things? Are they spreading falsehood when they talk of corruption and black money? Do we want them to stop their crusade? Or are we to believe that the Government will act on these issues on their own and everything will be hunky – dory? Do these so called shortcomings warrant a new team to take over the movement? Would a different team, strategy or approach make any difference to the importance of the issues involved or be more successful? When most of us including the opposition parties have failed to enlighten to voting masses, aren’t these activists doing a great job?
Corruption and black money cannot be accepted in any civilized society. In a country like India, if at all we wish to change things, it is only the voter who can make the difference. Educating the people is likely to awaken the people to elect the right people to represent them, a byproduct of which will be accountability in governance. Change in attitude and mindset of people can only be achieved by sustained campaigns like the ones that are being staged by these social activists.
Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev are not politicians and do not appear to be on the lookout for a political appointment. They do not belong to the privileged up end society or are they trained in manipulating words to remain politically correct every time they communicate. But one thing is for sure – they do connect with the middle class and to the poor especially those in the rural areas very clearly and effectively. They have been able to bring to the fore issues which has for quite some time been agitating the minds of many. Today, you like it or not, the bulk of the middle class and the lower strata of the society believe that the issues raised by them indeed have a direct bearing on their quality of life and well being. Every time some spokesperson from some political party criticizes these activists or find fault with them, the Aam Admi sees it as an attempt to demolish the movement. It confirms their worst fears that all is not well with the ruling class and these are attempts to brush wrong doings under the carpet.
None can claim that the issues raised by these activists are irrelevant. Allegations of wrong doings, corruption, misuse of power and misappropriation are breaking news almost on a daily basis. It also seems true that CWG, 2G, illegal mining, land grab, Coalgate, black money slashed outside the country, NHRM, NREGA scams etc are massive frauds involving lakhs of crores belonging to the people. There is no doubt in any ones mind that had these national wealth not been plundered, the very face of the country would have changed. It is also true that the unfair deals people have received in the hands of the Administration and the unwillingness of the so called leaders to stand up and correct wrongs have propped up discords such as the Naxal movement. The rule seems to be different for the common man and the ruling class.
Considering the gravity of the issues involved, it is naïve for anyone to imagine that people will fall prey to propagandas highlighting relatively unimportant issues. Protecting the corrupt would boomerang right in the face of the guilty and the protectors. Individuals are not important for the people especially when they are reeling under tremendous inflationary pressures and are facing the effect of corruption without any respite. The difference between the rich and the poor as well as the common citizen and the powerful are visible to the naked eye. We as a country cannot ignore these very potent issues.
The earlier we see logic, correct wrongs and allow the rule of law to prevail without any consideration for individual loyalties or favorites, the better it would be for the country and our political system.
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