Who is the real Anna Hazare? What did he want then and what does he want now? These questions may be politically inconsequential today but just for curiosity and closure, we need to know the answers. Anna Hazare, after all, left his mark on a defining chapter in the history of modern India. In the book, Gandhi claims credit for turning the Lokpal movement into the Anna movement.
He approached Mayank Gandhi to become part of it, just as he approached various people across the country from different backgrounds and different political persuasions, including the extreme Left and Right. Mayank Gandhi said he liked the idea but who would be the face of the movement? This was a critical question. According to Gandhi, Kejriwal instantly agreed that this was going to be an issue and asked if he had anyone in mind. Gandhi said Anna Hazare, and described the pros and cons of using him.
Today we can see all these qualities in Anna Hazare. It became clear as the Lokpal movement was winding down that Anna Hazare wanted constant media attention. He wanted to not just be the face of a movement but the father of the nation.
All he wants is attention. He wants to be Kangana Ranaut, if not Narendra Modi. If he was 20 years younger and knew how to outrage people through Twitter, he would even have some chance to succeed. Anna Hazare as the face of the Lokpal movement was a hit.
And for all the reasons Gandhi mentions in his book. Anna Hazare was a Gandhian, a school of thought and mode of action that has great resonance in India, even today. He did not fit in neat ideological boxes: he was neither too Left nor too Right. Most importantly, he had the credibility to lead an anti-corruption movement. But there is a triumph that the liberal media has won for the Congress in the recent months, which is to show farmers as a distressed community. Once you define someone as a vulnerable group, it is easy to show the BJP as a majoritarian villain.
Hazare may still have succeeded if he had one important quality of Gandhi. Gandhi was a part of the ruling social elite who had to masquerade as a poor man.
He could set the agenda. The elite were with him. Hazare is not a part of the contemporary elite. Forget setting the agenda, he was probably used as an employee by a section of the middle class to bring Narendra Modi to power. His true loyal base is the impoverished small farmer. I do believe though that Hazare does not contest elections for the same reasons as Gandhi—pride presented as disdain for electoral politics. But then the only way to sustain a political movement in India is by accepting that it is political.
Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Many more are glued to their TV sets, watching developments as the initially defiant Indian government looks on track to eat humble pie. This fight is led by Anna Hazare , a year-old activist, who is on hunger strike until parliament considers the bill that would establish a Lokpal — ombudsman — with the power to investigate and punish corrupt politicians and civil servants.
Hazare had fasted in April and forced the government to agree to include his team in drafting the bill. His non-violent yet aggressive, Gandhi-like method of protest, together with his anti-corruption cause, struck a chord with Indians.
Thousands of non-government organisations fight for social causes every day in India, but none has ever achieved this kind of support. From rickshaw drivers to software engineers, from businessmen to spiritual leaders, people from all walks of life back Anna.
So do I. This level of support is unusual here. The usual Indian response is phrases all of India's young are used to hearing from the older generation: "Nothing will ever change in this country", "nobody can touch the powerful", and "the common man is meant to suffer".
Cynics thrive in India, and they have ample evidence to support their attitude. After all, things have not changed much over the past five decades — governance is as incompetent and corrupt as ever, and the guilty are almost never punished. Archaic laws, designed for autocratic, colonial rulers with no accountability yes, blame the British for everything have been retained and abused to the hilt by the current politicians. Power talks; truth and justice are often crushed.
We remain a poor country, despite having world-class talent and ample natural resources. And yet, something is different about India's class of Best way to support Anna is to abstain from giving and taking money to break rules Shekar Bharadwaj. Respected Anna. I am a student. I will support you Prasan Pondy. Annaji, only a visionary like u can eradicate corruption from the country. I strongly support this movement with great hope.
Rohit, Jharkhand. We are with you. I will be coming to Jantar Mantar also to support Sunil Kumar. Anna you are simply great Santosh Karande. All rights reserved.
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