01 September,2011 09:54 AM IST | | Pathikrit Sen Gupta
There may be a bit of madness in his method, but 74-year-old Anna Hazare has proven that where there's a bill, there's a way. More work lies ahead. Hazare may have gulped down a concoction of coconut water and honey while the government swallowed its pride, but the actual Lokpal Bill -- in whatever form it is yet to be passed by parliament.
Symbolism apart, I attach little credence to the 'I am Anna' and 'India is Anna, Anna is India' slogans. A movement is rarely formed of equals. There are leaders and there are followers. The latter are usually of three kindsu00a0-- the misinformed, the ill-informed and the uninformed. So, analysts shouldn't have expected anything different here.
People have a right to make incognisant choices. It's another matter that, till now, in the political sphere, they were mostly relegated to the confines of ballot boxes (and EVMs). So it's fair to say that apart from the enlightened ones, most of the yuvashakti, which was on display, simply wished to refurbish the Facebook walls and add to the ECA column in the CVs. But they all count.
Anna and his fast friends are now talking in terms of participatory or even inclusive democracy to replace its present representative form in the country. Given the ambiguous nature of the term democracy itself, this is not helping matters. What is castigated as blatant undemocratic behaviour by a certain faction may be celebrated as the highest form of democracy by another.
For instance, the political class failed to see the dry humour in Kiran Bedi's towel dance at Ramlila Maidan, but the crowd certainly did. To lambaste and obliterate structures and systems that have taken decades to build is indeed a mesmeric idea. But it's tenable only if ready replacements are available.
Politicians, as a breed, are averse to change. Especially when it affects them directly. So, a movement was needed. But what was the real issue? Many, I believe, realise now that Lokpal and even corruption were, much like Anna Hazare, mere rallying points.
The fact is that the masses wanted to see the political class bend. Because many of us who have indulged in corruption in one form or another like to perceive ourselves as victims so that we can sleep at night. And 'dirty' politicians make for good scapegoats. The arrogance of the netas has been scorned and ridiculed. But what about the conceit of Anna, his team, the media and the aam aadmi? No Lokpal will change that.
