Anna != Gandhi

Anna does not equal to Gandhi.

Team Anna Hazare and many others are comparing this anti-corruption protest with the FREEDOM FIGHT against Britishers. Let us just think and assess. If we consider the Britishers as the ruling entity, let us consider the Government of India in the same context (mind well, there is no similarity in attitude, intensions and actions of these two). So both of the entities are the receivers of the protest.

PROTEST FOR WHAT:

 

Freedom	Anti-Corruption
Freedom fight was the protest against Britishers who were outsiders and they were exceptionally insensible and unjust towards the people and the country. The expected outcome was FREEDOM, may be the issue of highest rank for a country and countrymen. Very serious protest!	Fight against corruption is an issue within our own country and receiving rulers are the Government of India which is also our own, a Government which is elected (and not imposed) by us. This is not the sole point to be made to justify the Government’s action. This is just a mandatory and factual assumption. The issues are very serious to but smaller than the fight of freedom.

Freedom fight was a one point agenda and was the sole issue for which the entire nation has one voice, one belief. Fight against corruption is not the sole agenda of the country, countrymen or the Government of India to tackle and to deal with. Corruption is one of the major issues along with inflation, poverty, human rights, communal harmony, terrorism and many others. Yes, it could be a one point agenda for Anna Hazare and team as they have decided to concentrate to work in that one sole area. Appreciated! No complains for that.

So, there is a huge difference between the CAUSE of FIGHT in terms of seriousness and size.

PROTEST WHY:

 

Freedom

Anti-Corruption

A century long battle with Britishers was not an overnight product of mere dissatisfaction of people. The chronic penetration of British rule in each corner of India was a long drawn pain. Inhuman conditions and the heights of tolerances were encountered before it burst out into a historical protest to win our own freedom. Only if we consider Gandhi’s return to India (in 1915) as an actual trigger point of Indian struggle for independence, it took 32 more years to actually get the freedom. The reason is already justified here and now but the reasons for Anna’s protest have to be drawn.

Not before the beginning of 2011, Anna Hazare took the baton of Jan LokPal Bill in his hands. On March 13, 2011, a group of Delhi Residents drove around the city in white clothes to support anti-corruption campaign and passing the Jan LokPal Bill. And the original protest of Anna (as he calls it a Satyagraha) began on April 5, 2011. Within 5 months, Anna, his team and some other people have started comparing it with the half-century long, exceptionally sacrificial struggle of freedom. Neither the objective nor the reasons are anywhere near to the freedom struggle of India.

 

PROTEST HOW:

What triggered this article is the song of Jan LokPal Bill (http://soundcloud.com/avnish-avi/lokpal-song-india-against-corruption) forwarded by one my colleagues – Arpan. The actual soulful meaning of the protest was being felt while listening to this song. It reminded the way songs were written while India’s freedom struggle.

 

Freedom

Anti-Corruption

Despite of intolerable conditions and despite of being the victims of most unjust incidents of the history, people were creative, artistic, full of heart and so much in the actual mood of protest. Most of them hardly held agony, hatred and negativity against Britishers. Rather they had a deep faith in those humans who lived within those Britishers as well. FAITH is the key when something is expected from someone.

With the least faith, bitter mind set, harsh statements, stubborn and agitated approach – this team of Anna Hazare is expecting overnight law from the bill which has been lying there from 1960. Taking an advantage of this agitation, opposition has jeopardized the Parliamentary sessions. All these may sound theoretical but Parliament is the most important place of country’s politics and it is the most important time when the sessions are held to discuss bills, issues and problems of the country. Not letting it function is not going to help anyone!

If Government did not accept the draft of Anna, there could have been rallies in all over the country. Peaceful marches could have take place, with such beautiful songs which could wittily and sensibly bring in more and importantly fundamentally strong support to this protest. Current support to Anna has no soul. It’s a temporary, comfy and situational support. Anna negotiating the length of fast doesn’t make any sense. When in the life, did we hear about the length of fast being negotiated? This is also an entirely different debate.

There is the least similarity between the fight for freedom and fight against corruption. Comparing it with the emergency situation is also irrational. There are many other activists who are fighting for many such causes on state level, going into remote villages who also have practiced fasting, protested, blocked roads – they also have been arrested, kept in custody and released.

People not knowing the battles and struggles within their own home, want to romantically support Anna Hazare and wear ‘Topi’s. Thanks to Media and thanks to the money Anna and team is having who can stage such big events. Same size of events and protests have been taking place within Gujarat for various serious reasons including the protests against nuclear plants, unjust land distribution and natural resource protection. They don’t have 1.5 crore rupees to build a Steven Spielberg fasting stage.

Anna Hazare is detained… So?

Update 17/08/2011 – “With the whole writing, the comments and the discussion – I also want to extend the thought that it was not appropriate on Government’s part to arrest Anna Hazare. But as they have now corrected it and PM has also vowed to pass LokPal bill as soon as possible, what is left out of agenda of Mr Hazare? “

Anna Hazare is detained. The country hastily reacts to a cute old man showing a great courage from last few months. Who is Anna Hazare? If asked, more than 60% may get it wrong. Last night, in the first episode of Kaun Banega Karodpati – Season 5, a gentleman had no clue that who is Kisan Baburao!

Kisan Baburao Hazare, is the full name of Anna Hazare. Starting with the name, take the Lokpal, Lokayukta and even the objective behind this protest, there might be fingers in mouth while answering the meanings of these terms.

“We must change the system!” – Which system? What system? These people who say it, they won’t have an idea what system they are talking about. Anna Hazare is not fighting to end the corruption. Amazed??? I am afraid, it is true. Anna Hazare originally initiated his fight to put the Lokpal Bill in the Parliament to be debated and to conclude the laws which can tackle the corruption cases. From as simple explanation of his presented bill, it turned into an agitated throw hole for all who wanted to take an advantage of this stage. Hundreds have misused the stage Anna had set for all these months to put the bill of his choice in Parliament. But those who wanted to misuse they made out an agenda to push the government down. May they get well soon!

Now, how? Anna has been insisting upon the weapon of fasting (Anshan). Many have suggested in their comments that why a Government should resist a peaceful and non-violent protest of Anna? Well, what is a peacemaker? Does a peacemaker ever raise the tone, raise the attitude and does he/she ever threaten the stake holders who expect the peace to prevail? Anna may be a holy soul, the spotless personality, the most hard working worker or the most noble human being but he is a little far from being a sensible decision maker and solution seeker! An IIT lad is the brain behind Anna Hazare. He needed a cute face to be presented to the Indian people who always refrain and rather do not trust the young politicians much. Anna was planted to sit of fast (the first occasion when he fasted for the Lokpal bill), everything has is living drama like the Facebook story line. No one expected what is going to happen and no one really even measured this kind of response when they started. Babas and Swamis roasted their rotis and many other politicians took a chance to get published in newspapers and TV channels.

Anna kept changing his stand, attitude, statements and even the agenda. He burnt the Lokpal draft of Government as well. Again, is it a peacemaker’s act? Anna is too naïve and got it all wrong what the fasting means? We must refer to this:

Gandhi distinguished between satyagraha and passive resistance in the following letter:

 

 “I have drawn the distinction between passive resistance as understood and practiced in the West and satyagraha before I had evolved the doctrine of the latter to its full logical and spiritual extent. I often used “passive resistance” and “satyagraha” as synonymous terms: but as the doctrine of satyagraha developed, the expression “passive resistance” ceases even to be synonymous, as passive resistance has admitted of violence as in the case of suffragettes and has been universally acknowledged to be a weapon of the weak. Moreover, passive resistance does not necessarily involve complete adherence to truth under every circumstance. Therefore it is different from satyagraha in three essentials: Satyagraha is a weapon of the strong; it admits of no violence under any circumstance whatsoever; and it ever insists upon truth. I think I have now made the distinction perfectly clear.”

Reference: Gandhi, M.K. “Letter to Mr. ——” 25 January 1920 (The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi vol. 19, p. 350)

Satyagraha has no place for violence. Anna’s way to insistence and threatening of fasting are forms of violence. “Give me this, or I will die (fasting)!” – is an utter violence. Fasting involves self-restrain, experiencing the gloom what others must be facing and the tone of request and plea. No eating and no drinking do not mean an Anshan (Protesting with Fast).

Not that the Indian government is the glass clean! It is also found to be over-reacting at some stages but Anna has to listen, talk, debate and understand a few more point of views. Government has 1000 more things to do than focusing on a crazy old nut who is threatening openly there and then.

There is nothing to conclude just yet, there is still more and a lot more to think and assess. One can contribute in this thinking and assessment process rather than jeopardizing the peace, order and law of the nation.

Exclusively for the dear people of Gujarat: (this space will keep udpating)

Definition of Lokayukta http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lokayukta Gujarat is still to appoint Lokayukta which is a state anti-corruption organisation and Modi is talking about cleaning out the corruption from the whole country!!! LOL