In Defence of Anna

Yesterday was a landmark day. It felt great to finally see Parliament do what it should have done at the beginning of the session itself. And Anna and India finally winning.

This is to cover three issues at which people continue to find fault or fear with the campaign and my take on them.

Firstly, that there is too much politician bashing going on. If you actually look at it, there was basically one event in which Om Puri called all politicians gavar. I don’t know whether he meant it literally illiterate or gavar in the sense they seem to be illiterate of the people’s needs and demands. Either way, it was wrong, and I think that the Anna team has already apologized for any wrong or derogatory language used. But somehow people forget that while Om Puri’s comments were his personal opinion and not that of team Anna, less than 2 weeks ago the spokesperson of the Congress had called Anna ‘steeped into corruption from head to toe.’ Digvijay Singh’s language like ‘nachaniyon ki party’ for BJP etc are not entirely parliamentary either. If the politicians cannot hear their criticism, they should refrain from using derogatory terms themselves first.

Besides, the deep-rooted mistrust which team Anna and the common man had for the politicians is only natural. In April, after Jantar Mantar had ended, the government actually had a golden opportunity. Everyone who’s read the demands which were accepted yesterday by Parliament will agree that there was really no two ways about them being unconstitutional or unnecessary. They were in fact essential for the Lokpal to succeed. Why were these not included in the original government draft? Imagine the frustration of the people when it sees eminent and supposedly honest politicians like Sibal and Khursheed to say that the lower bureaucracy will not be covered, because you cannot expect Lokpal to cover so many people effectively; but ya, we will cover each and every NGO!!! Imagine what they felt when Sibal and co insisted on punishing those guilty of corruption for minimum 6 months but the accuser of minimum 2 years if he fails to prove his accusation! Imagine their disgust when they realized that the government wants to nominate 60-70% of Lokpal members itself and also have powers to suspend Lokpal on its own without the Parliament’s/ Court’s consent! How can you expect people to trust the government after all this? It is but natural that they will not agree to breaking the fast on mere promises but only after seeing some concrete action. If the government had included all these demands in its own draft, the Jan Lokpal movement would not have taken off at all in this fashion. But they have now lost the moral right to sermon us or expect our trust. Manmohan Singh states that no one can say that he was ever corrupt. I also totally trust his character. But the fact remains, that when he had 3 names in front of him for the post of CVC and only 1 of them had a history of an alleged involvement in a scam (and the Leader of the Opposition opposed his name as well), he still chose Thomas over the other two. Can he explain that?

Secondly, that Anna team should have shown more grace and stopped the fast long ago, viz when the PM wrote that letter, or when the debate started etc. And that their demands were draconian and arrogant et al. These people must understand the art of bargaining. When you go shopping at Fashion Street and the vendor asks for Rs 1000, you don’t say 500 even if that’s the price you are willing to pay, you say 200. Then he comes to 750, you go to 400, and the bargain is struck at 500. Most people who supported Anna (including probably part of the Anna team itself) also did not expect or support a law in which MP’s conduct in Parliament would be covered or phone tapping for everyone would be allowed. But that’s what bargaining is all about. If the fast had ended when the PM wrote that letter, there would have been no debate in Parliament in which every party was forced to clarify their stand. Team Anna did an absolutely fantastic job, which makes my Marwari heart swell in pride. Those clamouring for the fast to end never realized how no party had categorically clarified their stand on these issues at the time of the PM’s letter.

Thirdly, the ‘dangerous trend setting’ theory. This doesn’t cut much ice with me. The Telangana dispute, the Kashmir dispute, Iron Sharmila all have widespread local public support. People have fasted, they have set themselves on fire, they have committed suicide, they have committed even murder for many such issues. That has not forced Parliament to act on them. The point is, national support and legitimacy is won by a movement only if is morally correct for everyone. And anyway, you cannot not do something correct because of the perceived danger of something wrong happening in the future. Rahul Gandhi said something stupid. ‘Today it may be an all-encompassing demand like corruption; tomorrow it may be something which violates the fabric of basic Indian society and constitution.’ Well then, support today’s demand and oppose tomorrows if it ever comes to that, Mr Gandhi! That’s why we elect you.

And finally, will the BSP ever improve? It managed to get reservations into this issue as well!! Thankfully, its demand was hardly supported, with caste, creed and religious barriers being broken for the cause of India, and the likes of BSP and Shahi Imam being given a befitting reply this time.

PS: Notice that no party has still committed to any sort time frame for the Judicial Accountability Bill. Hopefully it too will see the light sooner than later, and without another campaign required for the same.