Stay apolitical

It is the first step for an agitation to be apolitical to take it to its logical end. Social activist Anna Hazare’s agitation for the appointment of Jan Lokpal to fight out corruption reached nowhere because it could not keep itself apolitical. Hazare’s agitation had drawn massive support spontaneously as long as it stayed apolitical during its short life span. Once it appeared that his agitation was taking political side and it was being supported from behind the scene by the main opposition party BJP, Anna Hazare’s support base started dwindling. Though the cause of his agitation is genuine and nobody irrespective of ideological belief and party can brush it aside, his target centred on only the ruling Congress party that smacked of some interest at play. Agitationists’ main objective should be to awaken the people and embark on mass mobilization movement for the cause which touches the inner heart chord of the people. Who can deny that there is no corruption in India and crores of rupees of black money is not stashed away in foreign banks. Yogu Guru Ramdev has also raised a genuine issue of bringing black money stashed in foreign bank. Government of India must be pressurized to act against corruption and black money. But the pressure on it can not be built by collecting massive crowd by being in the focus of electronic media for days or weeks. The govt. also can not be pressurized to act only because Opposition BJP and its ally attended his protest rally. People are sovereign in India. Power vests in them. They are the masters in democracy. So, instead of holding grand meeting in the national capital and keeping the government on alert to avert any untoward incidents, Anna Hazare, his key supporters and Baba Ramdev should go to the villages and enlighten the people how corruption and black money is deep rooted in govt. and eat into the vitality of the nation. They are so many political parties in the country. People would cast their votes for candidates of the political party whom they consider to be the honest and sensitive to their cause. Not only black money stashed away in foreign banks should be brought back into the country but also the black money kept in domestic banks and is canalized through some other ways to escape law of the land should be brought brought in public view. Ramdev Baba is not only the Yoga Guru but he has also established a business empire in the name of promoting indigenous products by a chain of outlets- Patanjali Arogya. Business is not based on the idea of public welfare but on solely profit motive. People will also not loose sight of Baba Ramdev’s business interest.

Protect Hindus in Pakistan

Insecurity prevails among Hindus, Sikh and Christian minorities in Pakistan. As democracy has always been fragile in Pakistan since its inception and it has already declared itself an Islamic state and not democratic, it is natural for it to impose Islamic belief and tradition on them. Pakistan has always promoted religious radicalism and it has never showed seriousness for the protection of minorities- Hindu, Sikh and Christian there. It is the responsibility of India to ask Pakistan in clear words that it must take all necessary measure for providing safety, security and protecting the honour of Hindu girls in Pakistan. Otherwise, it will be compelled to take appropriate measures to stop the atrocities on Hindus, Sikhs and Christians in Pakistan. They are treated as second grade citizens in Pak. If the news paper report is to be believed, all sorts of atrocities are inflicted on Hindu ladies. They are forced to marry Muslim men and converted to Islam. Pak military, judiciary and even the democratically elected government of President Asif Ali Zardari have hands in globe on the Hindus exodus into India because of torture, dishonor and insult on daily basis in Pakistan. The population of Hindus is decreasing very fast in Pakistan. They were 15 percent of the total population in 1947, which has come down to two percent. President Asif Ali Zardari urgently needs to take immediate steps to halt the exodus of Hindu community from Pakistan. These days, the large number of Hindus walks across the frontier on the daily basis. Despite possessing valid travel documents, the Hindus are virtually detained by immigration authorities for hours. The Hindus belong to Balochistan and Sindh provinces, where the minority community has been the target of extortions, kidnapping for ransom and forced conversions. Though President Asif Ali Zardari has taken serious notice of reports of a sense of insecurity among Pakistani Hindu families and directed authorities to allay the minority community's grievances, to believe him merely on the basis of this statement is nothing but foolishness on the part of Govt. of India. It is the urgent need to take up the plight of Hindus in Pakistan before initiating any further dialogue process with it to improve the neighbourly relations.

Anna to go political

Social activist Anna Hazare may not have political ambition but one thing is certain that his Team members have been harbouring political ambition since the day one of their protest. If their dictatorial behaviour and speech are anything to go by, it is certain that their political innings will not last long. They must also know that only the national capital Delhi, all metropolitan cities and some other big cities do not constitute India. India resides in villages where the majority of the people are unable to manage their meals twice a day. How could they access internet to send sms about their view on Anna Hazare’s announcement of ending fast abruptly to find political alternative? They have been impractical and irrevalent to adapt themselves to parliamentary form of democracy as they have shown in the last 16 months. With the government refusing to play ball, Team Anna has decided to end their indefinite fast at 5 pm on Friday — the tenth day of the protest — even as they announced their historic decision to give the country a political alternative. Undoubtedly, social activist Anna Hazare had aroused hopes and aspirations among the people. But people’s hopes were crashed with the same intensity as it was aroused by him 16 months ago. Now social activist to be turned political activist Anna Hazare will have to go through the process of litmus test of electoral politics, which he has so far abhorred publicly. If any individual or group tries to change political, social, economic and educational system through the change of government in which the corruption is deep rooted, they will have to join electoral politics by forming a political party to enter Parliament. To enter Parliament, one is required to be elected by the people. As Parliament is supreme, it can not be dictated by an individual or a group which Anna and his Team had not realized so far. Though their behaviour, camera savvy attitude amply reflected that they wanted political power without being accountable to the master, that is the people, they are now prepared to tread the political path. Have they now forgotten the un-parliamentary words they had used against the members of Parliament from the protest sites in the last 16 months? Anna Hazare and his Team members have shown impatience, injudiciousness and dictatorial behaviour at every step of their 16 months of protests, though they had undoubtedly become the Centre of hope for the people of the nation. People believed at least in metropolitan and big cities that Anna would take his fast protest to its logical end. Government of the day in democracy has to be strict and to apply wait and watch policy to measure the people’s response on the nationwide level on one hand and let it die its own death on ther. People’s turn out to the protest sites started dwindling after Ramlila Ground protest in August last year and in the ongoing fast unto death protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi which is to end at 5PM today, the people’s turn-out has been relatively low. This certainly has caused disillusionment among Team Anna. They are ending their fast, taking excuse of exploring political alternative to end corruption. 23 eminent persons have rightly appealed Anna Hazare to end fast and give the people a political alternation to end corruption.

Don’t dash people’s hopes to the ground

Social activist Anna Hazare roused a hope among the people of eradicating corruption from the government departments. He stirred them against the corruption nationwide. People started looking at him with enormous expectation amidst the disillusionment among them with the successive governments over corruption. All accept that corruption prevails everywhere in the functioning of the government. Undoubtedly, corruption is rampant at all levels in the government. Anna’s protest began with the demand of Jan Lokpal to eradicate corruption. Corruption has taken the form of the deadly disease like Cancer. Its infection is super fast. And if it was not stopped immediately, it would devour the poorest of the poor. This is the growing corruption that causes backbreaking price rise of food grains and all essential commodities. Therefore, Anna Hazare got massive public and media support in August last year. Media became protesters’ darling. The media had given the largest and longest coverage to Anna Hazare’s protest at Ramlila Ground for his demand of Jan Lokpal to fight out corruption only because the issue touched inner feeling of the people. Team Anna members, very few in numbers and of different ideological belief, started speaking in different voices after the successful 12 days’ protest of August last year in their effort to hog the headlines and attract people’s attention to exploit favour politically. The message went out among the people that Team Anna’s intention was suspect. From the Hissar Lok Sabha by-election, Team Anna Members instead of concentrating their mind and mobilize public support on their main demand Jan Lokpal, they concentrated against the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre as if all other party leaders are honest. It reflected their bias against the Congress. The new demand of probing the corruption charges against 15 ministers, including the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh by SIT for which Team Anna members- Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sishodia and Gopal Rai- have been sitting on fast into death since 27-7-2012 reflects that they have individual agenda against the government. Anna Hazare also had to start his fast also since 29-8-2012 in support of their demand. It amply reflects deviation and shifting from one demand to another resulting in the confusion among the people. That is why they have got tepid response this time. Media have covered their protest objectively and reported the ground reality this time. Not showing over enthusiasm by the media irked Team Anna and because of that one its senior most members attacked them. Media this time realized that it was not proper for them to report Team Anna’s protest in the way as if they were their spokesman. Anna Hazare has greater responsibility to take his protest for the demand of Jan Lokpal to its logical end. And don’t jump from one issue to another. His protest has enabled the people to dream of a corruption free administration. So, live up to people’s expectation and must not be misdirected by anyone.

Demand right, dictation wrong

The agitation against corruption launched by social activist Anna Hazare since he started public service has been praiseworthy. His agitation against corruption and corrupt politicians has yielded desired result in Maharashtra. But his agitation for the appointment of Jan Lokpal to fight corruption has been in the quagmire. The different views, opinion expressed by the members of Team Anna in a dictatorial style under a political agenda reflect their ulterior motive. They appear to be undermining the supremacy of Parliament, which is untenable in parliamentary democracy. Parliament is supreme and no individual or group from outside can dictate it to do this way or that way under the given time frame. The nation needs the honest and selfless service of Anna Hazare. That is why he was seen by many in August last as the incarnation of Mahatma Gandhi when he sat on fast unto death for twelve days for his demand of Jan Lokpal to eradicate corruption. The entire nation was stirred against corruption and there appeared that people expected something miraculous from the 72 years old social activist. The media were so focused that the people did not watch and hear anything but the evocative lecture of Anna Hazare against corruption. He drew tremendous crowd. Excessive media focus impressed upon the Team Anna members that they could encash people’s emotional support against corruption in government under a political agenda. As Anna Hazare has to be dependent on aid and advice on some of the key members of his team, he is sometimes misguided also and speaks in different voices. This time, Team Anna members Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sishodia and Gopal Rai started indefinite fast unto death strike on 25-7-2012 at Jantar Mantar Delhi for the demand of probing corruption charge, which they have leveled, against 15 ministers, including the Prime Minister by SIT. Anna Hazare also has threatened the government to launch fast unto death strike from 25-7-2012 in support of the team members’ demand. After the August agitation last year, Team Anna committed one blunder after another. Their Hissar decision to vote against Congress candidate in by-election for Lok Sabha seat reflected clearly that Team Anna harbours political agenda against the UPA government with tacit support of main opposition party the BJP. The people appear to have realized that they have nothing to do with corruption or Lokpal but they want the change of regime under a well-planned political game. That is why people in Delhi this time have shown so far indifference to Team Anna fast at Jantar Mantar. As far as the support of Baba Ramdev to Team Anna is concerned, it will be always conditional. Baba Ramdev is a Yoga Guru of world fame. He has lakhs of followers all over the nation. But he has also a business empire through his Patanjali outlets all over the nation. That is why he opposes FDI in retail and propagate that 80 percent of FDI is black money in India. He is going again to launch protest on August 9 at Ramlila Ground for his demand of bringing back black money worth crores of rupees stashed away in foreign banks.

Drifting away from the main demand

Drifting away from the main demand of Jan Lokpal, making personalized charge of corruption against 15 influential Ministers, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and demanding a probe against them by SIT, Team Anna sends confusing signals about its objective and motive among the common people. No one can deny the fact about the prevailing rampant corruption at all levels of Manmohan Singh UPA government. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s credibility is unquestionable but the charge against him about inaction holds water. Otherwise, if he acted promptly against the underhand dealing going on in several important ministries, the plethora of scandals must not have taken place. In the given situation, the civil society has every right to protest against the increasing corruption in the government. But at the same time, fast and protest must be non-violent and must not cause any inconvenience to the common people under the leadership of social activist Anna Hazare. Anna Hazare had launched his fast from Jantar Mantar in Delhi for the first time in April last year. At that, he had sat on fast unto death for Jan Lokpal, and he ended his fast in five to six days after getting assurance from the government that they would consider the demand of Lokpal very seriously and act on it very fast. But when he realized that the Government was not serious for Lokpal on the model of his Jan Lokpal to check corruption, he again sat on fast unto death at Ramlila Ground in Delhi that not only drew tremendous public support but also stirred the entire nation against corruption and the Government was forced to be serious of his demand for Lokpal. But after that Some of the members of Team Anna felt why they should not gauze the mood of people about impact of their appeal, they took a political stand by opposing the Congress party candidate in Hissar by-election for Lok Sabha and appealing the electorates to vote against it .Here, they committed a blunder by singling out only the ruling Congress party at the Centre for corruption. If anyone asked Team Anna why they never charged any BJP leader with corruption, what would be their answer? It only reflects political bias of Team Anna against Congresd. putting the fundamental demand for Jan Lokpal on backburner, Team Anna now have sat on indefinite fast to probe corruption charges against 15 Central Ministers, including the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh by Special Investigation Team. They have leveled charges and they make demand that they must be probed this and that way. There is rule of law in India. If Team Anna members have concrete evidence against the 15 ministers, why do they not move the court of law to initiate an independent probe? Team Anna appears to have forgotten Jan Lokpal- their main demand. This shows their directionlessness and the personal aggrandizement and political grudge with Congress led UPA. Team Anna members seem to have lost the massive support that they had got in August last year by drifting away from the main demand. Sitting on Fast time and again and getting no result have also caused disillusionment among the common people with Team Anna.

NCP’s pressure politics

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar is peeved at being ignored by Congress for number two position in the UPA government after the exit of President-elect Mr. Pranab Mukherjee from it as Union Finance Minister. If seniority and experience is anything to go by, he deserves to be given No 2 position in the government and leader of the Lok Sabha status. But his past political record is so dubious and treacherous in regard to Congress party that he can never be considered reliable by it. That is why his political outfit NCP is threatening the government to withdraw its support to UPA coalition. But one problem is also with him that if NCP withdraws support from the Centre, Congress-NCP coalition government is bound to fall in Maharastra - only one state government where NCP is in power. The prevailing political, economic and other situations of the UPA are at its worst. The government is beset with all sorts of problems and a new charge of corruption against it is being leveled on daily basis. This has undoubtedly demoralized the UPA government. Some of the allies of the Congress-led UPA are threatening of reviewing its continuance in coalition on daily basis. But in reality no one has dared break away from the coalition. Congress knows it too well and that is why it treats its coalition partner so shabbily. The veteran political leader of the nation from Maharashtra NCP supremo and Union Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar has also upped his ante against the UPA to extract as much political space as possible to realize his prime ministerial ambition, which he has been nursing since 1991 when he was in the Congress itself and the party was then led by others than Nehru-Gandhi family. He sees and feels that Congress leadership would never give him any prominence on national political stage to make claim for leadership of secular coalition if ever the Congress party fails to win as much Lok Sabha seats as required to form the government. His prime ministerial ambition is poking him time and again to prepare the ground so that he could be seen as prime ministerial candidate of the secular formation sans Congress. Sharad Pawar broke away with the Congress along with PA Sangama and Tariq Anwar over the issue of foreign national (citizenship) issue of Congress President Sonia Gandhi in 1999. But finding no other secular formation to give him prominence, he decided to leave Congress president foreign citizenship issue and aligned with the party in Maharashtra to fight assembly elections and took part in Congress-led coalition. Congress party would never give him any weight age, no matter whether the NCP remains in the Congress-led UPA coalition or no matters little. Because the NCP has only 9 Lok Sabha MPs. They can not upset the UPA apple cart. But Sharad Pawar is certain to leave UPA coalition before 2014 elections to give a last try to realize his vaulting ambition of being the Prime Minister of India.