On Corruption and the Lok Pal Bill
Anna Hazare’s hunger strike had started off with a “Do or Die” ultimatum. If the Jan Lokpal Bill wasn’t adopted by the Parliament within the 30th of August, procedure be damned, the strike would be indefinite and lead up to a wave of struggles all over the country. The Manmohan Singh government and assorted parliamentary parties blew hot over this threat to ‘Parliamentary sovereignty’. But they found few takers and were soon forced to bow to Anna. News channels had a field day, their tone shrilling up as the days passed. This was the spectacle of the century, a Big Boss reality show of gigantic proportions. There was of course a slight change in the format– the sole entrant in the hunger strike, this most open and simple of all forms of struggle, was permitted the right to disappear from public gaze daily and furthermore to enjoy the ministries of corporate healthcare. Thus, over the course of a few days, a 21st century Gandhi was discoursed up – media savvy, corporate friendly and yet as rural as it can be, khaddar topi and all. Democracy of the ‘crowd in the streets’ variety was held up against Chanakian machinations of the ‘official’ variety. The disgust and anger long felt by people against politicians was deliberately fanned up. MPs were publicly heckled and that sight was beamed all across the country. Truly, the political class in India had never ever been so isolated. Finally, the cathartic show ended with a true Gandhian compromise, the type which can be stretched at will. Quite symbolic of conspicuous absences in the Ram Lila maidan crowd, Anna ended his strike by drinking juice from a glass held by a Dalit and Muslim girl. And, surprises of all, the winners of this edition of the show came out in seemly pairs: Anna and Manmohan, ‘civil society’ and parliament. The advantage was with Anna and his civil society. But the bad guys were now good guys, sagacious statespersons worthy of leading the nation. Give them a Munna Bhai hug and join the chant - Chak De!
