Nabeel A. Khan
Team Anna disbands. It was a
headline foretold for me, just worth noting an action in the chronicles of the event,
which was foreseen weeks after the first spell of the movement –had started in
April 2011. Innumerable doubts over the
success and effectiveness of the movement had begun to haunt. The very first
step of formation of the so called –Team Anna Core Committee was emitting
sparks of contentious agenda embraced by the quite a few members, if not all,
going by their history.
Hence, a team
was formed without any teamliness apparent. They had to rather elaborate and
convince about the strength and unity of the entourage. In the beginning, the smell
of a strategic ploy was evident in the selection of people which was strictly based
on needs such as to pull crowed, grab headlines and video footage.
Anna Hazare, was
made to be the show-stopper for his previous track record as the grand
protester. Hazare, a man who single handedly changed the landscape of his village
and made many governments in western state of India –Mharashtra touch the dust
over the issues of corruption did succeed in first instance. As the politicians
did have certain degree of respect or rather fear for him. But Charisma did not
sustain till the second innings because ridding high on temporary heroic
depiction and perception the team took fatal steps in between specially going
political from the apolitical stand.
Thus Anna, the
champion for decades lost his virtue at the India Against Corruption, alias
Janlokpal movement most probably because he failed to understand the people
around him. He seemed to have understood himself as patriarch and just came to
help the team for a good cause. But in no time, he was neither a leader nor had
a follower. Many of the members of Team Anna (or civil society…the term
probably best suited to control population, as it reduced a population of
billions into a couple of thousand) –took the “Mai Anna Hoon” (I am Anna) quite
literally.
The septuagenarian, with his
usual verve and enthusiasm was on the venue for sit-in protest in Indian
capital city New Delhi ,
probably holding the first protest outside his home state. The venue was indeed
a very appropriate one as it was the centre of media including for the
mushrooming satellite TV channels.
Cool & Jazzy Team
However, the movement (envisaged to
uproot corruption) was real reflection and mirror of the changing India . It
clearly said that now demonstration and protest can also be filled with cool
quotient. It was no less a gala event than one organised by the political
parties often to woo numbers while lacking a majority or a college fest or the
page three events. It had a poet, cartoonist, rock stars, IT experts, media
& branding specialist and sanyasi burning midnight oil to make it a
super-hit event. What was lacking was only understanding of the real situation
and understanding of the country’s politics. In a guile and mendacity they
tried to blow air in the balloon without knowing the limit.
Staging up
Let’s see the
chronicle of the events as it unfolded. Anna Hazare starts his indefinite
strike on 5 April 2011 with a strong statement “I will fast until Jan Lokpal
Bill is passed.” The start was full of emotional rhetoric and cached
imagination of a large number of population. The middle class, which often
keeps a commentator status came forward and participated which was a major
change in the history of any movement in India . A day, the movement claimed
the ejection of senior politician and a old foe of Hazare- Sharad Pawar from
the empowered group of minister.
The further
trump of the team came as the government accepted their demand on 8 April and
the next day government issued a history breaking notification in the Gazette
of India on formation of a joint committee with a politician and non-politician
co-chairing it.
This ensued the
end of the 98-hour hunger strike with an announcement of 15 August as deadline
for the bill to be passed. However, the people desperate to escape the scourge
of corruption brought almost the country under siege thus forcing the
government to take unprecedented steps to tone down the agitation.
Then the round
of meetings held which reflected lack of agreement between the two parties.
Despite, certain objections on 28 July 2011 the union cabinet approved a draft
of the Lokpal Bill, keeping the Prime Minister, judiciary and lower bureaucracy
out of the Lokpal’s ambit. Naturally, Anna Hazare rejected the draft, and threatened
to go on an indefinite hunger strike from 16 August 2011 if a strong Janlokpal
Bill was not presented in Parliament.
It was then UPA
government suffered another PR disaster after arresting Anna Hazare on 16
August while he was to begin his fast. This further demonized the already embroiled
Congress-led government. Within four hours of the arrest public turned
outrageous and the government had to release him on 20 August with permission
to fast at the Ramlila grounds.
Now, Anna
received a grand welcome, supporters’ choking the streets of the national
capital. This was probably the zenith of his popularity. He vowed to fast till
his last breath if the strong Janlokpal Bill was not passed in the ongoing
Parliament session which was to conclude on 8 September.
The protest
became highly impressive and makes an impact across the country as the TV and other
media started devouring on it. Many channels almost started airing live
telecast of the entire agitation. Following which was joined by people from all
walks- films and the commoners started swarming near the cameras making
reporters even life tougher. On 27 August both the Houses of the Parliament
passed a resolution proposed by Pranab Mukherjee ‘conveying the sense of the
House’ on the Lokpal Bill.
Hence, this
accelerated the image of the Team Anna into the top gear the entire media
heaped praise on him. However, the public frenzy plummeted as the Bill was not
passed in the monsoon session despite unusual extended debate and Hazare called
off his hunger strike sighting poor health conditions. … WAIT FOR PART-II
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