Anna the underachiever
Anna Hazare and his team of underachievers could now retire to wherever they came from and repent at leisure. Repent they must, having fooled themselves and their followers by foisting a make believe revolution that was nothing but an ill conceived invitation to anarchy.
How did all this happen? We first got a glimpse of this old man with his Gandhi cap in April last year when he sat on a five-day fast at Jantar Mantar, the same venue where he met his nemesis this time. He sat on a fast when no political or other activities were taking place in the national capital. Most of the leaders were away busy campaigning in state assembly polls. the 24-hour television news channels were starved of anything worthwhile to cover. So for them, Anna's appearance was manna from the heavens and that too at the centre of the city, on a road that had adequate parking space for their OB vans.
The TV reporters, mostly youngsters fresh out of journalism institutes, had never seen anything like this. An old man on fast, a picture of Bharat Mata as background on the stage (later replaced with Gandhi) and the tricolour being waved about with great elan by supporters including India's first woman police officer, Kiran Bedi herself. Then the cause, a Bill to wipe out corruption. Thus started the wall-to- wall coverage and resultant increase in crowds. Delhi has seen nothing like this before and the government was caught totally off guard.
Anna's representatives were invited to join a joint drafting committee comprising senior Ministers. Here is where the team's arrogance got full play. They insisted that all their recommendations be accepted in toto leaving absolutely no scope for consensus. Democracy is all about consensus at every stage. Instead, the team started to portray the government as corruption incarnate and Parliament a den of thieves.
By this time Anna and his team became deified with everyone forcasting a "Jasmine revolution" in the making. Anna, claiming that he was a Gandhian, won many hearts.
The second round in August saw the ill advised arrest of Anna resulting in massive groundswell of public support. For a while, Ram Lila Maidan became the most happening place in town. Everyone was there, elderly men and women, youngsters with girl friends in tow. In fact, it became a nice meeting point for them. Which parent would object to their offspring being at such a place, supporting a noble cause.
Soon we had the unedifying spectacle of an old man on fast and scores of supporters tucking into food at 'Anna's kitchen" so generously set up by his supporters. Adding to the tamasha were Bollywood celebrities, mostly out of work actors. Thus round two also to team Anna.
Third time proved particularly unlucky. Held at Azad Maidan, Mumbai, Anna drew no crowds. Flogging the dead horse, they came to Delhi. This time, the government was ready. Taking a leaf from P V Narasimha Rao's book it did nothing but allow Anna to be hung by his own petard.
About his team, the less said, the better. An IRS officer an IPS officer and lawyers spouting venom against a system after achieving all that they can from it.
How did all this happen? We first got a glimpse of this old man with his Gandhi cap in April last year when he sat on a five-day fast at Jantar Mantar, the same venue where he met his nemesis this time. He sat on a fast when no political or other activities were taking place in the national capital. Most of the leaders were away busy campaigning in state assembly polls. the 24-hour television news channels were starved of anything worthwhile to cover. So for them, Anna's appearance was manna from the heavens and that too at the centre of the city, on a road that had adequate parking space for their OB vans.
The TV reporters, mostly youngsters fresh out of journalism institutes, had never seen anything like this. An old man on fast, a picture of Bharat Mata as background on the stage (later replaced with Gandhi) and the tricolour being waved about with great elan by supporters including India's first woman police officer, Kiran Bedi herself. Then the cause, a Bill to wipe out corruption. Thus started the wall-to- wall coverage and resultant increase in crowds. Delhi has seen nothing like this before and the government was caught totally off guard.
Anna's representatives were invited to join a joint drafting committee comprising senior Ministers. Here is where the team's arrogance got full play. They insisted that all their recommendations be accepted in toto leaving absolutely no scope for consensus. Democracy is all about consensus at every stage. Instead, the team started to portray the government as corruption incarnate and Parliament a den of thieves.
By this time Anna and his team became deified with everyone forcasting a "Jasmine revolution" in the making. Anna, claiming that he was a Gandhian, won many hearts.
The second round in August saw the ill advised arrest of Anna resulting in massive groundswell of public support. For a while, Ram Lila Maidan became the most happening place in town. Everyone was there, elderly men and women, youngsters with girl friends in tow. In fact, it became a nice meeting point for them. Which parent would object to their offspring being at such a place, supporting a noble cause.
Soon we had the unedifying spectacle of an old man on fast and scores of supporters tucking into food at 'Anna's kitchen" so generously set up by his supporters. Adding to the tamasha were Bollywood celebrities, mostly out of work actors. Thus round two also to team Anna.
Third time proved particularly unlucky. Held at Azad Maidan, Mumbai, Anna drew no crowds. Flogging the dead horse, they came to Delhi. This time, the government was ready. Taking a leaf from P V Narasimha Rao's book it did nothing but allow Anna to be hung by his own petard.
About his team, the less said, the better. An IRS officer an IPS officer and lawyers spouting venom against a system after achieving all that they can from it.
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