What we nodded to is that India's politiical class was slapped by one from the public. Don't we wish this happened more frequently? Political leaders, representing us stalling Parliament for 3 consecutive days didn't take our permission, when entire India is waiting relief from inflation, corruption and despondency. We are irritated and confused, wondering how would the people we voted for tackle issues if they stopped the process of legislation.
But when Anna Hazare's "Ek hi thappad Mara"becomes a slip of tongue, we would be lying to ourslves.
I felt alienated from the leader, who as a Gandhian showed Satyagaha is relevant even now. Not for a second did he resort to firing up supporters. That made us proud. We can say proudly and loudly : Yes we subjugated the poltical class without resorting "formal politics". We attracted their worried attention without clashing with the police, & burning buses. Discreet dissent voiced by a united India did the trick.
And now that the masses have taken an "off", ready to rally behind a people's leader if needed. We are confident because we discovered the strength of the citizen of democratic India. We do not wince over any incident that degraded man in front of man.
I didn't see the Anna Hazare the leader in the social activist who asked "EK Hi Thappad" with a previously unseen brashness and in a mocking tone that we didn't see before. It made me frown and I nodded my head from side to side.
We have rallied behind this social activist which ultimately made the Parliament bend over. He was a good leader because his points were uncomplicated, he spoke in a languge which we laugh,cry and lament in our personal lives.
The Lokpal Movement (in which I participated too) is theoretically undemocratic, broke rule books but we strove on with mild resistance in our way because all of us knew the end would be affecting the times beyond it. It had a message. Lokpal or not, a good leader can still mobilise good Will, and no codes, laws, amendments can in the way of a billion Indians chanting the same words, rooting for the same cause, cutting across caste, religion. It revealed the actual might of Indian democracy. In unision for the sae cause, no bullets are required. Peaceful Satyagraha is our democratic weapon.
Anna led us from the front. The leader brought rural and urban India to protest together in peaceful coexistene. It was ethical, discreet - something one shall always say : here was this morning.
"ek hi thappad" can be laughed over, enjoyed over at home. Not here. He is a leader. With leadership comes certain responsibilities because people are following and cheering every movement. A leader doesn't have the privilege that his followers are. Hardly bothering to condemn we can rave and rant, even over coffee. A leader cannot. He cannot even resent the absence of privilege because he chose to be the leader himself.
The followers of Anna Hazare were not only sincere, they bothered about propriety, not letting things happen which we ourselves condemn, when cadres of various political parties fight, break the law, burning buses, pelting stones, arson. We hate them all the more because the party leaders will argue first about how reactionery outbursts, and owning up in front of citizens.
Anna can. He shouldn't. He will lose myriads of supporters if he speaks in this language, something which middle class Indians are sensitive about.
Sent from my BlackBerry®Smartphone ------------------------------------------------------
Dr.Anirban Chaudhuri, MBBS
Consultant Physician,
Mumbai, India. ------------------------------------------------------
"It is important to just listen for a while instead of speaking." -- My teacher ------------------------------------------------------
