IN ONE of the biggest movements the country has witnessed in recent days, there is a tidal wave of people thronging the streets – voluntarily, unified for a cause. But instead of happy at this sudden enthusiasm of an otherwise peaceful citizens of this developing nation, I feel troubled and disturbed. I only see it as an event that proves how easily we give into any instigation, how a common man who went out to fight for a cause, had been turned into a media-fed megalomaniac and pushed to a point of fighting with the ruling government, and how the country’s top media houses use the opportunity to verbally bash every government spokesperson they could bring to the platform, create sensation and package it under delibaterly provocative catch phrases (example - ‘Anna Country’ by Times of India; ‘New Age Gandhi’ by Hindustan Times).

Let us look at the expected outcome of this movement. A particular Jan Lokpal Bill stands at the center of the debate. A bill, which when passed, will create a parallel body that will allow citizens to bring top bureaucrats and politicians on a prosecution platform on a single charge of corruption. Currently, PM and large section of political fraternity enjoy immunity. They cannot be arrested or prosecuted for crimes. Apparently, the bill sounds fair and democratic till we dig a little deeper. Corruption is not something uniquely related to the prime minister’s office alone. Lalu Prasad Yadav to Mayawati to Jayalalitha - many of them has been charged with corruption in the past. The central investigation bureau (CBI) probed into most of these cases, filed reports and took it up in the court of law. What were the outcomes? We increased the number of pending cases in the judiciary. In a country where we still haven’t been able to o execute a person who attacked our parliament or killed many in a Mumbai terror attack – I do not think bringing the prime minister to the judgment table will solve a greater purpose. In fact, the very thought of media across the world carrying a headline one morning saying “Indian Prime Minister probed into for corruption” makes me feel nauseated.

Anna Hazare’s authoritative body that wishes to carry out this probe when required can be susceptible to same risks of corruption and bribery that the central government is mired in. So personally I am not very enthusiastic in creating or trusting a parallel body to smear my face in a world forum by calling my country’s prime minister corrupt. I have great respect for the chair, if not the person. And if that is at all necessary, then let us create instances by punishing the already charged personalities including various chief ministers and state politicians for various heinous crimes they are charged with before discussing this issue further.

Second, let us look at our own credibility before involving in the so-called fight against corruption. A large mass of people doesn’t even understand what they are fighting against – corruption or current government. A larger of them will probably not know the difference between Lokpal Bill and Jan Lokpal Bill. Delhi Auto Union, which called for staying away from the road thereby paralyzing the city’s transport system never probably, realized that it is they could have contributed in a better way to eradicate corruption by just turning on their meter and not overcharging the passengers. A lot of candles used in during the protest march across the country were bought from local shops without asking for a proper bill. A lot of government officers who listened to Anna Hazare’s call for bunking office probably haven’t passed a file from one table to other without a token amount. A number of bikes and cars used to reach the protest venue will not have their papers in place and at some point in life have passed through by paying a small bribe to the traffic police. And they required no special bill to kill such small-scale corruption from within. Whistleblower systems and proper escalation body always existed – but we never care. Yet at the slightest provocation to pin down somebody else, we show an all round enthusiasm.

Third, let us look at the process in which the movement was called for. An indefinite hunger strike by a common man to get a bill passed in the parliament. Why don’t we have similar movement to make the government reply back to one of our neighboring country after a sponsored terror attack? Do we consider terrorism a trivial issue than corruption? I am not a legal expert to understand why a propagated hunger strike cannot be treated as a suicide attempt and condemned in the court of law, but I am not sure if it is creating a wrong precedence where from now on we will see the government being taken hostage more often than ever on similar path. I am also not very sure about the comparison drawn between Gandhiji and Anna Hazare for the resemblance in the way of protest. While Gandhi’s protest had followers who wanted to remove the ruling government and create a independent ruling body with new ideologies for the country, Anna has a support from people who have themselves chosen the current government or will choose an alternate government from the same system. In either case, we are not talking about replacing ideologies here; we are more focused towards creating a process which we believe will stay in the same environment but will remain immune to the fallacy in system. Let us assume that Mr.

Anna Hazare’s movement while it may be well-intentioned, unfortunately lacks a proper philosophical base. For this reason, it will not sustain as a movement. So is it all in vain? I won’t like to look at it that way. This is probably the first time the country witnessed a voluntarily mobilization of youth across the country but I feel this is a fad that will fade away before common man settles down with something else. India’s cricket performance or another recession setting in US – the common man will have reason’s enough to worry on in the near future and this particular event will not find its place beside the movement of Egypt in the book of history.