Dr Anjali Mehta
In the past year, one Indian, among others, has really made his presence felt. This Gandhian has been exalted and criticized, both fairly and unfairly.
Inspite of some erudite thinkers as well as some with vested interests trying to undermine his cause and intentions, many of us instinctively trust him and his team. More than we trust some of the current elected leaders of our country. The reasons for this are as follows:
Individual backgrounds and behavior:
Mr. Hazare has led a fairly austere and exemplary life; Mr. Kejriwal showed a spirit of sacrifice for his convictions in giving up a secure government job and Ms. Bedi has been known to improve the quality of many an institution that she has been asked to watch over in her police tenure. I am certain other members of the team have made meaningful contributions too. In stark contrast to this are the criminal records of some current Lok Sabha members. Agreed that nobody is perfect but histories of heinous offences simply don’t inspire trust. Several Rajya Sabha members have illustrious backgrounds and have made weighty contributions to the country. Keeping this in mind, it is especially sad that some Rajya Sabha members so lost their sense of decorum that they resorted to tearing up papers during the serious Lokpal debate on the last day of the session. Even the fact that the proceedings were televised did not act as a deterrent. Such brazenness is unsettling to say the least. Such actions don’t inspire confidence.
Leadership qualities:
Mr. Hazare and his team have shown us a particular example of leadership; standing up for what they believe in. Anna Hazare feels strongly about corruption, as many of us do. While several of us have confined ourselves to discussions on this subject, he is standing up for what he believes in and taking the accolades and brickbats which come with sticking your neck out, quite staunchly. If ordinary citizens wore caps and t-shirts with Anna’s name on them, it shows that they felt inspired by his leadership. It does not mean he is narcissistic, as some have opined. Why have the Indian people not been seen wearing caps with the names of our elected representatives? Simple, they don’t inspire us with their deeds or thoughts and I am not sure how many of us want to be identified with them! Some parliamentarians and relevant NGO’s who are competent at their job and honest feel justly outraged that someone else (Anna and his myriad supporters) has seized the initiative from them. In which case, such elected representatives should wrest the initiative back from civil society as indeed some of them have been trying to do in a dignified and correct manner. By the strength of their convictions they should be able to carry the others in Parliament over to their point of view. It is all too easy to say that “we tried but circumstances took over’’. One either sees it through or doesn’t. Half-hearted measures take us nowhere. It is incumbent on them to demonstrate far more inspiring leadership!
Respect for popular sentiment:
When massive crowds flocked to his support in Delhi the first time round, Mr. Hazare took his duties as their representative most seriously. He did not make any compromises with the government despite entreaties, pressures or failing health. He capitulated only on the written promise of the Government to introduce the Lokpal bill in the parliament. However, recently, when the crowds did not seem to show up in Mumbai, he cancelled his fast for the time being. In contrast, we only need to look at the current prices of fuel and food among other things to understand if the elected representatives have the pulse of the common man!
Deliverance on promises:
Mr. Hazare has stated that he will not rest till the Lokpal bill has been passed by our parliament and, to his credit, he has been at it in different ways. His methods may have been criticized by some but his drive and commitment cannot be underestimated: it is there for all to see. The Government on the other hand has reneged on its promise to pass the bill this session. The popular perception is that the session could have been extended and/or much more efforts made to arrive at a working consensus at the very least. A clear sense of purpose and a time bound goal seemed to be lacking. Taking a break after a job well done is deemed by the public to be richly deserved; abandoning a cause and breaking off for the winter is viewed differently altogether! There is also seemingly no progress on the issue of the black money stashed overseas despite governmental assurances that it is being looked into.
Motive and intent:
Mr. Hazare will not benefit personally in any way except as a citizen of the country should the Lokpal bill be passed. He already has the stature of a respected national figure. Any added glory is only incremental. He also risked his life by putting his body under severe physical stress. The motives of some of our elected political representatives are not clear. Whereas some of them have been doing sterling work in their areas/ministries, others have been trying to better their financial positions. Some have been unfortunate enough to have been caught in the act of doing so. Since some have acquired their wealth in ways that are not legal, they stand to be exposed if checks and balances on corruption are legally put in place.
As concerned citizens, however, we on our part, should not depend solely on one (Mr. Hazare and his team) or the other (elected representatives) for change but should have the staying power and commitment to do our own little bit. As a country, all of us must together indulge in “tireless striving” as Rabindranath Tagore puts it: whether in courageously standing up for what is right, whether lending support and showing up at Mr. Anna’s rallies, whether in trying to pass legislations for our country or whether in making little changes for the better at our own individual level. None of us, citizens, activists, parliamentarians should give up on our efforts. A country is made up of its constituent citizens and if we don’t have any staying power, then neither does India.
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