Anna Hazare’s anti corruption movement in India ?
What Indian students think ?
There was good response for the essay competition from the
college students from all over India.
The following nine
students have been awarded prize in the competition
* L. Kranthi Kumar,
Amity Business School, Noida,
* Jeril Tom ,
Pondicherry University, Puducherry
* Param Pandya, Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar
* S.K.
Shahjahan, V.R. Siddhardha Enginnering
College, Vijayawada
* Malini Bose, Young India Fellow (An IFRE
initiative in collaboration with
University of Pennsylvania), New Delhi
* Pranusha Kulkarni ,
Karnataka State Law University’s Law School, Dharwad
* Keshav Bagri, St.
Xavier’s College, Kolkata
* Pradyut Hande,
Narsee Monji Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai
* Jeyapratha,
Fathima College, Madurai
Comparison of Gandhiji’s movement with that of Anna Hazare
The starting point of Gandhiji – Anna Hazare
comparison has been due to the
same means of fasting
adopted by both of them, which
gives an impression that Anna’s movement is Gandhian in style and spirit.
However, the fact
that both resorted to fasting does not imply that Anna Hazare’s movement is an extension of Gandhiji’s crusade. The reasons why Gandhiji resorted to fasts ,
not once but on seventeen occasions ,.
are far different from those behind
Anna’s fast. ,
Gandhiji’s fasts were aimed at self purification and for
reforming the society. Gandhiji
did not go on fast unto death to demand the removal of salt tax. Gandhiji did not hold the British government
to ransom by saying that he would kill himself if the salt tax would not be revoked. Even his 1932 fast
against the British government’s decision to have separate electorates was
directed more at the proponents of untouchability amongst the people than at
the British government. Gandhiji did not believe in using fasting method as
coercive tactic. There lies the striking difference.
Gandhiji never fought against the person in whom evil
resided but against the evil itself. Gandhiji’s fasts had the objective of
uniting people against violence and exploitation rather than extracting
specific concessions from the colonial state.
Though Anna’s objectives are noble, his method is sheer
coercion , which is an un gandhian approach.
Objection to derogatory and crude language :
While Gandhiji would have approved the concept of Anna Hazare’s struggle to fight against corruption in the country, he
would have insisted that the means should justify the ends.
He would not have approved
the often derogatory and crude remarks that Anna Hazare and his team members
made at multiple public rallies in order to incite the assembled supporters.
Anna’s inadequate efforts to reform mindset of the country
men :
Even if we think that
all those who gathered around Anna Hazare were not there just for basking in
the sun during the fast, is Anna Hazare
sure that each person who came to support his movement replicate his
anti corruption principles in his
personal life?
Anna Hazare has not
made it a central theme of his movement in a forceful manner that all his followers should curb corruption in their
own lives before joining his movement in public.
Gandhiji certainly
distinguished the corrupt and dishonest elements from others in his movement. This was the reason why Mahatma Gandhi’s
lieutenants like Jawaharal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Rajaji and others were of such
high caliber and character.
Middle class do not need revolution but the poor do :
Gandhiji would have been distraught at the voyeuristic
attitude of the Great Indian Middle Class
, who have sought to portray Anna Hazare’s movement
as second freedom struggle.
In India, the middle class today do not need a revolution.
The present situation in the country is a veritable paradise for them and
several of them have been part of corrupt practices directly or indirectly and
willingly or unwillingly.
Unfortunately, Anna Hazare could not catch the imagination
of the people belonging to the lower
income group, who largely feel disconnected with the movement. Poor people are
the worst sufferers due to the
prevailing corruption. This is in sharp contrast to the Gandhian days when people
in the lower income group and the so called untouchables felt so close to him
and identified themselves with Gandhian movement.
From here to where ?
Corruption in India has become a phenomenon. The political leaders and business men do not get their kickbacks from skies but
only from the people who pay the bribe for getting benefits for themselves. It is a two way traffic.
In such situation,
Anna Hazare solely orienting his movement towards Jan Lokpal
appears to be superfluous efforts.
If Gandhiji were alive today, he would have told Annaji as
follows
“If the politicians
and bureaucrats have to be mended, it would be necessary to mend the greed of
the individuals. The weakest link in the
anti corruption movement is the average
Indian’s preference to be part of corrupt dealings if it would benefit
him. Therefore, it is necessary to wage
the battle against corruption in the minds and
hearts of individual Indians.
Tell me how many of your followers are clean
?
Do not view anyone in India including the politicians as
your enemies and do not belittle any constitutional bodies.
Believe that they can also be reformed.
A clean society can alone produce a clean political system”.
Applaud Annaji :
Anna Hazare has certainly contributed enormously to the anti
corruption movement in India and has created
confidence and hope that corruption can be eliminated in the
society. This contribution of Annaji
should be duly recognized by grateful society.
He has set a personal
example as a crusader by his sacrifices ,which Gandhiji would have
certainly applauded, in a limited way.
Anna Hazare’s movement is still on the move , in spite of some temporary set backs.
May be, the movement requires some correction on Gandhian
lines now and some people may have to go and more people will have to come.
