Anna Hazare: How long?

Not first time in my generation, I saw people moving and not that first time I saw so many people united for a cause. Not far back, just remember the 26/11 terrorist attacks? We saw so many people angry and we saw what happened later.

But first time I saw people from all wake of life in India not only angry but I saw them on streets and roads as well. Whereas, in the case of 26/11, people were angry but they did not come on road compromising their jobs and routine tasks.  It was a pure government failure that those Pakistan sponsored terrorists barged into the financial capital of India, did the damage and we, the common Indians thought; may be this is the destiny of this country and preferred not to do anything spectacular. There were few demonstrations and frustration on the system. Few of the people marched with candles and debates ran in news channels but it did not touch the core of the heart of a common Indian and within a week the life returned to status quo.

 Then the series of corruption scandals errupted on the horizon. Right from commonwealth games to 2G spectrum and a new scam often with each passing day, the list got bigger and bigger appearing never to end. People moaned again and again, complaining the agony in different forums but unfortunately the government already neck deep in those scams, by then already gone dump and blind, had not courage and will to fix the problems and as usual we were left to our fate which never seemed to change the course and the country India ….alas…Gandhi could see it.

               Dear Bapu, perhaps nothing has changed in these 65 years! The dream you saw about this nation is dying slowly. The entrepreneurs who took the center stage in 1947-48 have their advanced DNA in present generation of politicians and bureaucrats who have forgotten what they were supposed to do. You were lucky Bapu, you preferred to close your eyes because you could have died otherwise with shame; how your few of fellow Indians are looting the country you fought for your whole life.

               These are not the thoughts I am writing here something  different. Every Indian silently think of this and mourns. But when you are crying in heart, when you are bleeding onto the system and agonized because the life has become more difficult due to someone else and angry because you cannot do anything alone, you tend to surrender yourself to the God because that is the only entity where you find the true solace. And when this surrender occurs at a larger scale, it is meant to be answered, may be that is the reason why we pray in large groups, in mosques, Churches, pujas and in gurudwaras.

               May be the silent prayers of millions of Indians were answered when a 74 year old and hardly known Kisan Bapat Baburao Hazare decided to rise against the goliath corruption. And people realized that he was the man they were waiting for. It was his one call, to rise up against the impossible and I see a phenomenon never happened before. The sea of people all around me could have not been moved on a fake cause. It seems that finally we have a Gandhi here who is truly for us and who can fight a war for us which just few days back, seemed a day dream.

               It has already 11 days he is on fast and each passing day the movement is growing bigger and bigger. The BJP, left and few other parties seem to sit up and take the note of the mood of one and all but that is politics, not sure they are genuine, but the government has gone well beyond shamelessness whose prince appeared today after months only to doubt and criticise the demand of the same people who elected his party in power.

              What a pity? Government does not sense that if the Janlokpal is the demand of the democracy what is wrong to put it on table? When 9 out of 10 people go with Janlokpal why it cannot be implemented if democracy means majority?

For last 11 days a 74 year old man is on fast and the policymakers who are in his age bracket have gone numb to realize how fragile an old body may be at this age? For most of his life, Anna has fought for someone else and been on fast regularly. Even if he has remained winner there, the fasts have taken their toll. He is not equipped with some supernatural powers. He is simply an ordinary human with extraordinary vision and determination but yes his body also demands same calories.

But as I said, already on 11 day on fast how long his body can push? He is already minus 7 kilogram and still counting.  Only determination alone cannot sustain the pressure on his starved organs.

I feel strange these days when I have my food on the table.  Every bite seems asking some uncomfortable questions? How it feels to be hungry for 11 continuous days whereas I started to crack in just one day that too at the age of 33!

            Did government give a thought on it? Yes. It appears that they have taken Anna for granted. Perhaps they want to believe that Anna is used tosuch things. But have they considered for god sake; what if something goes wrong with Anna?  Do they realize what will be the consequences? Do they know it is a 74 year old body; a seasoned but more prone to organ failures? Will they take blame collectively? And how can you forget that at the same age when people respect each other more than anything else, an old man deserves more care and attention? Have Dr. Manmohan Singh, Kapil Sibbal, PranabMukherjee gone insane? How can they eat and sleep in such enormous situations?

For now, I want Anna to break his fast. It is making my life difficult with each new day. The primary objective has been achieved and let the fight be continued with a new strength.  It is not he should remain on fast for the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats, but have food for a common Indian who see a great crusader in him, a source of strength and want to see him healthy and smiling.

It was touching to see an arrested man this day shouting in parliament gate for Anna’s fast “ A man is on fast for last 11 days and nobody cares”: I felt my hair rising!!!!