What we are witnessing is a display of collective wrath.
The sort of sup- pressed, accumu- lated rage that has finally found an outlet in Anna
At the time of writing (11th day of the fa mousfast), Anna Hazare is still alive.That statement sounds crass... crude... shocking.
It is meant to. I think we have all lost the plot. And in the cacophony of all the noises and voices, we have conveniently overlooked the one person who is at the centre of it all -Mr Hazare. He has been reduced to a sideshow, a mascot, as his overzealous keepers continue to exploit his frail persona and use Mr Hazare as a bargaining chip. Mr Hazare's health is now the nation's obsession... its chief concern.
His physical health has become the barometer for the nation's emotional health. If anything happens to Mr Hazare... and let me put it bluntly... if he dies, it will lead to consequences that may be far more terrible than rejecting the Jan Lokpal Bill.
But, of course, in polite societies, we don't talk about the death of someone who is very much alive. As of now, the stand-off is on. There's no resolution in sight. But heaven help us, if the situation suddenly deteriorates and his health fails.
Hey bhagwan! Till then we shall have to put up with a parade of assorted personalities holding forth on TV channels.
Bristling belligerence getting the better of some.
While other lightweights opt for catchy hyperbole. An overenthusiastic ad man described the Ramlila gathering as a Kumbh Mela. Carried away by his own imagery, he went on to declare that the crowds could be still bigger than the pilgrims who gather for the holy dip during the Kumbh. His wild exaggerations were understandable -we have reduced the entire protest to a pathetic game of numbers (“Mine are bigger than yours...“).
Awestruck TV anchors urge their camera crew to sweep cameras over the surging crowds and then rhapsodise over the spectacle. A few hand-picked commentators (“especially flown in”) hold forth from the Ramlila Maidan and assure viewers they have never witnessed anything like this — the scale, the fervour, and of course, the numbers! It’s always about the numbers. An irate housewife from Noida rants about rising prices and how she has to pay bribes to get a gas connection.
The anchor turns to the camera with a triumphant look and thunders, “The entire nation stands solidly behind this lady… this is India’s second freedom struggle.” And then it’s back to this season’s biggest reality show… poor Rakhi Sawant will need to do something
more than flash her eyes and cleavage if she wants those TRPs.While Salman Khan must be scratching his head to come up with a clever gimmick to promote Bodyguard. As of now, there is just one bona fide superstar in India, and that’s Mr Hazare.
But what of the screechy, shrill supporters who chant “Vande Mataram” and “Bharat mata ki jai” on cue the minute cameras cut to close-ups? Emotions are running dangerously high. When that happens… anything can happen. It’s like a flash flood or a bush fire.
Or open heart surgery.
Timing is everything.
As of now, the protests have been admirably non-violent. Those who have taken to the streets have done so only because they fervently
(perhaps, naively) believe it is a do-or-die moment — if they let this opportunity go, another one may be a long time coming.There is hope in their hearts that the protest (more against the scourge of corruption than a thumbs up for the Jan Lokpal Bill), will lead to seminal change. Will it? So far, the country has been governed by a succession of elected representatives (irony!) who have ruled like history’s worst despots — no questions asked! What we are witnessing across India is a display of collective wrath. The sort of suppressed, accumulated rage that has finally found an outlet. For that alone one must thank Mr Hazare. If Mr Hazare’s patience has worn thin, it’s in perfect sync with the sentiments of the people. Perhaps for the first time in 64 years, the aam aadmi believes the time has come to aggressively challenge those who have trampled on and abused their trust for six decades. The ordinary citizen is experiencing a heady feeling of instant empowerment after years of being resigned to accepting powerlessness as their collective “fate”.
Armed with this new weapon, trusting citizens continue swarming different venues across India demanding to be heard. This has been the single biggest achievement of Mr Hazare. No wonder Manmohan Singh was gracious enough to honour and salute Mr Hazare during his uncharacteristically emotional address in Parliament. What we are witnessing is living, throbbing democracy in motion. It is an image that will endure long after the impasse ends, and everybody goes home to carry on with his or her life… the significant difference being, from this moment on, it will be a transformed life, an aware life, an entitled life. And most crucially, a life that comes with a built-in assurance that in a democracy, every voice counts, even the one that disagrees with you.
For all this to happen, India needs Anna. Alive.
The countdown has begun.
