Anna Hazare makes Common Man victorious but battle yet to be won!
Today’s date – August 27, 2011 – will go down in history as the day when a simple, non-violent activist Anna Hazare managed to unite all warring political parties and got the demand of the common man fulfilled with Lok Sabha accepting three conditions put forth by him for the amendment of the Jan Lokpal Bill.
But it was a see-saw kind of the day. Few moments in the afternoon made it look like Anna emerged victorious. However, soon team Anna was disappointed with the news that there won’t be any vote for the passing of the bill. But finally, the pendulum did swing in Anna’s favour as the demands were met when the Lok Sabha adopted a sense of house in the form of thumping of desks.
So, finally and thankfully, the great man will break his fast tomorrow August 28, 2011 at 10am. It took him 12 days of starvation to get the heartless government move into action. But also spare a thought for all those who have been fasting with Anna since 12 days. These people are not in the limelight but let’s give thousands of salutes to them too!
Lastly, this was also possible because of the massive participation from the common man of India. Despite their hectic schedule and personal problems, we the people participated in the movement wholeheartedly. This is something that has never happened before in independent India.
Bollywood personalities have been quiet except few people like Anupam Kher but it was touching to see the big names like Aamir Khan, Rajkumar Hirani and Sonu Niigaam personally going at Ramlila Maidan to support Anna! For your information, this cannot be labeled as a publicity stunt as Aamir and Hirani don’t have any film lined up for release in the next few months. Hats off to them!
But even during such victorious times, I would like to repeat what I have said before – this is just a small victory as the main battle is yet to be won. It will be won only when the Jan Lokpal Bill is properly passed and corrupts are punished!
Till then, we should make sure that we continue our support and participation in the movement with the same enthusiasm. We are in to rewrite history so let’s grab the opportunity with both hands!
Just a moral victory, war still on!
After a lot of speculation amongst the public of India and a lot of (pointless) discussions within the government, finally the UPA has decided to present Anna Hazare and Civil Society’s Jan Lokpal Bill on Friday August 26, 2011.
Hazare’s crores of supporters have termed this as a victory for the Gandhian for his painful efforts. Honestly, even I am happy for it looking at the way the common man of India has supported Hazare’s movement. Be it battling the work schedule or the heavy rains, people’s contribution has been the backbone in making the movement historic.
However, we should all make sure we don’t get complacent by thinking that the war is over. Even during Hazare’s April fast, the government had promised to take the Jan Lokpal Bill seriously but, like many politicians, it just made a U-Turn.
Classic example of a Congress U-Turn is Manish Tewari. After lambasting Hazare and even accusing him of corruption, he takes back his statement today and says he has immense respect for the 74-year old. Tewari feels the awakened citizens of India will get amused by the worst joke of the century. Due to this and numerous other examples, it is clear that the government is as trustful as a rattlesnake. So, I personally won’t like to consider this as a victory.
Therefore, it is vital that we keep the protest alive with the same zest. Let us throng the roads in the same large numbers chanting the same slogans. Let the government know that what the common man wants is the ultimate victory in the form of the amendment of the Jan Lokpal Bill. The war is far from over!
The war is not over, it’s just begun…
I always wished I was born much before the 1980s so that I could have witnessed our great leaders fighting against the British for our country’s independence. Not just witnessing, I could have even taken part in the battle. I always felt deprived of the actual feeling of fighting for the country. I knew I could never experience this.
However, an act of bravery by a 73 year old Anna Hazare, of fasting unto death for the passing of Jan Lokpal Bill, and the way it awakened the patriotic zeal in the whole of India gave me an experience of our freedom struggle. The stubborn way in which the senior citizen stood up against our villainous government and the subsequent support it received from people of all walks of life, made me experience the feeling I always longed for.
It also proves that all you need to fight is rock solid determination instead of a toned muscular body. Such was his determination that it shook the Congress government and gave them sleepless nights.
It was indeed a triumphant moment for the nation when the government accepted the demands of Hazare. Truly a victory for Hazare and the common man of India. However, I am a bit taken aback by the celebrations that took place in almost each and every part of India. The way jubilant supporters went all out on the streets celebrating made it look as if corruption is wiped out entirely from India.
We should not forget that the Jan Lokpal Bill is yet to be passed. Although Congress has assured about it, you just can’t trust them at face value. We will have to make sure that the bill is actually passed before August 15, 2011. After that, even a bigger challenge awaits us – to see that the anti-corruption act is implemented and the corrupt leaders and politicians are awarded the strictest of punishments.
So right now, we have just won the first round and the actual war against the blood-sucking government has just begun. And if the people of India show the same determination and zeal they have shown in the last 6 days, the war will surely have fruitful results for us. I say surely because it will be fought by the common man, who can be deadlier than any weapon of mass destruction!