Anna Hazare reflects what a majority of Indians feel. He dislikes politicians. He hates corruption. He wants the country to change. And, yes, he thinks Prime Minister Manmohan Singh lacks authority and hardly anybody in the Congress or the government listens to him.
His understanding of things is uncomplicated, an extension of the man himself. Given a chance he would purge all Vidhan Sabhas and Lok Sabha of all corrupt elements. He would not mind throwing his lot behind a political outfit which does not carry the corruption taint. He would even support a political party formed out of honest people from all parties.
“Yes, I will support them, but I will not be a part of the leadership of that party. This is the only way we can save this country,” he said in an interview to the CNN-IBN television channel today.
Girls Simran (2nd L) and Ikra offer coconut water and honey to veteran Indian social activist Anna Hazare (C) after he ended his fast at Ramlila grounds in New Delhi on 28 August 2011. Adnan Abidi/Reuters
The honest intents of the man, who recently led the country’s biggest non-political anti-corruption movement and demolished the big ego of the political class rather ruthlessly, were never in doubt. He personified the collective disgust against corruption and frustration at the politicians. His simplicity was his biggest asset then – it made him an instant hero.
The simplicity is intact. As is the simplistic approach to gargantuan issues. That is a problem. It won’t take him or the country far.
Anna plans to ask people in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab, states going to election shortly, not to vote for corrupt contestants.
“Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha are sacred bodies and only sacred people should go in it. If corrupt people go then it is a threat to the democracy. That is why people have to be woken up and have to be told that they should not vote for the corrupt,” he said.
On the face of it, it is a good idea but in the end impracticable. The obvious questions follow: How do you identify who is corrupt? Who gives you the right to brand someone corrupt? The identification could be based on loose popular perception, which won’t stand legal scrutiny. A campaign of this kind could end up creating more problems than solutions and damaging Anna’s reputation.
The Gandhian holds late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in great esteem. “There was Indira Gandhi who worked for the poor in the country; she was elected as the prime minister. They should look at that,” he said.
The late prime minister was a competent leader but her reputation at tackling corruption certainly left a lot to be desired. That she had to face the Sampoorna Kranti movement of the late Jayaprakash Narayan—a movement similar to that of Anna himself—is testimony to her great failure on this front. Corruption was the dominant theme of that movement too.
The Gandhian wants to remain an outsider in the political process. “If the good people of all parties can come together and I will tell the people of the country to support them, but I will not be a part of the leadership of that party…I don’t have the capacity. I am an ordinary man,” he said.
Such an approach smacks of escapism – a reflection of the popular attitude towards politics. People who criticise the political class for its many failures are reluctant to take up the challenge themselves. Anna, with his popularity, could form a party and participate in elections easily. Admitted, he is not a career politician but the country needs honest men to be at the forefront, in the leadership role.
What Anna does from now on is important. He could stretch himself thin through targeting individuals. The yields from the effort would be insignificant. A much better idea would be if he focuses solely on electoral reforms which stops dubious characters from entering politics.
