Referendum Against Corruption

Up until the morning of August 16, 2011, everything seemed to be in balance i.e. the public perception with regard to the respective positions of the Congress led UPA government and Team Anna Hazare on the contentious issue of the Lokpal Bill. While open differences exhibited itself on the Lokpal Bill send by the Union Cabinet to Parliament and the Jan Lokpal Bill formulated by Team Anna, everything was going as per the due process of law and the political process. And knowing fully well that it was not the UPA government but Parliament which would have the final say in what kind of a Lokpal will finally take shape, Anna Hazare and his associates did the right thing by meeting cross section of political parties, Member of Parliament etc. to put forward their viewpoints. Everything was going as per the norms of parliamentary democracy—healthy debate and discussions. On their part the UPA government also pushed their case through various channel of media. In the process, the Indian public was getting a good education on the important Lokpal Bill. Even the Prime Minister Mr Manmohan Singh used the platform of the historic Red Fort to send a strong and clear message that his government was committed to a strong Lokpal Bill and to fight corruption. In fact his Independence Day address to the nation was peppered with a heavy dose of the anti-corruption theme. Indeed Indian democracy was looking refreshing for a change with almost all section of people lending their voice to the grave issues of the day. So everyone—the government, opposition, civil society and media were going about doing their respective duties.
 
Unfortunately for the Manmohan Singh government all the positive dynamics, the fine balance on the Lokpal Bill, the support of opposition parties and trust of the people everything changed when Anna Hazare and his close associates were arrested and put in Tihar Jail. The UPA government has completely misread the situation and obviously it has taken for granted the popular sentiment of people in favour of the anti-corruption crusade whether it is led by Anna Hazare or any other person. Sitting on a fast and doing peaceful dharna or protest is a tradition rooted in the Indian ethos and all of us know about Mahatma Gandhi and his theology of satyagraha and ahimsa. Anna Hazare was not going to fast for the first time in his life and there was no reason why he should have been stopped. It appears that some within the present UPA government have started to strongly dislike Anna and it is these people who are hell bent on discrediting the movement started by the Gandhian social activist. The Congress leadership should quickly take note that it risks losing legitimacy in the eyes of the common people through such undemocratic action against a peaceful protestor. The government obviously must be taken aback by the protest engulfing the entire country in the wake of Anna’s arrest. The offer to release Anna Hazare from the infamous Tihar Jail is obviously too little too late. The damage for the Manmohan Singh government has already been done. It can still salvage something by restoring the fundamental right to peaceful protest and assembly without arms. The latest episode is also a reminder to the political class that the people of India are overwhelmingly in support of the anti-corruption crusade—the second freedom struggle started by Anna Hazare. Surely the government and the political establishment have lost this referendum to Team Anna.