Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Men see the action, but God sees the intention.

Anna Hazare back to sea level?

21 DEC, 2011, 05.37AM IST, C L MANOJ,
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One can only hope the government's zeal to pass a 'strong Lokpal Bill' during the winter session of Parliament will not affect Team Anna's enthusiasm to try and deliver a third blow on the UPA regime.

If they backtrack from their resolve, the 24x7 news channels will be deprived of a chance to escape from the by now boring, five-minutes-flat, rocking games in Parliament.

So, hopefully, Team Anna will indulge in some deft and intelligent nit-picking to reject the Bill so that the TV-watching nation has some real entertainment, the tricolour-waving activists some outdoor action and Anna a real chance to better his 11-day fasting record that can, to some extent, make up for the national frustration over the delay in Sachin's 100th ton.

Since Anna has promised a bigger show if Parliament 'failed' to do as he dictates, the Opposition may be tempted to block the Bill to tap its self-proclaimed natural political benefit. Yet, Anna thinking of moving his protest to Mumbai is both disappointing and puzzling, even if the glamour city can offer many possibilities.

One disappointment is over a mega political event deserting India's political capital to check into its financial capital even though it will be silly to overlook the umbilical cord between political power and money power. That makes Maharashtra government's insistence that Team Anna pay commercial rent for the Bandra Kurla Complex looks silly, since India's biggest anticorruption crusade has never been short on fuel.

Only if Anna enlarges his goal, from targeting political corruption to nailing corruption in the middle class, corporate and NGO circles, would he feel the pinch. So far, he has not made that tactical error. Anna opting for Mumbai also means his Delhi fans missing out on the simple winter pleasures of basking under sunny days at Ramlila Grounds, waving the tricolour, feasting on peanuts, garam chai and occasional TV shots while betting on Anna's blood-pressure and glucose levels.

One lasting memory of Anna's Jantar Mantar fast-I was how a middle-aged mother and her teenage daughter curiously observed the starving crusader from close up with kulfi in their mouth! Mercifully, Team Anna did not insist that Anna choose Hissar, the field of their claimed maiden electoral conquest, as his fast venue, a cold spell has this Haryana town in thrall.

Anyway, Kuldip Bishnoi, the winner of Anna's anti-corruption crusade, can easily afford to open a 'Brand Bhajan Lal' stall at the Mumbai venue as his thanksgiving gesture. On the positive side, Mumbai might bring a variety of colour to Anna. Om Puri could lead Bollywood stars to deliver another colourful speech.

Never mind the sanctity of Anna's theme, Shahrukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra could still be sporty to set the atmospherics with an exclusive promotional show of Don 2 to the Anna fans. The Malabar Hills elite, accused of being politically indifferent, can crowd the stage for an image makeover. India Inc, especially those who are just out on bail in the 2G case, could come jogging down to show they are second to none in crusading against corruption.

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