Million Mutinies

The time has come when everyone is aware of atleast one common issue i.e. Corruption and a crusade against it. The Anna phenomenon, if not anything, has brought the issue to the forefront. Kisan Baburao Hazare , a soldier of 60s leading the youth of 2011. The movement is termed as the August Kranti and the second struggle for freedom . But what makes it a kranti or a movement of this level? Why are the huge crowd mainly the college students are attracted towards it? The man is for a just cause, The man has impeccable integrity, the man has not a penny to be questioned, the man has a clean professional record, the man has a Padma Bhushan for decoration , adorned with successes for the right causes and the man is not alone. He is there with the aid and advise of the fantastic five, the names which has become household today. They themselves are the ones that a boy or a girl wants to be. Arwind Kejriwal , an IIT Kharagpur alumnus , an IRS officer and then credited among those who brought RTI in our lives. Kiran Bedi, the name already known to people before this movement only because of her achievements and integrity. Santosh Hegde, a retired SC judge and the Lokayukta whose work lead to the resignation of someone like Yedyruppa, the strongest horse in BJP's power in Southern India . And the lawyers' duo of Bhushans where one had been the Union Law Minister of the country. Now when such people come into the forefront the questions on constitutionality, legality etc. of the movement shall be put to rest.

The outpore is not the result of the govt.'s blunder of arresting the people , but the reasons that are known to everyone who live in this country. Though the action certainly helped in increasing the numbers on the first two days it can not be held resonsible for the sea of humanity seen in Delhi and Mumbai a day ago. The biggest rally, political or non-political, ever seen in independent India is mind boggling. Before one could get down from the metro a huge crowd could be seen on the platform with the flags and the gandhian topi, heading towards the India gate to join thousands in the rally. But to the surprise there were already lakhs occupying the 5 km lane to Ramlila maidan which was packed with another lakh. In Mumbai 'one lakh marched' and the city didnot see such a response even in its worst times. Other cities across India also had big rallies. This is the gathering only of those who had opportunity and time to be there . We should not forget the millions who may have wished to be a part of it.

As a witness to this movement I cannot but want to show what I saw at Ramlila. During the day the mood is euphoric, emphatic in naarebaazi and patriotic in waving hundred tricolors. The mood of jubilation, celebration engulfs anyone who is just present anywhere near the ground. The feeling that today one is not alone and lakhs can stand up together for one cause, the single feeling of hope over rides the persistent solitude which had gripped a person so long wanting to voice against anything unjust. Charged with encouraging voice of Anna or the spiritual speeches of leaders people realize that this is exactly what they wanted to hear when they came here. People recording the spiritual speeches on their smart-phones . I never before thought the spiritual speeches are worth enough to be recorded by so many. In the night the loudspeakers are shut down after 10pm. People start leaving the grounds leaving for thousands of those who either do not find time during the day to come there or those who carry the movement night and day without interrupting. The food is already prepared and then distributed to everyone by 100s of volunteers. The volunteer does not mean you would find them with a badge but anyone who just stands up to serve. You will find people cleaning up the place. If one see the sheer size of the ground and the volume of packets and waste thrown one would say it would take days to clean up. But to the surprise it doesnot take even 15 minutes to clean everything. More than a hundred youngsters are seen picking up each and every single waste packet and collecting in a sack. As soon as something is thrown a person would come and pick it up. This is the first time I have seen in my life when the boys in 20s with spiking hair and rugged jeans clean a place which is muddied with waste and rains. This is the place which does not care who throws the waste , is he rich or poor? It does not care who picks up the waste, is he rich or poor?

When you snatch your eyes from the cleaning process you would find many people huddled up in tens of groups while some still in the same mood of naarebaazi. If you go close to one of the ten groups you will find a remarkable structure and composition. The inner circle with about 10-15 people with candles lit in the middle and about 20 other standing around them. It involves mainly youngsters and middle-aged people with one or two elderly. The group continuously chant slogans and sing the patriotic songs. As the night goes deeper the group starts discussing things among themselves. If you can spend 15 minutes there you will understand how much a common man knows about the issues surrounding us and the problems we face. This group comprises of students, servicemen, unemployed, rich, poor, rural, urban , Hindu , Muslim , everyone. The whole India is seen to be represented on one platform. The talks are informative, the mood is mainly of self-realization. You will easily find someone saying it is because "we do not vote the correct person" or "we do not vote at all when the time comes" or "the corruption prevails because we have been accepting it as a norm either by giving it or by taking it". Another two minutes and the eyes swelled when a middle-aged Muslim (recognizable with his attire in this holy month of Ramzan),said, " Bhai, in logo ne hume baat rakha hai. Agar hum tum aaj saath na hue to kuchh nahi ho sakta". I found a 60 year old preaching the importance of morality in life. Another man and he talks about the corruption prevailing in Panchayats and about a farmer's plight in today's village. a media camera comes in between and the discussion is interrupted. But in some time the mood is euphoric again with someone starting, " Apni azzadi ko hum hargiz mita sakte nahi..." and the song continues with everyone singing with full energy. It continues for hours with more people joining and leaving from the group. I went to another group and saw two people in a fierce debate- if one common language is necessary in India and if English can & should be that language. The people around were moderating and contributing with their points. Some smaller groups of 4-5 people are spread here and there with some sleeping and some just sitting there with a placard proclaiming "On hunger strike since 6 days". Strangely I found a boy in late teens dressed in uniform and sitting quitely and the board read "Mamma , I am not coming home". For some time I got concerned if he is Okay but then I saw around and realized he has no fault of his own. In this satyagraha too there is silence which can be heard only at the ground but difficult to capture by any media. Some naarebaazi still goes on at the other end. Some are still busy in serving food and water while some others cleaning the place.

Every one including something as pure as this movement has to be criticized by many. I see many showing their disapproval to the things going on. I know everyone shall have right to disagree but I only found people either misinformed about the Jan Lokpal bill or they never even bothered to check what it says. There are many who just criticize the movement for the sake of standing away from a crowd. Or some who thinks if they know a word like Oligarchy they shall use it. Some say many of the people standing there do not know what the bill actually says. I want to know how many people in the country knew about the laws and how many discussions were there in the country when the constitution was being framed. The majority follow the leaders and they believe in them. You cannot expect each and everyone to read and understand each and every provision or a method of law making when more than a quarter of the country is still illiterate. Even to them I shall tell that yesterday a rickshaw waala told me all the provisions in the two bills in discussion. This is the first time ever that a bill is discussed so widely and so efficiently in India. Arundhati Roy wrote an article which somehow got a place in one of the finest dailies but the article is so narrow minded and lacks complete knowledge of facts. Her view that a Lokpal would lead to another set of independent bureaucratic institution and now one has to pay a bribe to two organisations instead of one is mind-boggling. That means she is against the setting up of any Lokpal ever . So according to her as the Election Commission is an independent bureaucratic body and may lead to more corruption it shall be abolished. Or if we have police who takes a 100 rupee note to clear the passport inquiry we shall abolish the system of police inquiry itself. Some say it is against democracy and parliament. They are either the people of parliament or the ones who most of the other times criticizes the parliament itself. At one time they would say MPs are most corrupt , they are criminal, they shall be killed but at this time they take the custodian rights of projecting the parliament as the most sacrosanct. Even to them I shall ask to give me one instance when the constitution or parliament is over ridden in the demands of Team Anna.

For years we had been complaining in our drawing rooms, for years there had been frustrations for the politicians and we know almost each and every problem today is because of corruption. For years we had seen a vacuum of leaders who could go beyond their political lines. I see the hope of filling the vacuum with Anna and his strong team coming out at the front. But when I go to Ramlila I forget the criticisms , I forget the relentless government. The forget the continuous frustrating silence of the government and the Prime Minister. I know when the real leaders emerge the virtual fall silent. But the mood present in the air of a revolution engulfs me. As they say the noise of debates & discussions is music of democracy . The continuous patriotic songs is music to the ears which always heard that the people of the country are dead and they do not care any damn thing happening across them. This marks the beginning of transition from "nothing can change in this country" to "I am the change"

They say it is madness, they say the government won't bend , they say it would lead to anarchy. I see unity, I see hope, I see waving flags, I see discussions, I see people breaking the shackles of caste, religion, I see patriotism, I see leaders emerging, I see a society integrating, I see a nation building. I do not care what they say, I do not even care how soon the bill is passed I am just too involved and ecstatic in seeing what I am seeing.