Anna’s Rangrangella PrajaTantra(Colorful Democracy)

Anna’s Rangrangella PrajaTantra(Colorful Democracy)

Anna’s fever has charged up Indian people and politics.
Government is taken aback by unprecedented support and youth involvement in the Lokpal agitation. Which intellectual has predicted about Rise of Anna before 5 April 2011!. Lokpal bill had never been issue of interest of our senior journalists or political experts in past. Thanks to Anna that every-one is now jumping in and shouting for or against Lokpal, describing their visionary wisdom !!
My purpose is not to write about Lokpal and its’ implications, but want to write a story, about how individuals are dealing with Lokpal-mania. I have chosen few characters, and their thinking about the agitation.

1) Shantilal, the school principal (Time: 4 PM)

Shantilal was a school principal of a Municipal school at Khambat, a small town of India. He has reached to post of principal due to his old relationship with local politicians. In complex maze of corruption everyone is connected, by selfish motives. Shantilal used to share govt financial aid, to modernize the school and bribe money for appointing teachers with local politicians and in turn gained promotions and other associated benefits.
Today he was thinking " Friday is Pateti(Parsi new year) and Monday is Janmastami, if he put leave for Wednesday and Thursday, than he will get entire week to relax " This was not possible as he has rejected teacher’s leave request on these days. After all he was Principal and has to exercise his authority sometimes. As he was engrossed in thoughts meanwhile watching television, got brilliant idea ! He urgently convened school staff meeting and announced “since entire country is supporting Anna Hazare, we also need to do our bit. Thus I am declaring to keep the school closed for 2 days as mark of our support to Anna's anti-corruption campaign. School will reopen on 23 Aug." Listening to this, most of staff got happy and few got confused but choose to be silent and decided to follow the majority. Khambat school got mini vacation, children were happy and so their teachers. While leaving school happy children were shouting as fun, "Anna tun age badho, hum tumhare sath hei kyunki hum ko chutti hei".
Shantilal smiled to them.

2) Mr.Nair (Retired Govt clerk, X-Freedom struggler, Time: 4 PM)

Mr.Nair has participated in freedom movement in his teen age. He has still remembered the news of freedom; he had spread in his Mohalla. He remembered that few old people were critical of Gandhiji and believed that India can never get freedom from mighty British empire. But she did got freedom and Nair distributed sweets to them as well. Years have been passed and Nair retired as govt clerk at city revenue dept. He has witnessed the rotting of system, rise and growth of corruption age, withering moral values and systemic collapse of Gandhian ideology and ever-growing rise of dishonesty. Nair's dream of Gandhi's India shattered every day in his office and finally he gave up. He accepted that Gadhiji’s ideas of non-violence and simplicity has no takers in economy driven world. He accepted corruption as fate and sent his son to US to live in more honest society. He was alive just to breath, without any purpose. Today was different. After watching Anna's agitation, Youth participation in Gandhian way, Candle light marches, and Fluttering tri color flag have triggered gush of energy into his old fragile body. He remembered his teen age freedom struggle. His old, fatigued heart started beating again. Day before he was hopelessly waiting for death, now he wants to live more. He saw a tiny ray of hope, penetrating hard solid rocks. Will this tiny ray melt the century old rocks and vanish the underneath darkness ? Nobody knows, but this is the time for hope and Mr.Nair felt that hope. Blood in his feeble veins has been charged. He held his wooden stick firmly and strained his weak legs. He pulled himself, implying all his physical energy and finally stood up. With help of wooden stick, he slowly started walking towards cupboard. He opened the cupboard. His old eyes were scanning through pile of clothes. Finally he found, what he was searching., An old Gandhi Topi, not used for years. He looked at him as precious jewel, as an achievement of his generation. His shaking hands moved and he put it on his head and looked himself in the mirror. The room was empty and entire Nation was watching him.

3) Sushil Kumar (Business Man, Time: 4 PM)

Sushil Kumar is involved in textile business. Because of nature of his work, he had to deal with various central and state govt beaucrates. Internally Sushil was honest man but to run his business, his business ethics has permitted him to take support of bribe. Initially Sushil was hesitating in asking for bribe but now he has habituated about the rates and modes of payment. Sushil has been very generous in giving bribes and this habit was product of belief that govt is supreme authority which can shut down hia business anytime. Because of his inherent fear he used to pay bribe for all legal work also. Paying bribe was the only right, he knew as citizen. Today watching anti-corruption agitation, he was confused. He could not understand the logic behind Lokpal bill. He could not understand the reason behind youth anger. He was so much wrapped by corrupt practices that they no longer remained corrupt, rather became only legitimate way of working for him. He can’t imagine another system of governance than current. He concluded his thought process by accepting that may be he has to make provision for one more stakeholder in future, a Lokpal official.

4)Lakhpat ( A rural farmer, Time: 4 PM)

Lakhpat was a farmer of Rampa towm. Rampa was an rural town, where electricity has not reached. It was an interior of interior kind of town, where modernity has not touched yet. Most of the villagers are farmers, using medieval methods of farming. Since there was no electricity, Town did not had a TV set hence no Anna fever. Town people used to hear benefits of electricity from other towns and yearning to have same for their town. Today Lakhpat heard about Anna Hazare from his powered-town friend. He explained same to his wife " You know there is an Old Man is fasting at big town to bring new kanoon(Law) called Lokpal. Under Lokpal every town will get electricity. ". Lakhpat has interpreted Lokpal bill that was meeting his requirement. The fact is that Central govt had plan to connect Rampa 10 years ago but all the financial aid has gulp down by corrupt supply chain and electricity has never reached to Rampa. Will Lokpal bill fulfill Lakhpat's dream to get electricity ? I dont know !! In fact, nobody knows..

This country aspires to be nicer than it is now. Youth dreams to live in better India. Iron is hot and this is the time for Govt to cleanse the system. This country needs enema to flush out the dirt and this is the time to it. Darkest fear is national disheartening if this movement fails to reach its positive conclusion.

Regds
vadan