More than Lokpal, does Anna need a speech writer?
The self-styled crusader against corruption, the “modern Gandhi” — Anna Hazare — has managed to pick on one of the most marginalized sections of Indian society. While pitching for a strong Lokpal Bill on Tuesday, Hazare resorted to an unfortunate idiom about childless women, when he said, “Banjh kya jaane prasuti vedana (what would an infertile woman know about labour pain)?”
However the word in Hindi, “banjh”, does not have the same clean and scientific connotation as “infertile” or “sterile”. It means “barren” and is used as a derogatory term for women who fail to bear children. A woman who does not produce a child loses her social status inside and outside the house. While the ostracism in urban India may not be as obvious, contempt for childless women is reinforced through colloquialism and Bollywood.
Popular culture still depicts women who don’t reproduce, even if it is out of choice, as incomplete and good-for-nothing. It is not uncommon for infertile women to be barred from baby shower or child-naming ceremonies as they are considered the harbingers of ill-omen. Even if the husband is infertile, the wife ends up shouldering the blame for a childless marriage and is often subjected to treatments ranging from exorcism to numerology. Subordination, violence and estrangement are all likely consequences of infertility for a woman.
74-year-old Anna Hazare, who has spent most of his life in rural India, would certainly be aware of the stigma a “banjh” carries. And, while he promises to push India towards a glorious, evil-free future, how can he sustain a campaign on the back of older-India’s prejudices?
Neither has this been Hazare’s only controversial statement. Lately, he has come up with remarks that should alarm any self-respecting non-violent activist — advocating flogging for alcoholics and death penalty for the corrupt.
Maybe it is time that the “Gandhian” in Hazare actually took a leaf out of Mahatma Gandhi’s book who worked towards both political and social emancipation. Or maybe, he just needs a new speech-writer.
Anti-graft wars: Empire strikes back at Team Anna
They rode a popular wave of discontent over spiralling corruption to force the government to bend to their demands and led an otherwise fractious parliament to arrive at a consensus on an anti-graft bill, in the process becoming media celebrities — their figurehead even hailed a national hero.
But now, activists led by Anna Hazare, whose campaign against corruption captured the imagination of millions across the country and prompted round-the-clock media coverage, say they are being targeted by official machinery for ruffling important feathers.
Hazare’s aides Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Prashant Bhushan have all received breach of privilege notices from parliament for derogatory comments they reportedly made against legislators.
Kejriwal has also received another notice from the IT department asking him to pay 9.27 lakh rupees ($20,196) in dues for alleged violation of bond clauses while serving in the government.
Bedi received the privilege notice for accusing politicians of wearing “several masks”, while Bhushan is said to have accused MPs of taking bribes to pass laws, though he denied this.
Anna Hazare himself has been accused of misusing a trust fund headed by him. Media reports said a government task force found the expenditure of 2.20 lakh rupees on Hazare’s 60th birthday celebrations amounted to misapplication of funds of the Hind Swaraj Trust.
The whole affair has a precedent. In June, the government began probing the assets of popular yoga guru Baba Ramdev, whose $40 million-a-year yoga empire hadn’t raised official eyebrows till then, after he launched an anti-graft agitation.
The “breach of privilege” notices issued by Parliament to actor Om Puri and members of Team Anna such as Kiran Bedi cannot, I believe, sustain a challenge in the Supreme Court. This is because the “breach of privilege” and “contempt of parliament” clauses were not created for offenses as trivial as someone calling MPs names. The libel has to affect Parliament’s ability to function – that is the spirit of parliamentary law, spelled out clearly. If an eminent lawyer were to challenge these breach of privilege notices in the Supreme Court, I believe he could win. To see the full arguments for this, please see http://www.leftbrainwave.com/2011/09/are -breach-of-privilege-notices-sent.html and http://www.leftbrainwave.com/2011/09/doe s-parliament-have-right-to-issue.html
Thank you.
Anna Hazare: PR superstar?
So it has come to an end for now. A fast by a 74-year-old man sparked nationwide protests against the political class in the world’s largest democracy and forced a government, already suffering from graft charges, even further on the backfoot. While we are on the issue of sporting analogies, let’s ask ourselves, how many of the statements made in media and civil society, about the UPA government scoring own goals and making unforced errors, are justified?
To start from the top, a few days before Anna Hazare started his fast against the government’s reluctance to table his and his team’s version of a key anti-corruption bill, called the Lokpal bill, the government’s PR machinery made one blunder after the other.
It allowed a Congress spokesman to use rather strong language on TV against Hazare. And later statements on record by union ministers Kapil Sibal and Palaniappan Chidambaram did nothing to turn the tide of public opinion increasingly turning against the government at its inability to crack down on rampant corruption.
On the other hand, while Anna Hazare’s protest channelised the frustration of the Indian middle class, it certainly needed more than that to succeed. From the beginning, his close advisers, nicknamed “Team Anna” by the media, proved to be adept at handling public relations.
Just moments before he was detained by the police, Team Anna put up a video on YouTube with his message calling for nationwide agitation and for people to turn themselves in to the police. It was a PR coup, as by the same evening, thousands of people had gathered in protest in front of the Tihar Jail gates.
From then on till the fast ended, the ruling coalition stumbled and exposed itself as riven by a lack of leadership, indecision, poor judgement and out of touch with the concerns of a country of 1.2 billion people. This was maybe a chance for Rahul Gandhi to shine and be shown as bringing the situation under control. But in the end, his statement in parliament was certainly a case of “too little, too late.” Also, the government’s constant backtracking on its talks with Team Anna and contentious points in the bill, showed it to be fickle.
Team Anna called this a people’s movement and perhaps backed those claims. At the main protest venue in Delhi, everything from Anna Hazare caps and T-shirts, to daily “lectures” by Kiran Bedi on the various clauses in Hazare’s version of the bill, to updates on any meeting with the government being provided on stage, to the line-up of activists, writers, singers, movie stars et al. turned it into a people’s movement, a circus and a reality show, all rolled into one.
The idea that CIA behind Ford is even strange. If Ford is corrupt and anti-India Organization, it should fund kashmir seperatists right? or it should lobby for lowering taxes on automobiles or ask for less stricter emissions through its NGO’s? If ford is such anti-India organization why is it supporting Anna and trying to strengthen Indian democracy through his anti corruption movements ?why is it not donating to Arundathi Roy or Ali shah Geelani? why is it not donating to naxalites?
It should have donated or gifted the money to some minister who could provide some favours like Raja? why?
why to Anna? is it because Anna can bring down government, if so, do you think Indian Government is so weak and Indians fools of higher order to act upon its designs? for anybody who knows Indian politics, Governments wont resign even in Genuine case of failures, not for such trivial issues as corrupton (for them). People who shoot slingshots from behind the bushes should come out and make their stand clear on the issue of Corruption and suggest more Authoritative and honest leaders than Anna and we will sure to Grab him.
In any case Anna had become only a face and a catalyst for Indians expression of frustration over growing divide with political classes,its failure in reforming governance through its dismal performance of clean governance and inflation.
In democracies protests and movements ensure the resolution of long and festering problems. You can think of Britain. Iran used to support Irish Nationalists as Iran saw the disaffected youth from Ireland. while huge voilent protests erupted. Britain took to the task in improving its image, gave more political freedoms and e economic oppurtunities and absorbed Irish even more into their society. So even if Irans intentions were not right it only ended in strengthening British democracy.
Assuming ford is some malicious intentions, it may unknowingly end up benefitting Indian democracy just like Lord curzon,General Dyer with their malcious intentions ended up in arousing Indian peoples aspiration and the need for Freedom and Democracy.
Civil servants start following in Anna Hazare’s footsteps
By Annie Banerji
He came, he saw and he took the Congress-led government by storm with his 12-day fast against corruption at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi that became the epicentre of a national crusade.
But just a few days later, Hazare’s plea to hundreds of thousands of supporters to do more than just cheer him on and instead change their attitude to corruption looks to be bearing fruit.
Sipping coconut water and honey, 74-year-old Anna Hazare ended a hunger strike on its 13th day on Sunday when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government caved in to the demands of the veteran social reformer as parliament backed anti-graft legislation that met many of his demands.
In the past two weeks, the Ramlila Maidan, a common location for festivals and political rallies, had become a microcosm of the nation when it witnessed a lively gathering on a daily basis catering to supporters from all walks of life during a politically-driven movement.
But now that the grounds lay bare, with the restoration process already underway for upcoming events, suddenly there seems to be a vacuum. Not only school kids, but young professionals and daily wagers who sold “I am Anna” caps may be showing withdrawal symptoms from a busy fortnight as everyone goes back to their humdrum lives.
Even 24-hour news channels have gone back to airing sports and entertainment stories, which seemed to have been on a hiatus during the tense stand-off between Anna Hazare and the government.
Honestly like all vague targets “no corruption in India’ also had to bite dust. If Anna would have called ” no water in milk’ or ” tamper proof meters” ,vast majority of Indians would have been benefitted. But he demanded a potential additional corruption centre at the state expense. Without any change in social attitude towards a moral ethical lifestyle , India would remain corrupt. Most Indian families lies in telephone and tells the children to say ” say Dady is not here”. Most families teach children to “win” by any means. Hardly there are real ” practice in real life” . Kiran has done well to claim business class . RK Laxman once lined ” I take bribe only to pay others”. Honestly I want to earn like Kiran did. I can lecture well , but I am not a member of a trust. Anyway with another 40 years Bombai auto rickshwas and taxis would be run in electronic meters.
Nidhiram
Corporate governance and Anna Hazare’s fast
A few months ago, Kiran Bedi visited the Thomson Reuters office in Bangalore as a guest speaker to mark International Women’s week and also to address us on corporate ethics and governance. It was also the day when some of us heard of a man called Anna Hazare and a bill called the Lokpal.
“A few of us activists, like Anna Hazare, if you’ve heard about him…,” began Bedi. “He’s called the Gandhi of Maharashtra,” and she continued further, enlightening us about the anti-corruption bill and the support and impact this man can provide.
“Anna Hazare is known to be very effective in the past,” she said. “Whenever Hazare has sat on a fast, the Maharashtra government gave in and he got the right kind of laws.”
Days into Hazare’s fast in New Delhi, Bedi’s prescient speech echoes in the minds of those of us who heard her talk about how the bill is being enacted not because the government wants it, but because it was a signatory in the G20 resolution to fight corruption and was bound by it.
“It’s all about governance. The principles of governance are similar whether in finance or in public service,” she said.
But is a “fast-unto-death” the only means, some may even label it a threat or emotional blackmail, to achieve a resolution? Is it soon becoming a silent weapon to ensure establishment of those “principles of governance” that Bedi mentions? If governance is not just about public service but also corporate, what if this silent weapon finds its way into institutions and companies?
In a country where over $60 billion gets soaked into corruption every year, the way out to establish rules may have to be more stringent than quiet sacrifices. The show — corrupt or not — will go on, irrespective of protests, but will right governance only be achieved by not eating or drinking? Even when Bedi transformed Tihar Jail in the mid-90s, her only weapon to make the government agree to her prison reform plans was pressure tactics.
under the mask of democracy Congress and BJP wish to rule – they are not here to serve – they wish most of the citizens to by uneducated and to be dumb – an evil thoughts rules the minds of indian top politicians – most of the time they are putting on stealing TAX money and playing tricks to stay in power 
The thin line between activism and hooliganism
Whether one supports the principles of Anna Hazare or not, there is no denying the movement has managed to strike a chord with people from almost every section of society.
The frustration with corruption has breached its maximum level, and that alone awakened the so-called political activism among Indians.
However, a few high profile incidents on the streets of New Delhi may damage the cause of the activists.
Several incidents have been reported across the city which show that for some people, support for the movement is a licence for hooliganism and drunken driving.
A group of Anna Hazare supporters, apparently drunk, clashed with police late on Thursday outside the Ramlila Maidan, after they tried to force their way through the VIP entrance, local media said.
This is the second such reported incident after drunken protesters picked a fight with members of the media on Monday, and police refused to take action against them, citing orders not to hurt Hazare’s supporters.
Every evening, the streets of Delhi are filled with some flag-waving Hazare supporters riding cars with their heads hanging out of the windows, speeding past buses and other vehicles. Also, bikers are seen recklessly riding around India Gate, without helmets.
In a country as populous as India some discrete incidents of hooliganism are unavoidable. But there was no mass rioting as many people had anticipated. It was very peaceful.
VIDEO: Reactions to Anna Hazare’s agitation
Anna Hazare’s fast against corruption united tens of thousands of people across India. The social activist is now recovering from the near-two week fast in his home village of Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra. But the government still faces the challenge of passing the Lokpal Bill. Reuters spoke to a few people on the streets to get a sense of what the common man thinks about the anti-corruption debate.
Probable Lokpal Bill: Neither Anna’s nor govt’s version
By Arup Roychoudhury
The events that transpired since Anna Hazare first went on a fast in April, when the word “Lokpal” was embedded in the minds of people throughout India, seem to have given Hazare’s protest a very one-dimensional view — that of black versus white.
The Indian press corps, across medium and languages, may have also contributed to the polarisation. Most seem to have taken a pro-Hazare stand with little or no coverage given to any counterviews.
However, this is still being seen as essentially a political movement, with many angles and viewpoints to it. And, like many political movements, chances are it will probably end in a compromise rather than “victory” for either the ruling Congress coalition or Team Anna.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday that he was willing to engage in open dialogue regarding the bill and that there was a “scope of give and take”.
With the government seen as willing to show a rather belated streak of flexibility, it shouldn’t be long before Hazare starts conceding some ground.
The Times of India reported that Hazare’s group has indicated it is ready to drop its insistence of including the higher judiciary within the ambit of the bill.
Thorough discussion is very essential before presenting the draft for Lokpal Bill in the parliament.
Among the protests, India’s poor get on with life
“Shoe polish, sir?” That was a quote your correspondent was not expecting to record as he paced through the crowds protesting in New Delhi in solidarity with Anna Hazare, the 74-year-old poster boy for India’s fight against endemic corruption.
Among the waving flags, painted faces and punched fists of thousands of mostly students and young professionals on Wednesday, were beggars, trinket-sellers and shoe-shiners plying their trade seemingly indifferent to the din around them.
The sight gave pause for thought as to how far the spiralling protests against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s scandal-plagued government have trickled down to an underclass of hundreds of millions of Indians living below the bread line.
Hazare, a self-styled Gandhian activist, has caused huge embarrassment for Singh’s coalition for months, staging street protests and fasts demanding tougher laws against graft.
He has tapped into a groundswell of discontent against the corruption which touches Indian lives every day. Protests have erupted in cities throughout the country, from the hilly northeast to the southern tech hubs of Bangalore and Hyderabad.
But the question remains whether this week’s protests are mostly confined to relatively affluent urbanites who have thrived from two decades of economic boom but are tired of the older, corrupt elites governing their country.
On Wednesday, protesters had gathered at India Gate, a colonial era memorial that has turned into a tourist hot spot in the Indian capital, hence a magnet for those hoping to earn a few rupees or dollars from visitors. Ice cream carts, soda carts and ornaments laid out on mats were still parked next to TV vans.
India is at a crucial cusp in history. The Indian population has been under various kinds of ‘rulers’ for a very long time. Hence even though India has elections , the elected representatives and their insitutitions behave like rulers. The Indian population has been exploited by the ‘new rulers’ long enough. This is the rise of orphans of a half revolution to seek true democracy.
The people have more than demonstrated their faith in Anna and Government has to recognise the voice of the people.
Our politicians need to be reminded that they are ‘representing’ us not ruling us. This ‘ruling’ mindset percolates all levels of Government from a cop to the ministers…. India needs to become a true democracy and ensure our representatives behave like representatives.
The self defined and proclaimed “TEAM ANNA” (excluding Anna jee himself), are nothing but a TEAM of loosers and non achievers assembled together to attain their individual self goals of achieving quick success in life and to be heard and seen by us common citizens. yeah….it is… can’t you all see…! well, Mr Kejriwal, a man who left his job halfway, betrayed his very job. His obsession for being in public life is very much obvious. He wants to fight a battle by imposing his own preferred (favourably bent ) rules in the battle field just like a kid in the house who wants that everyone in his house must play the game by his laid down rules or should be thrown out of the house. He seems to be afraid to play the game by the rules that have been laid down and acknowledged worldwide. Mr Shisodiya and Ms Shazia, betraying their job (of a Journlaist) by trying to gain extra milage by taking undue advantage of the previlage their job gave them. Mr. Kumar Vishawas, a poet by profession as he claims, (god knows what worth he as written so far) trying his best to gain publicity (may be to market his name/articles/books in future). Mr. Prashant Bhushan, a not so successful lawyer – politico (as his father) , portraits a picture of a depressed man picking up random agendas (thanks to the PIL culture) with a single point objective to be in the news and Ms Kiran Bedi, let down by the system (she was unable to become the Delhi police chief despite her clean image and hard work).
My humble advise to Anna jee is that lead the way for us (not for TEAM ANNA) with full command and authority. You have a cause, and you have the experience to take it to conclusion. Remember, when you sat on fast for the first time, all followed you. We did not come there for all the above individuals. So why you need to consult these individuals now, why you have to take their advise and follow their plans and strategy? The fight is simple…yes I mean it…it is very simple. Call upon the masses, plan and discuss with the masses in open, include the people and your cause will see the light of the day one day and if these individuals want to follow you , they are most welcome. However, if they intend to become your guardians, then it is a concern to be worried about for all the citizens who have great faith in you.
(someone pls translate this to Marathi please for Anna to read)
This write up seems to have been written just to criticize the great crusader … ! Otherwise the use of the world “Banjh” by Anna is befitting the context and so are his remarks; “advocating flogging for alcoholics and death penalty for the corrupt.”