Anna and spontaneous protest

At my neighbourhood market in Delhi:

 The protest against the denial of the right to protest builds up. It began when a group of persons holding candles and shouting pro-Anna and anti-corruption slogans came in a procession and entered the market square.

PS: Notice the 'Citizen First' board. Ironical?

Quickly, the group swelled. The late evening shoppers, the momo munchers, the pani-puri poppers joined them. There was the aunty, the uncle, the dude, the dudette, the bhaiya and the bhenji. One aunty stepped on to a cement platform and urged the gathering to come out in support for Anna. "Act NOW!"  she urged. A dude took over. There was some slogan shouting. 

They lit the candles. The little platform was soon ablaze. It was a fire of protest againt a system that was throttling free expression.  The last time I had seen candles on the platform was during Diwali, put up by the shopkeepers in celebration. But today, the candles were an Indian's expression that all was not right with her/his world.  The news of the government deciding to release Anna came in. But the people did not go away. Instead they decided to gather there every day at the same time and continue their struggle.

And the little flames that flickered seemed to be saying: "Let there be light. Let us lift the darkness, the cover of corruption from Indian life..."

India is rising against corruption

With you, Anna Hazare!

Something is happening finally. The anger of the common man and woman against corruption is building up. We have had enough of scams - one after the other. We have seen our politicians prosper at our cost. They seem to become rich overnight. There are more billionaires in the Parliament now than there ever were. The bureaucrats have joined the politicians, in diverting funds, amassing wealth. Judges, who were once considered above board, have joined the corrupt ranks. Even the armed forces.

The rich are becoming richer. Our MPs and MLAs give themselves periodic pay rises. And the poor? There is no end to their miseries. Rising prices, homes beyond reach,  a government school system for their children that makes a mockery of education, a health system difficult to access...

Anna Hazare, began his fast unto death against corruption yesterday.Thank God we have people like him, Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi...They give us hope. That it is in our power to change things and we shall. They have the support of the common people of India. Now, it is upto us to build this no corruption movement. Give our voice to it.

The Lokpal bill against corruption is the longest pending bill in Parliament: For some reason or the other it has been held back for 42 years by various governments! It has seen many drafts and the latest one is one weak one. Hazare has a very simple demand. That the team that scrutinises the Lokpal bill clause by clause should be 50 per cent people's representatives and the other 50 per cent be the ministers. But so far the government is showing no mood of relenting.

Every time the bill emerges there is some viogorous discussion and then it goes into abeyance. But this time, I sense a difference. The public mood is WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH. You cannot loot us anymore. We wont allow it.

I hope the mood sustains. And we get a strong law against corruption. So that politicians, bureaucrats, judges, persons occupying high public posts, who have looted this country, are brought to book.

Whew! Wouldn't that be wonderful?



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Anna and spontaneous protest