Anna Hazare India’s only beacon emergedto stifle d menace Enough is enoughThere was absolutely no light at the end of the tunnel for us, until now. .

Anna Hazare – India’s only beacon

Sharmila Ravinder

07 April 2011, 01:37 PM IST


Enough is enough. Enough has been written and debated upon about corruption in India. There was absolutely no light at the end of the tunnel for us, until now. Time has literally stood still on this patient nation that has allowed itself to be taken for the biggest ride of its sixty–three years of independent life by those in governance. Tolerance levels in India had been very high when it comes to corruption. Scams running to the tune of thousands of crores barely make us bat an eyelid anymore and yet within each one of us there is an utmost sense of sheer helplessness that has been taking a vicious form. We have been treading on a short fuse over the last few months as every scam got bigger, every fraudster got braver and every watchdog got blinder. A faint light has streamed through the darkest of thunderclouds that has hovered over us all. Sinister clouds that have been spitting acid rain on raw wounds are now ominously scurrying in panic.

Finally, after years of utter frustration, there is one man, a veteran Gandhian who has emerged and decided to stifle the menace of corruption, by tackling it head on and placing his own neck on the chopping block. The social worker, Anna Hazare has now entered his third day of “fast unto death” until our Government enacts a comprehensive anti corruption law and includes the civil society to draft the Citizen’s Ombudsman bill. For years, the common man has been twiddling his thumbs because he was meeting a brick wall whichever way he turned, Hazare is the beacon that we were desperately searching for. A beacon that shows us the light and we need to pay heed to this light lest we crash ourselves onto treacherous destiny and drown in our own sea of helplessness. Lets put aside the technicalities of the Government’s proposed Lokpal bill (which has been hitting the speed breaker from 1969 in it’s various forms ), instead, let’s be extremely clear on one thing, Anna Hazare is a paragon that imbibes the same thoughts, hopes and aspirations as you and I. What can be wrong in supporting one who wishes to fight corruption? What other reason or excuse does one seek? The amendment Hazare proposes to the draft Lokpal bill is logical and one wishes that it were imbibed in order to create more accountability. India desperately needs Anna Hazare’s cause to succeed in order to bring about correction. His cause must meet with success if we wish to see any semblance of change in the near future.

Anna Hazare has made India notice him. Albeit, just noticing him is not enough, backing him and his cause is critical. His movement needs reinforcement in full scale. What irks me more is the unwillingness of the many who are famous to come out in full and support this seventy one year old veteran. Some pretend he does not even exist and have covered their eyes with blinkers. Kudos to those who have vociferously spoken in support of Hazare’s noble cause. In a slow trickle, the nameless and the faceless are now grouping together on social networking sites to garner support for Hazare’s cause. Many more are fasting or joining Hazare at Jantar Mantar and pledging their support. Hazare has triggered a revolution (and one wishes it remains a peaceful one) so to create reforms that India critically requires at this juncture, lest our two decades of growth would be rendered useless in the short run.

This is an exciting moment for India, a time when one smells the sweet jasmine that lingers in the heavy air. The media must continue its coverage of Hazare’s cause at the pace at which it currently is before distractions like the IPL set in. Our memories are short lived; we move from one distraction to another and tend to lose focus on pressing and important issues. I don’t feel guilty that I am celebrating India’s world cup win or trying to be dismissive about it, but if I remain obscure to Hazare’s cause then I have every reason to be ashamed of my actions. Anna Hazare is the “Gandhi” this generation imperatively needs. To watch a seventy one year old social activist who is already well past the best years of his life, sacrifice whatever is left of his mortality for the sake of this country is nothing short of awe inspiring. Finally there is a man who is making the Government sit up and pay attention to. I wish for Hazare’s cause to succeed because, right now he is our only hope.