Why Gandhi is still relevant today-07/04/2011

By Anu Kurian/India Syndicate, 07/04/2011

Why Gandhi is still relevant today

Gandhian principles still work in India; Hazare uses satyagraha in its most purest form to get the govt to act against corruption

Why Gandhi is still relevant today

Does it take a Gandhian to bring the government to its knees? Well, looking at the response that Anna Hazare has got from the nation for his fight against corruption, it seems so. Hazare, the anti-graft crusader, has been fasting for three days now demanding that the government put its money where its mouth is.

Consider this: A man decides to go on a fast to get the government to acknowledge that it needs to fight now against now. About 24 hours later, people wake up to his clarion call. Now, 48 hours later, cities across the country are taking the non-violent way of protesting, unlike that of our political parties, to tell the government that they have decided enough is enough! No violence, no bloodshed, no broken cars or burnt buses, shattered shops. Nothing, except the strong resolve of the people is shining through. And what a statement the silence is making!

A brief overview

On April 5, Anna Hazare decided to take on the government and demand that it act against corruption. He also wanted the Jan Lokpal Bill to be amended to give it enough teeth to be effective. He lashed out against Sharad Pawar for being part of the Group of Ministers on corruption. Initially, a shocked Pawar said in jibe, "Please remove me from all the GoMs." However, the constant criticism from Hazare made Pawar resign from the GoM on corruption.
Later, the Gandhian shot off a letter to the Prime Minister slamming the government for not taking his protest too seriously.

Responding to Congress' criticism that his protest was "premature", the 72-year-old said authorities resort to "malicious slandering" whenever cornered and asserted that he was not a kind of person who could be "instigated" into going on an indefinite fast. He alleged that "their spokespersons are misleading the nation".
Referring to criticism of his protest, Hazare said in the letter, "Dear Manmohan Singhji, this is an insult to my sense of wisdom and intelligence... I take advice from many friends and critics but do what my conscience directs me to do.

Why Gandhi is still relevant today

Hazare, who launched his fast-unto-death on Tuesday in New Delhi, told reporters that he was willing to join a committee on the Bill issue only if Congress chief Sonia Gandhi was a member of it, maintaining that any other such body would lack powers. The talks, as you know, are still going on. The government has not given in to Hazare's demand of making him the chairman of the committee on Lokpal Bill. However, it did agree to introduce the Bill in the Monsoon Session of the parliament.

They want Sonia Gandhi to be on the Lokpal Bill panel. That itself speaks a lot of Mrs Gandhi. Probably, now is the time for Mrs Gandhi and Dr Singh to show that the UPA is very serious about tackling corruption. They have shown steel when they thought the government was going to collapse. Now, more than ever, the dynamic duo need to wake up to the country's most urgent need.

Gandhi's principles in the 21st century

Much has been written about what Hazare said. But, what has largely gone unnoticed is that the spirit of Gandhi is still alive in most Indians. I mean, how else would you explain that a fast by a 71-year-old man garnering nation-wide support in like 48 hours for what is agreed to be one of the most contentious issues that the emerging India is facing.

People from across the nation are now pitching in whatever way they can. Be it raising their voices on social networking media, or joining candlelight marches across cities. Random strangers are joining protestors and fasting. People perform street plays, protests are carried out in Kolkata, Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi. Anna Hazare quips that it is a "do or die moment" for him. Maybe for India too.

One does not have to be at Jantar Mantar to show support to Hazare and his team of Gandhians. All we have to do is to stop turning a blind eye to corruption when we see it.

Corruption is as old as history in India. Alas, it is one lesson we are yet to learn. Gandhiji fought against the British and used Satyagraha as a weapon. A Dandi march shook the British empire, now a fast is shaking the very foundations of the UPA government.

Why Gandhi is still relevant today

Scam-ridden country needs cleaning up

The country has been facing many a scam in recent times, most noticeably in the last year. 2010 would probably go down in history as the Year of Scams what with the number of scams -- 2G scam, Commonwealth Games scam, Adarsh Housing Society scam, Karnataka land scandal and more.

What makes it more depressing is that in none of the above mentioned scams or in any that rocked the country earlier, not one person has been held guilty. Let's take a reality check:

Kalmadi, the principal man behind the whole CWG mess, is still free. They are yet to chargesheet him.
Adarsh Housing Society: Many former army chiefs and politicians took houses in the society. The only casualty was the then Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. But, they did make it up to him. Instead of being a CM, they made him the Heavy Industries Minister. Wow, a promotion for being part of a scam? Maybe I should become a politician now!

Karnataka land scams: Yeddyurappa and his family still enjoy cult power in the state. If anything, BJP central leadership have come to understand that they can't do without him in case they don't want to lose out on the crucial lingayat votes.

Slow trials, insufficient evidence, political pressure on the investigating teams (on CBI and the police) -- all this has led to just one thing. Not one person has been held guilty. Conviction rate in our country: ABSOLUTELY ZERO.

Why Gandhi is still relevant today

Why Gandhi was right

Gandhi was right about one thing: You have to be the change you want to see in the world. For, it starts with you.

If this had been a violent protest, then the government would have dismissed this war cry. Violence does beget violence. It was amazing to see little children, college kids, workers from different walks of life -- all walking in Gandhi's footsteps. This crusade is growing and it has glued India like none other. Perhaps after cricket, this is the only time the nation has been together as one.

School teachers, kids, farmers, doctors, lawyers -- you name it! I had heard of Hazare's crusades earlier.
If we wish to break free from this, if we wish to be truly free from the iron clad chains of corruption, then we must join hands together to erase out this social evil, which has already permeated into the Indian way of living. Being corrupt is not a way of life. Stop legitimising it. It is not just enough that we cry hoarse that politicians are wrong. We should be clean ourselves. If not, at least let us begin now.

Stop paying the constable Rs 50 so that you don't have to pay a Rs 100 fine. Stop greasing the palms of babus to get your work done faster. Stop fudging papers to pay less income tax. STOP!

Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely. If Anna Hazare has unwittingly become the mascot of anti-corruption campaign, then so be it. Help Hazare to help the government to help you.

Source: India Syndicate