Anna Hazare versus Manmohan Singh

There’s something called the real thing. Something that cuts across empty rhetoric and stops at nothing short of action. The real thing is not reactive. The real thing is not mealy mouthed. The real thing does not believe in running with the hares and hunting with the hounds. The real thing is not Manmohan Singh. The real thing is Anna Hazare.

For months now we have been subjected to one scam after another and one blatant lie after another to cover the scams. We have seen how there are no exceptions to the rule of the corrupt politician in this country including the honourable prime minister with his dubious halo of personal integrity. As if it’s all right to be an honest leader of a gang of thieves. Today he stands exposed stripped of any personal glory. His image carefully cultivated by his party and nurtured by his own careful public declarations lies in shambles. He has done what he has always done when confronted with something that has the potential of damaging his image. He has gone into hiding and sent out the usual suspects to do his bidding. So now we have to endure Barkha Dutt interrogating Kabil Sibal on how the government is going to respond to the mass movement swelling on the ground. Talk about supreme irony!

There are many who are questioning whether the cause over which Anna Hazare has gone on fast and the entire nation is rallying around is big enough. Whether having citizen representation for the Lokpal bill will take care of the corruption in this country. I don’t think anyone believes that including Anna Hazare. But revolutions always come to life over a symbolic gesture.

We know now a 73 year old man can get the government scurrying. We know now how we can come together cutting across religious, political, parochial lines to take on the common enemy personified by the sleazy politician, oily babu and grasping corporation.

We know now we can go beyond the sham Manmohan Singh and look for some real inspiration from Anna Hazare.