Fast Forward Anna Hazare Way : Some Crystal Ball Gazing

A poser before getting down to details....

Did TN Seshan require any enhanced Powers for Election Commissioner to do what he did ?

In fact suddenly people found that he had too much powers and it was diluted by having a panel of three members instead of all powers being vested on just one person. Do we lack laws or just the will to enforce the laws ?

Anna wave is as strong as ever and at the time of writing this Anna Hazare has given the clarion call for the second freedom struggle.

So for he has been getting his way, thanks to low credibility of the Govt and the huge wave of public sentiments. There is no sign of the wave abating and we may safely assume that he will continue to get what he wants.

So far, the Govt has agreed to his demands, in deference to the public sentiments and just to keep anna Hazare alive. Govt has agreed to :-

• co-opt civil society members in drafting the bill
• let anna hazare protest  mostly on his own terms

Further along the road, with similar tactics:-

• He will coerce the govt to table his version of the bill in the parliament.
• Coerce the parliament to pass the bill (Bill or my life ?!)

 Anna hazare and his team will claim a great victory and go home. Public will be jubilant.

Then the Act will become effective and it it is time for people entrusted with the job of implementing to have good hard look at the various clauses.


I am cynical, but this cynicism  is not unfounded. Till the time there is a change of hearts, change of value system, what can mere laws do ? Why is it that we routinely see vehicles jumping traffic lights ? Why is it we see people travelling ticket less on trains ? Why is tax evasion not considered a serious issue ? This is a land of speed breakers not sign postings. I hope some Anna Hazare can change that.

The political parties will look for ways and means to fix their adversaries through this new found weapon. There will be intense lobbying at all levels for being part of the Lokpal or on the right side of lokpal, the new power centre.

Janta will continue to bribe their way through, particularly when making unreasonable or illegal demands. Simplest example is  jumping the queue for anything from a  gas cylinder to college admission. (It is the shortage of gas resulting in corruption, not lack of laws). 

This new law may create another layer of absolute power. It may create a Frankenstein monster. If that happens who will take responsibility ? Not the Govt ? Not the parliament ? As for Anna Hazare, will he repeat his moves this time to amend the law ? Very doubtful.

There is no dearth of unresolved conflicts in our great country. Delhi Police will receive a bunch of applications from Telengana movement, Hurriyat, VHP, etc to follow the footsteps of anna hazare and get their agenda through. Everyone of these movements will whip up public sentiments locally if not at Delhi. Smaller communities / states like Manipur will be left high and dry , after all democracy works on the will of the majority.

As Ambedkar said while introducing the Constitution in November 1949, once the Constitution came into force, we should avoid all non-constitutional methods like protests and satyagraha, for they are the grammar of anarchy. If two persons go on fasts until death for two opposing reasons, we cannot decide the issue by allowing one person to die first.

Yes, Anarchy it is... it all seems so nightmarish. If I am awake I want to go back to sleep and If I am asleep , it is time I woke up.