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| Congress, UPA unlikely to withstand Anna's onslaught | | India against corruption | | Rustam
JAMMU, Aug 23: The cornered Congress and the UPA Government have started getting support from the Maoists' and Kashmiri separatists' supporter Arundhati Roy and equally controversial and essentially left-oriented Aruna Roy and Nikhil De, besides a few journalists. Arundhati Roy has dismissed as draconian the Jan Lokpal Bill, ridiculed Anna Hazare and his team, questioned their credentials and condemned the methodology Anna has employed to force the Congress and the UPA Government to table and pass his Jan Lokpal Bill by August 30. Aruna Roy and Nikhil De have also expressed themselves against the Jan Lokpal Bill and asserted that the Jan Lokpal Bill, if tabled and passed in its present shape, would surely undermine the authority of Parliament and other constitutional institutions. They have, in addition, like Arundhati Roy and Tushar Gandhi, opposed the Anna's methodology.
It needs to be noted that while Aruna and Nikhil held a press conference in the Press Club of India to convey an impression that they are not with Anna, notwithstanding their claim that they also represented the civil society, Arundhati wrote a lengthy article in The Hindu only the other day to register her opposition to Anna and his methodology. Their objective was the same. Their objective was to create confusion among the millions of supporters of Anna who have been on the roads since August 16 demanding adoption of the Jan Lokpal Bill.
Arundhati, Aruna, Nikhil and others of their ilk, who are feeling jealous of Anna, would not succeed in their game plan as nobody is going to listen to them. People are fully aware of the credentials of these worthies. In fact, their interventions would add more fuel to the fire and provoke those holding aloof so far from India Against Corruption to join the movement. They just cannot divert the people's attention from the issue that has motivated and induced them to make common cause with Anna. The mobilization is complete, of course, much to the chagrin of the Congress and the crumbling UPA.
The Congress and the UPA had perhaps hoped that the Anna's movement would fizzle out in a couple of days. But it has not happened. What has happened is to the contrary. More and more people are coming forward to join the movement. So much so that some of the supporters of Anna have started holding impressive demonstrations in front of the houses of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal. As a matter of fact Monday witnessed several such demonstrations across the country, all directed against the adamant and unaccommodating Congress and the UPA. The Anna's supporters are not sparing the BJP even. Their stated goal is one and only one: Cleanse India of corrupt elements, including politicians and bureaucrats.
There are potent reasons to believe that the Congress and UPA would fail to withstand the Anna's onslaught. One of the reasons is the firm resolve of Anna not to end his fast-unto-death until he achieves the stated goal. Anna is made of a different stuff. He has seldom compromised. Moreover, he has now reached a point of no return. He is transparent and he is conducting his campaign from an open maidan where thousands and thousands of his followers and supporters are camping. His addresses are unambiguous and inspiring and his reactions to what the Congress and the UPA are saying and doing are also very candid. He has not uttered a single word indicating that he is willing to relent and compromise. In fact, the situation is such that he now cannot look back. He has to forge ahead at any cost and he has to accomplish what forced him to take extreme step: fast-unto-death.
Since Anna is religiously committed to the cause and since the entire nation, barring those at the helm and those close to them, is standing solidly behind him, the Congress and the UPA are unlikely to withstand the Anna's onslaught. To be more precise, the Anna's movement has already brought the Congress and the UPA to his knees. The Congress has dug its grave and the UPA Government has sealed its fate.
The Anna's movement has another impact. It has infused a new spirit of nationalism among the Indians. And, it is this new spirit that has alarmed the likes of Arundhati Roy. Go through her article in The Hindu ("I'd rather not be Anna") to read what she wrote. She, among several other controversial things, wrote: "For now, whatever questions you may have about Jan Lokpal Bill, here are the answers you're likely to get: tick the box - (a) Vande Matram (b) Bharat Mata Ki Jai (c) India is Anna and Anna is India (d) Jai Hind." |
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