We have been talking about the Indian youth and Indian middle class for so long. With the advent of diverse career opportunities we have really transformed our lifestyles from being localized to government quarters to freely spending money.
We have been lazy to vote. Thus, there was no love or affair with the political class. We were happy to pass the days until Anna Hazare pricked our nerves.
He took an issue which has touched all of us. Its like the air around. We don't complain about air whether its stale or fresh or polluted or sticky. We have to breathe. Same way we paid bribe from traffic cop to post man to policeman to government bureaucrats to either get our work done or to escape punishment. An issue that did not pinch us much. We talked about it in isolation, over the tea/coffee and went back to life.
Anna Hazare sat on a platform called as India against corruption. He was visible. He was on empty stomach. He was clean. He made us wonder. Why is he wasting his time? Why cant he chill out in his village?
He persisted and few of us believed in his movement, his methods and his power to change. Democracy is after all for people and by people. We the people ignored all the sectors which thrived on bribes. We got our salaries and businesses going on and we did not care.
We saw the Indian national flags. We knew it was about our country. It was not for an individual. It was an issue which would decay our nation and prosperity as whole. Sooner or later even we would be subsumed by it. We would demand bribes too sooner or later, we have been giving it as "Poor policeman, how can he run a family with such a meager government salary?", "I dont have time nor patience nor leave to come here everyday".
The movement could not have been sustained it was started by some political party. BJP would have meant to be a Hindu movement, Mayawati/Yadav etc., would have been casteist movement and same for regional parties it would have been driven by language or local caste etc., But this movement was apolitical. Something new for great Indian middle class. The political protests have mostly been violent in India with loss of life and property. Here we saw non-violence been regarded and respected again. A new Gandhian movement of 21st century.
The other day Bhuvi, based out of Gurgoan mentioned. The employees across companies had discussion with transport department to arrange buses to Ramlila Maidan (the kurukshetra of India against corruption ) on a daily basis. Every team in his company on different project was taking leave on rotation basis, so that they can participate in anti-corruption movement. People in Mayur Vihar walk on the streets on protest every evening. No one cares about Cricket or Kaun Banega Crorepati.
We just want a glimpse of Anna. We just wish him success. We give him support. We love him for bringing back hope and trust in the society, for showing us that protests can be peaceful and protests are necessary to shake the government of the day out of their slumber.
Democracy after all is run by people. We need to cleanse our system, from the self to the society we need to give a good wash now. Now is the moment. Capture it. Participate in it. Feel the passion that drove us to independence.
We have been lazy to vote. Thus, there was no love or affair with the political class. We were happy to pass the days until Anna Hazare pricked our nerves.
He took an issue which has touched all of us. Its like the air around. We don't complain about air whether its stale or fresh or polluted or sticky. We have to breathe. Same way we paid bribe from traffic cop to post man to policeman to government bureaucrats to either get our work done or to escape punishment. An issue that did not pinch us much. We talked about it in isolation, over the tea/coffee and went back to life.
Anna Hazare sat on a platform called as India against corruption. He was visible. He was on empty stomach. He was clean. He made us wonder. Why is he wasting his time? Why cant he chill out in his village?
He persisted and few of us believed in his movement, his methods and his power to change. Democracy is after all for people and by people. We the people ignored all the sectors which thrived on bribes. We got our salaries and businesses going on and we did not care.
We saw the Indian national flags. We knew it was about our country. It was not for an individual. It was an issue which would decay our nation and prosperity as whole. Sooner or later even we would be subsumed by it. We would demand bribes too sooner or later, we have been giving it as "Poor policeman, how can he run a family with such a meager government salary?", "I dont have time nor patience nor leave to come here everyday".
The movement could not have been sustained it was started by some political party. BJP would have meant to be a Hindu movement, Mayawati/Yadav etc., would have been casteist movement and same for regional parties it would have been driven by language or local caste etc., But this movement was apolitical. Something new for great Indian middle class. The political protests have mostly been violent in India with loss of life and property. Here we saw non-violence been regarded and respected again. A new Gandhian movement of 21st century.
The other day Bhuvi, based out of Gurgoan mentioned. The employees across companies had discussion with transport department to arrange buses to Ramlila Maidan (the kurukshetra of India against corruption ) on a daily basis. Every team in his company on different project was taking leave on rotation basis, so that they can participate in anti-corruption movement. People in Mayur Vihar walk on the streets on protest every evening. No one cares about Cricket or Kaun Banega Crorepati.
We just want a glimpse of Anna. We just wish him success. We give him support. We love him for bringing back hope and trust in the society, for showing us that protests can be peaceful and protests are necessary to shake the government of the day out of their slumber.
Democracy after all is run by people. We need to cleanse our system, from the self to the society we need to give a good wash now. Now is the moment. Capture it. Participate in it. Feel the passion that drove us to independence.
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