Indian anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare vows to keep the pot boiling

Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury India's anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare has kept his campaign alive by announcing new programmes to force the federal government enact promised new legislation that would effectively curb corruption and take the offenders to task. The 74-year-old self-proclaimed "Gandhian" warned the government of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh that he would oppose the ruling Congress in the coming parliamentary by-elections in the Haryana state and later the crucial state assembly polls in the important Uttar Pradesh, if the federal authority fails to come out with the "Lokpal" bill and make it a law within the promised timeframe. Evidently, this has sent tremors down the spines of the government, which seems to be working on its strategy to confront the new challenge of the anti-graft campaigner. It remains to be seen if the government moves quickly to meet the demand of Hazare or drag its feet on the necessary legislation. Anna Hazare shot into prominence in recent times by creating a sensation in India and beyond by launching active campaign against all pervasive corruption that has engulfed the largest democracy in the world. Last month, he went on hunger strike in the famous "Ramlila Ground" in Delhi asking the government to enact the "Lokpal" bill that is meant to take stern actions against the menace of corruption and those found guilty in this connection. He received unprecedented response as streams of people visited him, cutting across all political and other divides, and expressed support for his views. The government of Manmohan Singh, while seeking to assert that it is working for anti-graft measures, was slow in meeting the demand, but finally, relented. But, because of many complications, the government wanted to buy time since the authority itself was divided on the issue as the chief of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA), Sonia Gandhi, was away in the United States for medical treatment. Senior Congress leaders including Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P Chidambram, Law Minister Salman Kurshid and last but not least, the prime minister himself apparently were not in a position to adopt a common approach to the problem. Sonia Gandhi, also the chief of the Congress, which is the main constituent of the ruling UPA, entrusted the task of finding a solution to her son Rahul Gandhi, a general secretary of the Congress, who is largely seen as the future prime minister of India. As the health condition of Hazare deteriorated and wide support for his cause was discernible, the demand was eventually accepted. But the law has not yet been enacted citing procedural bottle-necks and it appears that Anna is frustrated over the delay and wants to keep the pot boiling on the issue. The 'crusader' has now announced that he and his supporters would take an anti-Congress stance in the coming by-elections in the Haryana state and in the polls in Uttar Pradesh early next year. It is because that the government of Manmohan Singh is clearly resorting to foot-dragging on the matter that brooks no delay. It is presumed that Anna's position would badly affect Congress' electoral prospects and the high command is now discussing as to how to respond to the developing crisis. India has been rattled by a series of corruption-related scandals in recent times that include the financial irregularities during the Commonwealth games; granting of government flats meant for the "Kargil" war martyrs to the dear and near ones of the high ups; huge kickbacks for securing loans in the government banks; plundering of wealth by chief ministers of some states in such fields like the mining and other natural resources and most importantly, the licences given for the modern mobile phones in throw-away prices that cost the government billions of dollars in revenue. The government is certainly on a slippery ground due to all these scandals, but who would take the authorities to task? It is the relatively obscure social activist Anna Hazare, who emerged from his little known village in Maharastra to fire the salvo that rather unbelievably spread like a wild fire against corruption. Only seldom in Indian history, an apolitical person could create such an impact that has become the subject of discussions all over the country and abroad for the nature of the campaign. The issue found an echo also in other countries where corruption is increasingly becoming an affront to national development causing serious erosion of moral values and ethics. Needless to say, powerful lobbies are working against the proposed legislation for obvious reasons and hence it is the concern of Anna Hazare and his countless supporters. Anna has made it clear that there could be no slackening of the campaign that has developed into a national movement, as many people are expressing their support to the drive. He has also scotched speculations that he is associated with a political party like the BJP that is widely seen as communal. "Communalism is worse than corruption" said Anna and urged people of all religions, regardless of their political affiliations, to come out for the anti-grant cause. He has vowed to continue the campaign since the land of "Gandhi" must be freed from such ills that run counter to good governance and peoples' welfare. Anna Hazare has now become a name in the international arena as well because of the essence of the movement and it is assumed that the government would move speedily to enact necessary laws to obviate the adverse effects of Anna's campaign as far as possible. Otherwise, the Congress-led UPA government might have to eat humble pie. zaglulbss@yahoo.com