India’s crusade for real independence
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/08/25/india%E2%80%99s-crusade-real-independence.html
Published in Jakarta Post on 25th August 2011
As Indians, we are proud of great things India has achieved. We are proud to have practiced biggest (and almost) uninterrupted functional democracy in the world. We have maintained a healthy economic growth while remaining a nation free from any major debt! We are proud of Vikram Pandit, Indra Nooyi, Booby Jindal, Nikki Haley and Lakshmi Mittal, the biggest steel producer in the world! But generally we are much lower.
But then suddenly we became the “World Champions” thanks to our elites and their honchos stashing the highest amounts of stolen cash in foreign banks! The amounts are so big that they must be written in “exponential” form!
But our government seems least disturbed by this. Even after these banks have given details of who has stashed how much, our government has so far refused to divulge these names, as if it is remaining silent using “Fifth Amendment”.
But then a frail, saintly man of 73 with no assets, no wife or family, started a crusade against corruption that he calls “Struggle for Real Independence” and the whole Diaspora of Indians all over the world rushed to support him!
Anna (elder brother) Hazare has gone on an indefinite hunger strike till the “Jan Lokpal Bill” that will reduce if not prevent corruption is passed by the Parliament in place of an inadequate Lokpal Bill tabled by Government.
Now a few of the elites are in custody for questioning and are enjoying the hospitality of the Indian Government in Tihar Jail! But they know too much and could incriminate their powerful & influential “bosses” and so common man is afraid of their “walking” free! All the “stolen wealth” belongs to honest Indian taxpayers, who can barely make the ends meet.
I think Indian Government is blissfully ignorant of the depth and intensity of people’s wrath! If the government doesn’t wake up to the writing on the wall, it will turn the Ramlila Maidan
into Tehrir Square! Why our own government is denying permission for fasting to Anna, something even the British Raj hadn’t done in its
waning days? Anna is correct in saying we never got Independence in 1947! We simply replaced the “White Brits” by “Brown Brits” and these “Brown Brits” are denying permission to the New Mahatma!
This movement has brought people of all religions together like never before bringing prestige to the word “secular”! Not only Delhi and other Metro cities or second-rung cities but even the villages are participating in these demonstrations.
The whole atmosphere is so charged that all it needs is a spark and nobody knows what would then happen. Anna has repeatedly stressed that this crusade will be totally no violent. I hope it stays that way if, God forbid, something happened to Anna!
The Delhi police put 22 pre-requisites for granting approval for Anna Hazare’s crusade for “security reasons”! What risk was Anna posing to the security? And now the Police are removing these very pre-requisites, making them look really dumb! The Central Government is hiding behind the Police making me wonder who the boss is!
Instead of chasing the terrorists, police is after this frail, old man whose only strength is his clean, spotless character and unwavering determination. It is time our Prime Minister quits to join this crusade spearheaded by Anna Hazare. If our Prime Minister does that, he will forever be in the hearts of all Indians. Anna Hazare is the pride of India!
K. B. Kale
Jakarta
