The split up between Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal on the issue of launching a political party as a frontier of IAC reminded me of a story about an extraordinary boxing coach and his virtuoso boxer. The coach trained his fighter as no one could and though he made her one of the best in the game, she remained only in the lower echelons of the sport for the coach never allowed her to participate in any grand event. Many lucrative offers came but the old coach turned all of them down, thinking his fighter is not ready yet, apprehensive that his fighter may get a fatal injury, fearing that she will get manipulated by. But the boxer knew she was ready, so she left her coach and stepped into the grand arena all by herself (assisted by a new manager). She didn’t have a very long career but even in the short time she became a legend of sorts. Thus when she accomplished her goal she decided to thank her coach but could never find him for the old coach had retired into the abyss of loneliness and guilt as he knew that together he his protégé could have had it all….Now you can draw as much comparisons as you like but it would be very amusing if Arvind Kejriwal and his party ever got the centre stage in the great Indian politics.
On October 2 this year, Arvind Kejriwal and the other alpha members of the IAC announced their political party(still unnamed) but the shocking news was that the new party would be sans Anna Hazare, the face of IAC, the man who revolutionized the fight against corruption. It came as a bolt from the blue for the supporters of IAC throughout the country as they feared that the sudden divide in the house may dilute the fight against corruption, Kudos to Kejriwal who is leading the new front with same vigour and ferocity. Anna Hazare opened up saying he do not wish to become a part of any political agency but added that his blessings are with Arvind Kejriwal and his team. With Anna Kiran Bedi too backed out.
It’s not very hard to fathom as to why Anna does not want to join the IAC’s political party. He is old and may have other personal reason but as a leader he has some responsibilities and his blatant refusal was disturbing. Anna said that he neither have any political agenda nor he harbours any political ambition but as the frontrunner of the IAC he should have at least become a symbolic member of its splinter group.
Kejriwal’s idea of promoting a political party to tackle the menace of corruption and other derelictions in a thorough political manner is actually the next step of their revolution. A revolution whose idea was fathered by Anna himself and thus his participation was vital.
It seems the inhibitions that compelled Anna to give only his blessings instead of pledging his support to the IAC faction is the cause of his rigid idealism that is not at all feasible in today’s political world. It is against the ehics and ethos of Anna to play the game of politics with equal fervour as displayed by their ‘target parties’.
At the first thought it may look like what a virtuous man Anna is indeed he is, the modern Gandhi as they say but once you pragmatically analyse you will see that Anna is just not willing to get his hands dirty which is not at all Gandhian. What I mean is Anna Hazare does not want to participate in the change that he wish to see in India or to be more precise in Indian politics (“Be the change that you wish to see in the world”-Mahatama Gandhi). This is strike one for Anna. Kejriwal on the other hand has given a definite shape and an organised outlook to the revolution that took the nation by storm last year. By releasing the IAC’s faction Kejriwal had defined the change that he, the IAC and its supporters wants to see in India.
Anna said that he would continue his Satyagraha against corruption when he refused to join the party. The problem is that the Satyagraha is not going to achieve anything significant. Satyagraha’s main motive was to awaken the society from it’s ignorant slumber and initiate an active vendetta against which it has accomplished, now it is the time to take the next step forward which apparently Arvind Kejriwal had to take without Anna. Kejriwal’s strategy is to take the cause forward and he is doing it by capitalising on the invigorated spirits of the IAC exponents and followers (mostly youngsters) but Anna’s method is going to place us back again on square on.
One of the trepidation of Anna is taking side or form an alliance with any other political faction. Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal (for now) has always expressed their neutral status but Anna does not understand the need to get elected, his Satyagraha aims at the change of heart of politicians which is highly impractical, moreover he does not comprehend the fact that the Satyagrahi’s do not make laws (for example the Lokpal bill) unless they are legitimate part of the parliament or the governing body for that matter. Arvind Kejriwal though understands this power dynamics very well, he knows that school children with posters do not win elections but a party with parliament seats does, so if he takes sides it should be perceived in a healthy way. It is difficult clear majority which gives rise to the concept of coalition government and if the chance comes Kejriwal should be prepared to hold the hand of any major political union.
Lastly I would like to say that let’s not be judgmental I know I have been too harsh on Anna Hazare, a man to whom we are indebted for the crusade against corruption, who started the war on corruption. The article was not aimed to undermine his efforts but to explain the inexorable need to change. It is time that we enter the Kurukshetra of politics with our on political faction to make the reforms that we want. Many were concerned whether the decision made by Kejriwal to start IAC’s own party was in the national interest or is he and the other IAC members are just hungry for power. I cant give you false satisfaction on the moral of Kejriwal and his team as neither I met him personally nor I can see the future (I wish I could!) but I can assure you that the this decision of forming a party is the right resolution even Anna Hazare should understand this (though I am sure he does).
