So the Empire strikes back! Again.
Anna Hazare JLP Committee was a “failed expriment” says Kapil Sibal. Reports suggest Sec 144 ready to be clamped at Jantar mantar ahead of Anna’s fast. “Changes will in draft bill will only come out of consultations with other (political) parties”. “We will bring a LPB this session of parliament”.
What does all this indicate? A determined effort by political parties to recapture the lost territtory of “representing” people at large, a space they had completely vacated in their pre-occupation with themselves and looting the country. That’s all.
Anna and even Ramdev jumped into this space – ironically after Anna had given public notice to the Congress and the Government and had recieved silence in response! Now, politcal parties who have no think tanks worth their salt find themselves “answering” to individuals who claim to represent people at large by showing large gatherings at their venues.
While some politicos will allege they are “sponsored” by hidden hands, others will attack them personally since thats all they can do when the ISSUEs find massive popular support. Thus the key question isn’t whether the agitators are sponsored or not, but whether the issues are popular or not. As long as the issues are what the common man wants, it will not go away; at best it will simmer till the next blow out. Like volcanoes, when they erupt, they will destroy blindly.
Politicians realise this but prefer to focus on the short term as they are themselves insecure about the long term. But politcal parties like the Congress which are generations old must necessarily bother with the long term if thay are to survive. And that is their failure.
In trying hard to elimnate, minimise and deflect, the Congress, like the BJP is actually mortgaging the future of the country and not just the party. The seeds of an eruption are usually sown many moons before the event. Take Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and the like. The important of the Jat protests or the Telengana agitation has been overlooked by the Congress in its bid to save its won skin, little realising it will only end up killing its whole body.The answer lies in making democracy participative and decentralised.
But for now, the minions of the parties are in charge and the suppression will continue, till the people’s volcano erupts.
Sec 144 clamped at Jantar Mantar in anticipation of Anna’s announced fast will be the next trigger as people will only see it as gross injustice. The storyline gets interesting…. watch this space.
@jsvasan