one more day of searing heat
ended. One more day of accusation, confrontation and acrimony ended. One
more day of political obstinacy concluded and one more day of resolve and
resoluteness went by.
For the past
few days, the atmospheric temperature and the political climate in India have
become so raucous and bizarre that the country no longer seems to be considered
as wholesome and a place of indisputable tranquility.
The incident is rightly
seen as an infringement on fundamental rights of people. Article 19.(1)(c) of
the constitution guarantees that all citizens shall have the right to assemble
peaceably and without arms. The police action seems to have throttled the
life-line of people’s survival and the insolent government is solely responsible
for undermining the sacrosanct constitution and its undeniable provision of
fundamental rights bestowed on citizen as a guarantee against state action.
The
high-headedness of the government and its inexplicable tendency to dodge the
issue on black money has reinforced the conjecture that the big shots of the
major political parties, venal politicians and bureaucrats have nourished some
of the foreign banks with their unaccounted black money. Given that their
stakes were high and any disclosure might smudge their reputation, the
crackdown on Ramdev camp was inevitable citing some flimsy raison d'être.
Going by the past account and news
reports, it requires no special faculty to conclude that the government has
always taken jagged steps with regard to black money and some of the important
issues like Maoism, land acquisition, corruption and political reforms. This
attitude has created a void in political showground and safely given a room for
judicial and civil-society intercession and activism. Even the press and media
became highly critical of government’s apathy. Any avid followers of current
affairs may have easily noticed the number of times the judiciary have censured
and reprimanded the government for its inaction and callousness, resulting in
distress of the masses. Be it the matter of free distribution of food grains
among poor, political graft involving crores of rupees or matters of felony
involving politicians and bureaucrats, the government have always found itself
In the dock of guilty and obsequiously stooping and obeying the stricture given
to it. Even in matters of money laundering and black money, the supreme- court
read a riot act on government, which in turn, stood snubbed but lost no head to
drop its composure.
But when
the same issue was raised by Baba Ramdev and his followers, why the government
lost its temper? Why it went berserk and asked police to unleash terror on protesters?
Why it always stands as an erring child in front of judiciary and act as a didactic
martinet with common people?
This is
simply because the government considers the common people as helpless,
unorganized and divided along various lines; they can be easily manipulated to
suit their interest and easily targeted given their inability to become
powerful enough to resist and rout state domination. A solid endeavor for union
of people was bound to pester the opportunistic government and hence the brutal
force was applied on peaceful protesters.
Baba Ramdev and his
camp just became the victim of a sullen government which have long been
censured, reprimanded and criticized for its ineptitude and inefficiency in
tackling important issues. Inflation, corruption, unemployment, terrorism, land
acquisition and internal security are some of the important areas the
government has miserably failed in. its credibility was fast receding among
common people. The height of the disillusionment with ruling government became
evident when Anna Hazare initiated his movement against corruption at jantar-
mantar. The government wilted under pressure but only with a mood full of
retribution and vengeance.
Already lost its trustworthiness among masses,
the UPA government found it not a political risk in crackdown on Baba’s camp at
midnight. That was mere a reflective of government’s frustration and the
assault became an outlet to vent out their indignation and exasperation
accumulated over a past few years. Baba’s camp and the issue it raised at Ram
Lila ground could have further decimated UPA’s credibility and seriousness
among masses.
The extra-constitutionality of
civil-society and its alleged attempt to wield power is being highlighted now
and then in a wrong manner so that the unity of people could be impugned and it
never becomes a source of constant irritant for government. The very
constitution of Indian democracy begins with a sacred clause of ‘WE THE PEOPLE
OF INDIA’. How the congress led UPA government can ever underestimates people’s
power? How can it ever categorize them extra-constitutional wing? How can it
ever think to subdue and muzzle their voice? How can it ever use force to hide
its own weakness and incompetence?
The UPA government by applying force against
peaceful protesters has committed a political blunder which could prove as a
cause for its debacle in near future. At the same time, Baba Ramdev could
hardly emerge out as a hero of the movement. The episode may prove a fatal blow
to both--- Baba and the government. The yogi failed to become a sensible
political activist and the political government failed in its attempt to
project itself a saint.
The Baba’s timing of
movement has always been a matter of his seriousness with regard to corruption
related issue. One asks the necessity and provocation which led him to initiate
his movement in the middle of an important deliberation----- drafting of
anti-graft legislation? Was Baba feeling a sense of alienation on the issue?
Did he become envious of Anna’s popularity and find himself scornfully relegated
to the back banner? One fails to understand the logic behind his movement when
everything was rolling almost smoothly. Is he really political and haranguing
and impugning the issue which could prove as a launching pad for his political
ambitions? Is he really feeling afflicted with the issue he has stood up for or
simply manuveroring the rational desire of millions of Indians------ to get rid
of corruption------to suit his ulterior motives?
Baba was wrong in his
assessment about his power and popularity and he became over-confident in
getting resolved the issue of black money sent abroad. It is strange that he,
besides supervising the arrangement for his supporters at Ram Lila ground,
could make no strategy about his movement and flung himself in the battle
without any technical and political guidance. Why did Ramdev not draw out a
detailed plan about his movement? Why did he think of it a one-time battle?
Baba Ramdev either lacks experience in spearheading such social or political
movement or became brash, over-confident and haughty? Or he wanted to get a
cheap popularity? The lack of a well thought strategy in his movement became
evident when the police assaulted on protesters at midnight. Why Baba was found
lacking in courage to court himself arrested? Why he did not appeal his
followers to court themselves arrested? Would this step not been proved more
effective and on the line of a true satyagrahi? Would this not been a
catalyzing factor in spreading the movement throughout the country? Would this
not have compelled the government to seriously address the issue of black money
and corruption?
In the absence of
any clear vision, Baba Ramdev has unnecessarily given a upper hand to the government
and his movement was once posed as a threat to anti-graft legislation. Baba
himself is partly responsible for the acrimonious and pungent political
atmosphere in which no constructive dialogue is possible. The important issue
of black money and corruption seems to be lost in trivial babble and allegation.
Baba would have been more useful for the nation had he offered himself to act
as a link between government and the members of civil-society. His mediation on
issues of corruption could have helped in mitigating the tension and
facilitated the negotiation in the right direction. Baba could have gained more
popularity and adulation that way than what he is gaining now. It simply pains
his lakhs of followers to see him in such a pathetic condition. It troubles
them see Baba relating a sob-story and losing his equanimity in front of media.
The callous government
has no regard for the yogic guru whose service has benefited the society and
nation. It is ironic that the Pakistani government simply obey the inhuman and atrocious
farman of its crass mullaha and ignorant clerics, the Indian government trains
its guns at a yogic Baba who is fighting for the human and egalitarian society.
How the nation would ever manage to stand clued-up insulting its guru? How the
nation would ever manage to prosper in the absence of its guru’s guidance and
blessings? How the nation would ever come out healthy and tranquil when its own
preacher is languishing without food?
The government should
immediately tender its apology to Baba and give him the due respect and place he
deserves in society. A nation that insults its guru is doomed to be failure and
sink in darkness of ignorance. The government should placate and request him to
break his fast and show them a way out of present impasse. The Baba should reciprocate positively and
abandon his pigheadedness in order to calm the atmosphere. An alive and agile
baba would be more useful and beneficial and serve the society constructively
for a long time than a dead baba. The government should definitely lost this
opportunity to have a dead yoga guru among us or the history would never pardon
its sinful act.
The atmospheric temperature
is bound to recede once the monsoon sprinkle its life-giving drops on the
earth. Unfortunately, there seems to be no immediate respite in political
atmosphere as the needed water to douse the flame itself contains some acidic
ingredients.
As the nation wakes up to a new
morning, the freshness in air kindles the hope for a free flow circulation of
wisdom and an environment conducive enough to push through negotiations of
utmost importance.
VASHISTHA RAY.
