AAP, Anna Hazare & India

Kejriwal holds Anna Hazare in high esteem as a Guru (Master). At least, that is what appears to be from the statements that he made from time to time. But, following differences with Kejriwal and subsequent formation of AAP, Anna Hazare distanced himself and disapproved policies of Kejriwal from time to time.

Throughout his life, Anna Hazare is a strong antagonist to alcohol consumption, and he is clearly upset over the liquor policy (& scam also) of Kejriwal ministry, New Delhi. 

He expressed his dissatisfaction by writing a stinging letter to Kejriwal. “You are intoxicated by Power” Like liquor, power too intoxicates. You are intoxicated by power, it seems”. Anna wrote “You had written idealistic things on liquor policies in your book ‘Swaraj’, for which you got me to write the introduction,” he says, quoting from it that no liquor shops be opened without area residents’ approval. “You have forgotten those ideals after becoming chief minister”. Anna also said that AAP political party “formed by you, Manish Sisodia and others” as “no different from any other party now”.

Kejriwal’s response was typical. He said BJP is using Anna to target him. This is not for the first time Anna was accused of being used by BJP or RSS. In his anti-corruption agitation, it was also alleged that the agitation was endorsed by BJP as it was sitting on the opposition bench against Congress, the ruling party then. 

However, coming back to present times, in the state of Maharashtra, Anna Hazare successfully led the panel installed to make changes in the proposed ‘Lokayukt’ act.  The Maharashtra Assembly unanimously passed the Maharashtra Lokayukta Act, 2022.  The Act will empower Lokayukta to bring the chief minister and state ministers under the scanner.  The act is finally approved by the Legislative Council.

The Maharashtra state Deputy Chief minister Fadanvis has hailed the bill, a historic legislation, and Maharashtra to be the first state to have such a law. Anna Hazare said that it will be a ‘revolutionary’ tool to fight against corruption. He reminded that ‘people mocked him when Right to Information was asked and see today (how effective it proved to be).

 Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that the decision is in the interest of the people of Maharashtra. The draft for the law is passed by the cabinet and will now be tabled before the legislature.

So, we can not say that Anna’s endeavor and his movement to bring Lokpal and some sort of control over unruled corruption in the country failed totally. And, what led to the successful installation of Lokpal in his chair after some years of agitation? the answer definitely is his huge anti-corruption movement of 2011.

In those times, all political parties were alarmed and troubled by the increasing popularity of this mass movement. Many leaders in privacy mocked and resisted the anti-corruption drive. The reason is obvious.

Today also no political party is free from the anathema of corruption, and even horrible is the fact that corruption by political parties and civil society fast became a norm and part of etiquette. After the huge popularity and participation of, till then, indifferent middle class in the agitation, reluctantly, political parties also started to take a superficially principled stand against corruption and joined mudslinging match against rival political parties.  Without hesitation, it led, at least, to the formation of Lokpal or the Ombudsman as a controlling body. 

The present acting chairperson Lokpal is Shri Justice Pradip Kumar Mohanty. There is a prescribed format to complain about corruption and is available on its website https://lokpal.gov.in. So, it is proof that it requires no further elaboration of the credibility of Anna Hazare’s agitation.

It is interesting to see what happened in the state where Kejriwal formed his government.As per economictimes.com, in the state of Delhi itself, Retired Jharkhand High Court Judge Justice Harish Chandra Mishra has been appointed as the Lokayukta in the national capital (On 23 March 2022). It was a petition by Udadhyay (Ashwani Upadhyay, a BJP leader) that sought the appointment and stated that although the political party (AAP) came into existence after the historic anti-corruption movement, the post of Lokayukta has been lying vacant since Dec.20. (& filled up in March 2022). 

When Justice Reva khetrapal retired as Delhi Lokayukt, the Delhi government. did nothing to fill the post and hundreds of complaints relating to corruption kept pending in the office the petition claimed.

The present acting Lokpal at centre is Shri. Mohanty. The Acting Chairperson, Lokpal is appointed Vide notification dated 26 May 22. Shri Justice Pradip kumar Mohanty, Member (Judicial), has been authorized to act as the Chairperson, Lokpal, with effect from 28 May 2022. Two posts of judicial members have been lying vacant for over 2 years. The Lokpal had decided to accept corruption complaints only if they are filed in the prescribed format, which is available on its website – https://www.lokpal.gov.in The lokpal had received 5680 complaints during 21-22 of these, only 169 were under format and 5511 in non-format category and nil was the response from the office of Lokpal when asked to provide details of prosecution approved by it – Economictimes.com.

Anna Hazare’s efforts for efficacy of Lokpal and Lokayukt are continued and are evident by events of this year. In the month of February, 2023 Anna said Mahatma Gandhi had given the mantra that if the country is to be developed, then the villages have to be developed and public agitation is essential for the future of India. He was talking on the occasion of launching his biography – Jannayak Anna Hazare. The book is published by Sutluj Prakashan, and Nirmal and Bhuvendra Tyagi are the authors.

Anna said” Common people have started looking only for their own interest. The leadership is also not coming forward. If needed, awareness will have to be created in the public for spontaneous agitation. The importance of rights must be explained. It will also have to be taught to continue raising voice to take rights”. Corruption can also be curbed only through agitations. Anna said Mahatma Gandhi has given mantra that if India is to be developed, then villages have to be developed. We forget this and develop cities only. City development is possible only by exploiting the resources while the village development happens without exploitation of resources. This not only creates new resources but also makes the benefits of development reach more people and reduces the burden on cities. We have to think seriously in this direction.

 In November 2022, Anna Hazare’s secretary Kalpana Inamdar said that ‘Team Anna’ will launch agitation against BJP if the party does not fulfill promises it made to the people post -2014. Inamdar was talking at a press conference organized by the Rashtriya Kisan Manch.

She said the people trapped in the web of corruption and inequalities supported Anna in all his agitations in 2011 and, as a consequence, brought BJP to power as an alternative to Congress. But in the last eight years of BHP’s tenure, the condition of the country’s rural areas has worsened. Corruption has increased in the country; industrialists are looting the wealth of the villages and the government. is silent.

Despite Anna writing letters several times, it is incomprehensible not to take the schemes on the ground as promised by the Narendra Modi government at the center. If Modi govt doesn’t take steps to fulfill the promises made before the elections, then team Anna will again work to make the public aware and remove BJP from the government.

Rashtriya Kisan Manch President Shekhar Dixit said that it is easy to get votes by dividing people in the name of religion, but working on ground for the same people is beyond the ken of BJP. He said today the farmers and youth of the country are desperate, sad, and disappointed”. Retd. IAS officer Kamal Tawari said that if the govt really want to save the culture of the villages and the country, then it will have to leave the politics of “cows and Saints” and work on the land. The truth is that the work hasn’t even started yet”, he said. – ndtv.com, November 10, 2022.

Cut back to present times, what we are witnessing? AAP recognized as National Party, Punjab conquered by AAP, it put on fight in Gujarat, came as second largest party in several corporation elections, lost in Himachal Pradesh, brought on educational reforms in schools of Delhi, smeared by corruption accusations, excise policy debacle, liquor scam and its ministers including deputy chief minister arrested, jailed, again arrested by Enforcement Directorate and resigned. Is it not ironic that the man engaged in educational reforms suddenly was accused in liquor and excise malpractices?

The common Indian Is encircled by confusing shows of dominance, patriotism, role of ED, the dazzling progress and international prestige, CBI and increasing raids and arrests only of opposition party leaders, Rahul Gandhi’s incomprehensible immature shows and his Bharat Jodo Yatra, BJP’s tremendous show in NorthEast elections, deteriorating Congress’ nonacting leader’s wailing from foreign soil against his motherland, partial and flaming words from so called religious preachers.

The national political atmosphere is dense with approaching state elections in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram, approaching national elections of 2024; add to it the already upside down international chaos of wars,  arms race with climate extremities and the muddling kaleidoscope starts flinging tiny sharp thorns into the eyes…. About it in the next episode. Very soon!