The Anna-fication of India - Shivani Mohan / Khaleej Times 19 August 2011

India is bubbling over with excitement of a different kind. Suddenly Tihar jail is the happening address to be seen at, getting arrested the coolest thing to do, Gandhi caps the hottest accessory going around. All because of the will and resolve of a seemingly diminutive man, Anna Hazare. But the fact is that the issue he has raised is close to the heart of every Indian and thus the unequivocal support to his fast of dissidence. It was this Independence Day a few days ago, that I sat watching the classic Richard Attenborough movie ‘Gandhi’ for the umpteenth time. We needed more patriotic movies! And then as if almost on auto pilot I dismissed the thought. I reasoned that in a nation of millions of young Indians below the age of 35, who would want to see movies today about freedom fighters and Independence? Most of our youngsters today grow up on a steady diet of Dexter and twilight series. It was almost fashionable to make fun of the Manoj ‘Bharat’ Kumar kind of heavy patriotic spoon-feeding. Till a little while ago if you even happened to discuss basic politics with a middle class youngster or layman, they would draw a blank. They were just not interested. It was a mixture of total disillusionment with our politicians or a sad even though grudging acceptance of the corrupt ways of our politicians, newspaper headlines being internalised only when the next big scam broke out. And here there was this talk of Anna Hazare going on yet another fast against corruption. The last time Swami Ramdev had undertaken such a fast, the whole charade had ended rather unceremoniously. But the current UPA Government grossly miscalculating the reach and appeal of this issue, asked for trouble and is now caught between the devil and the deep sea. That the government has displayed ineptitude in handling the situation it reveals sheer bankruptcy of ideas and leadership in the Congress. India is at the crossroads of change and awaits inspired leadership that does not seem to be coming forth from the UPA. Perhaps the best outcome of all this is that the youth and the great middle class too is energised and captivated with this stir. Taking to the streets in thousands are the very voters who will tomorrow decide the destiny of this country. Suddenly there is renewed interest in the politics of this country. Sane and educated voices from the burgeoning middle class are promising to take a day off the next election day and be there as informed voters and give their mandate, as opposed to the vast majority of strategically targeted vote banks that have time and again brought these corrupt governments to power in India. No matter what version of the Lokpal bill it finally accepts, the people of India have found the voice to collectively question the means and methods of this government. Corruption is  a different matter altogether. It is a malaise that runs so deep in this country that removing it totally would require another bill to tackle it in every walk of life and not just amongst government servants. What is the way out of this imbroglio? The bigger question however is that can these hoarding masses and squabbling leaders come up with one viable solution to remove the stench of corruption that emanates from all over this huge and vast country? Many of these enthused followers indulge in some form of corruption or the other everyday. And I am not just talking about paying bribes. Isn’t selling milk made out of detergent corrupt? Aren’t misleading ads corrupt? Aren’t sensational and cheap programmes to raise TRPs corrupt? Isn’t producing substandard goods being corrupt? Where does one begin and where does one end? Even if we reach a consensus on which version of the Lokpal bill we want, can we erase corruption from our mindsets? I guess we will have to wait and watch and chances are it is going to be a long wait. But for now we do not need any new age patriotic movies. Shaken out of their comfort zones, India’s masses are out on streets asking for change. Patriotism is the latest commodity selling like hot cakes in every household, every street corner, every forum of India! Shivani Mohan is an India- based writer.