Rise of People’s Power
One Year Many Instances
5 April 2012, flashback! A year earlier a group of civil society members under the leadership of Anna Hazare started an agitation at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi.
Theme: Anti-corruption.
Social activists Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi, Swami Agnivesh, Justice Santosh Hegde, Lawyers Prashant & Shanti Bhushan, spiritual guru Shri Shri Ravi Shankar, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and several other activists attracted their followers to the agitation ground.
Conglomeration of these social activists brought sufficient crowd for the rally to receive media coverage. Location was the heart of the capital, easy for media to send their cameras.
Patriotic posters, veer gaan, waving tricolors filled the air with a feel of freedom movement. Good photo opportunity provided on-air space. People saw the spectacle on their screens, got fascinated and reached Jantar Mantar in large numbers. More people brought more cameras. More cameras drew national attention.
Health of Anna ji was at stake. 72-year-old man fasting for Jan Lokpal Bill (Ombudsman Bill). All this happening 2kms away from the Parliament. People on streets demanding for a legislation.
After huge hue and cry the government agreed to form a Joint Committee to draft a Lokpal Bill. Victory for Team Anna (nomenclature given by media).
A year later, the Lokpal Bill has still not been passed. The agitation is back to square 1. Series of events of dialogue and defiance between the people and their elected representatives took place.
Anna ji says, “Janta malik hai aur sarkar sewak par ab sarkar malik ban baithi hai” (People are the masters and government is the servant but unfortunately the servants have become the masters). Quite true, the political class has become so arrogant that they are using people’s legitimate power to repress people’s voice.
Despite this, 5 major rallies were held all across India in one year. What does it convey? What has it achieved? On a personal note, the movement gave me a platform to connect with similar thinking minds. Meeting and sharing views with them rejuvenated my energy to struggle for my goal of reforming politics. I found my life partner, made good friends & also met many inspirations. The movement cherished love, care, unity and brotherhood. Ethics and moral values are being fostered. On a public sphere, the movement has brought awakening in the nation. The same people who denigrated politics a few months back have started debating over it. There can be no denial in the fact that the movement has made our democracy participatory. But the democracy that makes us proud has lost its legitimacy. In the name of representing the people, a few are manipulating all to meet their selfish ends.
Time to sleep has gone…Get united & Raise your voice.
5 April 2012, flashback! A year earlier a group of civil society members under the leadership of Anna Hazare started an agitation at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi.
Theme: Anti-corruption.
Social activists Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi, Swami Agnivesh, Justice Santosh Hegde, Lawyers Prashant & Shanti Bhushan, spiritual guru Shri Shri Ravi Shankar, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and several other activists attracted their followers to the agitation ground.
Conglomeration of these social activists brought sufficient crowd for the rally to receive media coverage. Location was the heart of the capital, easy for media to send their cameras.
Patriotic posters, veer gaan, waving tricolors filled the air with a feel of freedom movement. Good photo opportunity provided on-air space. People saw the spectacle on their screens, got fascinated and reached Jantar Mantar in large numbers. More people brought more cameras. More cameras drew national attention.
Health of Anna ji was at stake. 72-year-old man fasting for Jan Lokpal Bill (Ombudsman Bill). All this happening 2kms away from the Parliament. People on streets demanding for a legislation.
After huge hue and cry the government agreed to form a Joint Committee to draft a Lokpal Bill. Victory for Team Anna (nomenclature given by media).
A year later, the Lokpal Bill has still not been passed. The agitation is back to square 1. Series of events of dialogue and defiance between the people and their elected representatives took place.
Anna ji says, “Janta malik hai aur sarkar sewak par ab sarkar malik ban baithi hai” (People are the masters and government is the servant but unfortunately the servants have become the masters). Quite true, the political class has become so arrogant that they are using people’s legitimate power to repress people’s voice.
Despite this, 5 major rallies were held all across India in one year. What does it convey? What has it achieved? On a personal note, the movement gave me a platform to connect with similar thinking minds. Meeting and sharing views with them rejuvenated my energy to struggle for my goal of reforming politics. I found my life partner, made good friends & also met many inspirations. The movement cherished love, care, unity and brotherhood. Ethics and moral values are being fostered. On a public sphere, the movement has brought awakening in the nation. The same people who denigrated politics a few months back have started debating over it. There can be no denial in the fact that the movement has made our democracy participatory. But the democracy that makes us proud has lost its legitimacy. In the name of representing the people, a few are manipulating all to meet their selfish ends.
Time to sleep has gone…Get united & Raise your voice.
Great article Prerna. Its always gud to see you in every event of the movement. And I feel proud to have a friend like you(Given by the movement). Keep it up. JAI HIND.
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