http://www.hindustantimes.com/They-re-all-in-it-together/H1-Article1-734407.aspx
Quote -
"India and Bharat seem to have jumped off their parallel tracks to merge in the
nationwide fury against corruption. Anna Hazare and his merry band seem to have
triggered off a tidal wave of anger, beyond their imagination and beyond the
issue of the government’s lokpal vs the jan lokpal. The breaking point seems to
have been one mega scam after the other in which the government acted only when
push came to several shoves.
This explains why young students, middle class housewives, the Indian diaspora
and the elderly have all come out to stand up and be counted. And in these
troubled waters, political sharks of different hues have begun circling sensing
the big kill ahead.
In scenes reminiscent of the Jayaprakash Narayan movement which bought a mighty
prime minister like Indira Gandhi to her knees, this hitherto largely unheard
of man from Ralegan Siddhi seems to have tapped a vein of dormant discontent
against a system which now seems at odds with the people it is meant for.
What they don’t realise is that had they been in power and things had come to
such a head, they would be equally vulnerable to a public which refuses to be
cowed down anymore.
The era when charismatic and silver-tongued leaders could change the public
mood with just one stirring sentence appears to be over. The Prime Minister,
well-intentioned though he might be, was hard put to make himself heard above
the din in Parliament when he tried to assert the supremacy of elected bodies
as opposed to street corner rabble rousers.
He certainly had a point, the problem is that no one is willing to listen
anymore.
To hope that he will rise to Churchillian oratory is Panglossian to say the
least. The government can no longer put people off by promising to act after
one or other committee looks into matters.
Given the numbers on the street, the government’s time starts now.
A magnificent gesture by the PM, a workable solution, a willingness to allow
democratic dissent, a signal that it will engage in meaningful dialogue are
just some of the things which could see people go back to business as usual.
The clock is ticking and we can only hope it is not a doomsday one."
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