THE IRRATIONAL EQUATION! KIRAN BEDI’S GOOF- ANNA IS INDIA, INDIA IS ANNA…?

                              

Firoz.T.Totanawala

The Bangalore Metro Reporter

1st September 2011 issue-

THE IRRATIONAL EQUATION!

   KIRAN BEDI’S GOOF- ANNA IS INDIA, INDIA IS ANNA…?

History repeats itself and they say, that the second time, it is farce. This is exactly what had happened the other day. The celebrated former police officer Kiran Bedi, one of the leading figures of Anna Hazare movement, shocked the nation by raising a slogan “Anna is India and India is Anna”. And, Anna Hazare seems to be enjoying the slogan for he has not chided her for her ‘sweeping’ statement so far.

It may be recalled that during the emergency, the then AICC President, D. K. Barooaha had coined the slogan “Indira is India and India is Indira” while paying his ultimate respect to the then Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi. While the slogan became synonymous with sycophancy of the highest order and a fossil of emergency era, he did during his last days, feel sorry for having coined the slogan.

Now, in 2011, Kiran Bedi has coined the slogan ‘Anna is India and India is Anna’, equating Anna Hazare with 120 crore population and the country! What is the service of Anna Hazare after all to equate him with the country and its people? For that matter, even Mahatma Gandhi who led the Freedom struggle and fought for social injustice was never equated with India.

Anna, after his retirement from the army is leading Gandhian way of life. He has formed NGOs for rural development in some villages in Maharashtra and was instrumental in molding some model villages. To sum up, he is a social worker with some Gandhian values.

On the contrary, there are hundreds of such social workers offering selfless services to the rural population in remote and tribal areas. Anna is also one among them. But, unlike other selfless social workers, who shun publicity, Anna has media publicity in abundance particularly after he undertook fast demanding resignation of two Ministers in Maharashtra Government.

Interestingly, there are also allegations of misappropriation and maladministration by Anna in his NGOs. The Maharashtra Government had appointed Justice Sawant Commission for enquiry which submitted a report pointing out fingers at Anna. The report was of recent origin and Anna baiters are using this report to question his credentials. However, amidst the publicity hype and euphoria over Anna’s agitation for Jan Lokpal Bill, the Sawant Commission report has become irrelevant.

Whatsoever, Kiran Bedi, who herself was a top police official, must be aware of the Sawant commission report. But, Kiran Bedi, in her effort to occupy the No. 2 position in Anna’s team raised the slogan ‘Anna is India and India is Anna’ much to the chagrin of the people. How can Anna represent the whole of India in all its entity? Indian society consist of various castes, creeds, religions etc. and they are nowhere connected with his movement. The dalits, minorities, backward classes, rural people which form a formidable population are nowhere near Anna’s movement. The entire Anna movement guided by the elite is centering around urban population, Internet, Facebook, Twitter, TV channels, etc. which are Greek to a majority of rural population. As such Anna’s movement can not be considered representative movement.

Whatsoever, just because he has launched a movement for implementation of his Jan Lokpal Bill, which has incidentally become fashionable, can one equate Anna with India? Nobody in his services (except D. K. Barooah) would dare to equate the country with an individual, but, Kiran Bedi the respected and retired police officer did cross the rational level.

Interestingly, the other members of Team Anna have already taken exception to Kiran Bedi’s slogan, yet, she is not apologetic about it. More interestingly, Anna himself has not said a word against the slogan and seems to be relishing the equation.

The pity is that we have people like Kiran Bedi who foolishly equates individuals with the country. And that is all.