THE POLITICAL FASTING Anna Hazare, Baba Ramdev and now Kumaraswamy

               

Firoz.T.Totanawala

The Bangalore Metro Reporter

1st July 2011 issue-

                   

                                THE POLITICAL FASTING

Anna Hazare, Baba Ramdev and now Kumaraswamy

In the last few months, ‘fasting’ politics has occupied the center stage. It was all started by Anna Hazare for implementation of his Jan Lokpal Bill to fight corruption followed by Baba Ramdev who undertook fasting for bringing black money stashed in Foreign Banks. And now, H. D. Kumaraswamy underwent fasting undo death demanding CBI probe into his own family assets.

The fasting mania has now become a rage in today’s politics. Ironically, while Anna Hazare’s fast for Jan Lokpal Bill was aimed at curbing corruption at high places, Kumaraswamy’s fast was meant to clear his and his family’s name from the charges leveled against them by Chief Minister B.S Yeddyrappa. Kumaraswamy’s fasting was for demanding the Government to order a CBI probe into the charges of amassing Rs. 1500 crores by himself and his family! This ‘Fast’ is unique in nature as it is the former Chief Minister Kumaraswamy fasting himself for a CBI enquiry about himself and his family. In a way, there is not a single instance of a leader demanding and undertaking fast to get himself probed.

It may be recalled that Chief Minister B.S Yeddyurappa used to hurl charges of irregularities, illegalities etc. against Kumaraswamy and the HD Deve Gowda family whenever Kumaraswamy exposed a scam of Yedurappa. In fact, almost all the so called scams exposed by Yedurappa against Deve Gowda family are nothing new, but, debated and probed earlier. In some cases, the High Court and the Supreme Court too have given clean chit to Deve Gowda family. Some of the so called scams as unveiled by Yedurappa actually date back to eighties! So, there is nothing new to these exposures.

Exasperated by the lukewarm reaction to the exposures against Deve Gowda family, Yedurappa in a desperate bid to pin them down compiled all the exposed scams in a booklet form and released it by bringing BJP’s spokes person Nirmala Seetharam from Delhi! The booklet estimate the wealth of Deve Gowda family at Rs. 1500 crores and questions the bonafides of Deve Gowda family especially Kumaraswamy in exposing the scams of Yedurappa and his Government.

But the release of the booklet did not create any political storm as expected. On the contrary, Kumaraswamy took it very seriously and demanded that the Government order a CBI probe into the charges leveled by Yedurappa against Deve Gowda family. He took the matter very seriously and gave one week’s time to the Government to order CBI or any other probe into the allegations. Kumaraswamy also threatened that he will undertake fast unto death if the Government does not order a CBI probe.

Of course, Yedurappa did not bother about fast unto death threat seriously and refused to order a CBI probe. Eventually, Kumaraswamy underwent fast unto death as revealed. Interestingly, Yedurappa also refused permission to Kumaraswamy to sit on fast before Vidhana Soudha. Later he made his police officials deny permission to stage fast at Chalukya Circle also. Finally, Kumaraswamy settled for Freedom Park.

Kumaraswamy’s fast for a probe into charges against his own family has set a precedent. Of course, nothing prevented Yedurappa in taking action against the violations by Kumaraswamy family and their amassing of 1500 crores as he is the Government. But, instead of taking action, Yedurappa belittled himself by releasing age old scams (?) of Deve Gowda family.

Whatsoever, while Kumaraswamy was on fasting, Yedurappa sent him a request letter to end it. Kumaraswamy as expected ended his fast in two days claiming that he ended his fast for his mother and his party colleagues who pressurized him to give it up. To conclude one can say that the Fast by Anna, Baba and now Kumaraswamy have indeed caught the imagination of the people. And that is all.