Anna-mobile losing steam

Even as you read this, the Anna-mobile seems to be stuttering its way across the maidans of the country once again. Holding various agitations for several reasons, Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement has started trundling again, this time at Jantar Mantar (in Delhi) and a concurrent agitation at Azad Maidan.

Starting off a movement which really put its finger on the pulse of a people fed up of wide spread corruption and numerous scams by politicians and those in power, Anna gave a voice and created a vent for pent up fury. Simmering under injustice and a feeling of being made a fool of, people cottoned on to Anna mania because he promised a cleaner India.

Like several movements though, which start with great zeal, things fell apart for Anna. First there was controversy about the India Against Corruption (IAC) volunteers themselves, including the redoubtable Kiran Bedi and reports of infighting smeared the image.

Then the movement seemed to have lost steam with people unable to make it to venues, and the novelty wearing out. The IAC too, seems diffused tackling too many issues at one time. There is an absence of a solid plank or platform. To succeed, one also needs an ideology, which seems to be missing from this movement.

To root out corruption is ideal but what is your game plan for doing so? Finally, one seems to be quite clueless about what the IAC's plan is post rooting out the corrupt. Do they wish to stand for election? How would we ensure that other leaders are not corrupt? Today, in Mumbai there are several Anna programmes planned like the ‘maha bunk' which encourages youth to donate a day to the nation, patriotic performances by artistes and the like but again it seems up in the air, with little definition to what this is going to achieve. Annamobile needs fuel with the energy, resolve and credibility of old.u00a0