Brand Anna vs bland govt

For days, the country has been a witness to what has been termed "the second freedom struggle"

Brand Anna vs bland govt

For days, the country has been a witness to what has been termed "the second freedom struggle". Scores of arguments and counter-arguments have come forth and there is no dearth of opinion. I think therein lies the first success of the movement, among many others.

Analysts have dissected the finer points of the proposed Jan Lokpal Bill and its government version. But for most people, including many who are at Ramlila Maidan, it's the overall idea that has captured their imagination -- common people standing up against the scourge of corruption.

For most people, it's the overall idea that has captured their imagination -- common people standing up against the scourge of corruption.

At a purely strategic level, the protest could not have been better planned and executed. The leader, Anna Hazare, is a septuagenarian with a comparatively cleaner, and at various points, glorious, track record. The Gandhian made Mahatma's way of protest the mainstay of the movement. So, it wasn't just another hunger strike; the agitation was as much about non-violence as about the real issue on hand. It was the main reason why an eight-day agitation with almost a 50,000-strong crowd every day remained peaceful, with not a single incident of violence. The remarkable self-restraint of the people was very much a result of how the protest was packaged and branded.

The choice of month, August, resounded with patriotism. The kind that was mostly lost, especially for the younger generation, for whom the definition of the concept has changed dramatically. Even when something went off-track, Team Anna turned the tide in their favour with clever maneuvers. After being arrested, and subsequently released, Anna refused to leave the jail on government conditions. The action struck home like no other. Almost reckless and thus heroic, the man not only refused to cower down in front of the mighty, he challenged them openly, knowing well that the media glare would protect him from then on.

The government, on the other hand, went from one blunder to another. First refusing permission to hold the protest and then arresting the main leader in the Capital itself was a naive move. They played in the hands of Team Anna like a fiddle. And finally, agreeing to give Ramlila Maidan for protest and preparing it did not seem like the actions of a democratic government encouraging diverse opinion, but of a seat of power crushed by the might of common people. It was too little, too late.

In my opinion, it is high time the government has better crisis management policies and strategies, because as it seems, in front of the camera, it's a different ball game.

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