ChinmayC Blog

Anna Hazare, the crusader against corruption, first became a phenomenon, then got into frequent spells of silence and confusion, had a few flop shows over the period of more than a year and finally called it a day dissolving his famous Team Anna. His story has been more of a dilemma than success or failure. In August, 2012 Anna Hazare declared the decision to go political . The declaration was made from the stage shared by his team members who were the ones on fasting that time. The most prominent among them was Arvind Kejriwal who later said that the decision was taken after a lot of brainstorming and with the full permission of Anna Hazare. Anna also announced that there was nothing wrong in going in for a political alternative with a totally unresponsive government to deal with. A few days later the anti-corruption guru back in his native place in the state of Maharashtra officially dissolved Team Anna. He became more active now writing in his blog and after a gap of few days more ...

It was possibly the biggest movement to rock India after Independence. With unprecedented support for the cause the anti-corruption fight started by social activist Anna Hazare in April, 2011 transformed into a mass movement. But the huge success of the movement signaled its downfall too. Thanks to a variety of reasons including contradictions, counter charges and friction within Team Anna and core members’ political ambitions mass support for the movement has been dwindling all the time. Seemingly running out options the movement finally became political. Falling back on its oft-repeated ‘fast’ weapon Team Anna started yet another indefinite fast in New Delhi from July 25, 2012. For a change this time, the core members of the team sat into the fast first with Anna Hazare threatening to join by Sunday, the 29 th of July, if the government did not respond till then. Eventually Anna had to join in. Support for the fast was not even in hundreds in the early days. Sensing trouble, Baba Ra...

The righteous minded hates corruption and wants this evil eradicated from India or possibly form planet Earth. Therefore, when Anna Hazare launched a movement in April, 2011 he immediately enjoyed unprecedented mass support and captured the national stage. Inspired by Anna’s achievement the immensely rich yoga guru Baba Ramdev jumped in the fray too with a movement against a related factor of black money. History was created. As the internal contradictions within Team Anna grew mass support for the movement began to wane. The Mumbai fast in December, 2011 was a terrible flop and the situation further worsened with Anna Hazare falling sick frequently and going on a silence vow. Team Anna was plunged into severe introspection.  Maybe inspired by Baba Ramdev’s star power, this time Anna Hazare decided to join hands and the two cult figures celebrated their union with a one-day token fast in Delhi in June, 2012. Sometime later both of them held a joint press conference and announced t...

The anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare has finally decided to sit together with Baba Ramdev on a one-day fast in Delhi today. There had been a lot speculation and anticipation on this for quite some time. Why Anna had to do this? After taking India by a hurricane wave with his two huge bouts of fasting in April and in August of 2011 Anna Hazare started facing the music from within his Team Anna as his members became too powerful and ambitious. The cascading trouble ranged from corruption charges against the members themselves and election politics to basic differences of views and opinions. To make matters worse Anna fell sick quite frequently and his 'strong' Lokpal Bill (anti-corruption Ombudsman Bill ) failed to make any headway in Parliament. Anna had to do something to carry on the anti-corruption movement. So he launched a fast in Mumbai in December, 2011 purportedly to pressurise the upcoming Parliamentary debate on the Lokpal Bill. The masses did not turn up in large...

Millions of Indians supporting Anna Hazare are basically moved by the cause--ending corruption that has affected almost everybody in some way or the other. Most of them, though, do not care a dime about the methods adopted to achieve that goal. It is quite possible that the government is finally blackmailed into accepting Anna's bill. But what after? Anna could hardly afford to resort to the same tactics when it comes to implementing the Jan Lokpal Bill, meaning he just cannot say, 'Hey corrupt ones! Admit  your guilt in public and give back all your ill earned money to the affected. Or I will start fast unto death!' The millions supporting cannot ignore the methods if  they are also interested in good implementation. Then, the middle classes--coming out predominantly in the streets. We very well know about their normal mentality--closing their flat entrance to the world hardly caring what problems are there in the immediate neighbor's house, lacking a civic sense walki...

Anna Hazare, the crusader against the evil of corruption, was arrested early this morning by Delhi police. Clearly, to avoid having a law and order situation with thousands (including fascist lumpen elements) expected to gather for an indefinite period at a public place in the national capital with hounding news channels hungry for 24/7 sensation. Anna Hazare's second fast unto death was not allowed to go in public. This is undemocratic, everybody is saying. Yes, it seems to be so.  But, there is one more angle to it. The April fast was a huge success and the government of India had to agree to draft the Lokpal Bill promising to present it in Parliament in the monsoon session which they did. But the civil society members had been adamant since, constantly demanding what they thought was the best and soon making the movement 'Our Bill' Vs 'Your Bill'. Blackmail of another fast followed insistent demands despite the 'Your Bill' being presented in Parliament fo...

Anna Hazare congratulated his erstwhile chief lieutenant in the movement against corruption, Arvind Kejriwal for the latter's spectacular debut political performance in Delhi assembly election. He said that Kejriwal would have become Delhi Chief Minister if he had his continued support. Anna also reiterated his earlier observation that elections could be won without tons of money. But then, Anna would never become politically aligned or support any political party. We saw how pained he was when Kejriwal decided to form a political party and how he almost gave up his movement. However, it is obvious the crusader against corruption took some positives out of this development. Anna decides to resume his mission. Anna Hazare announced his resolve to continue the fight for the much debated Anti-corruption Ombudsman or Jan Lokpal Bill. And today, the mass leader began one more of his famous fasts unto death at his native village Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra. Other reasons are also th...

This is the biggest victory for the Indian people since Independence. We never could see the live scenes of the Freedom Struggle except on celluloid. But now we are witnessing live the Second Independence. This time against a bigger enemy called 'Corruption'! We are privileged and proud of this moment thanks the Modern Day Gandhi, Anna Hazare. We are witnessing history unfolding right before us, incredibly vibrant scenes across India we never thought we could ever live to see. For the first time ever civil society will function together with the Government in a fifty-fifty partnership. The Joint Draft Committee will prepare the real Jan Lokpal Bill and it will be placed before the Parliament in its monsoon session by end of June this year. The Government had to accept all demands of Anna Hazare, supported by the whole of India, and predominantly, Young India. Tomorrow at 10.30am we have a date with History. Anna Hazare is set to formally end his fast unto death in acknowledgmen...

The 74 year old crusader against corruption continues his fast unto death--entering the eleventh day today. Destroying our hopes of breakfast lunch and suppers for the last two days. Anna Hazare is becoming the hottest trump card for almost everybody involved in the process of fighting corruption. Everybody is benefiting from Anna. The members of his team are riding high on unprecedented mass support and do not seem ever wanting to lose it. They are talking gesticulating and dictating not bothering who is before them. Anna's frail body is their constant source of inspiration. The government seems to be in all sorts of dilemmas. Do it, don't do it, promise, don't promise, find a solution, camouflage it and so on! The Prime Minister delivered the positives on the last two days consecutively, but somebody or the other within would inevitably utter something contrary to the scheme of things or create whirlpools of confusion diversion and utter dejection. Constitution, parliamen...

You must be well behaved. You must have a liberal frame of mind and spirit.  You must be without a spot in all your life and career. Spotless honesty, that is to say. You must be capable of sacrifice for the cause of the nation and people.  Only if these essential qualifications are met you are eligible for participating in Anna Hazare's revolution to eradicate corruption.  You are welcome to be married and having a small family; but you must have 1 to three hours a day to devote for the bigger family that you have outside your four walls. Most importantly, you must be capable of sacrifice, okay, not to the extent that Anna himself did by adopting a life of celibacy and spending all his life of 74 years in a 8 by 10 temple room at Ralegan Siddhi, Maharashtra. Anna Hazare, on the sixth day of his fast, gave a rousing address to over 100 thousand citizens gathered on a super Sunday at Ramlila ground, Delhi this eventful evening. It was like Gandhi come alive, Anna speak...

The point is not about your anti-corruption stance. The point is about you going out with knives and daggers to attack the corrupt . The trend is growing increasingly dangerous. The beginning of the species called anti-corrupt fascists? A stalwart of Indian politics, the present Agriculture Minister and former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and an octogenarian, Sharad Pawar was attacked at a public place in the national capital, New Delhi. The youthful unemployed attacker was supposedly angry at corrupt politicians and was the same person who attacked the sentenced former minister Sukh Ram a few days back. From the highest level of the nation to the masses, everybody wholeheartedly condemned the assault and expressed shock at this incident happening in a democratic nation. The opposition parties also condemned and Team Anna condemned it too, but with a difference that was too obvious. There was a ‘but’ in their condemnation. The largest national opposition party said while condemning t...

Basically, the politicians of India have failed miserably to deliver on curbing the menace of corruption and black money. Huge and huger scams kept on surfacing making the masses disillusioned. So, social activists, saints, god-men and the like have come to occupy the center stage starting a movement against corruption. Anna Hazare , who was relatively unknown outside Maharashtra, sat on fast in the national capital in April, 2011 and became a national hero eliciting unprecedented mass support. Many political parties and leaders wanted to be a part of this, but Anna was firm keeping the movement non-political. Ramdev Baba , the Yoga-guru who made his billions all over the world running two television channels and stigmatized by the alleged murder of his own guru, saw this and thought why not have some political power and clout. He picked up black money issue which is only the other side of a larger issue of corruption. He started his fast unto death at Ramleela Ground, New Delhi yeste...

Article first published as The Hisar Connection! on Technorati. Anna Hazare, the great crusader against corruption in India, and his civil society members had campaigned heavily to get the candidate of Congress, main political party in the ruling coalition of India, defeated in the Hisar by-election for Indian Parliament held on October 13, 2011. Hisar is situated in the Indian state of Haryana. What would have been a routine listless by-election on account of the death of the seating candidate has become a nationwide rage thanks to Anna Hazare and his team’s campaign as a part of the mass movement against corruption. Team Anna had been asserting continuously their apolitical character and that they had no political ambitions. They said their only motive was to pressurize the government for the fast passage of a strong anti-corruption Bill in the winter session of Parliament starting November, 2011. But once you ask the people not to vote for a particular candidate you are indirectly ...

Anna Hazare was arrested early morning yesterday and was reportedly allowed to go free by evening. But since then, Anna Hazare has been refusing to leave Tihar Jail, Delhi that has meantime become a tourist spot globally. Apart from people of all walks of life having an electrifying time out there bestowed with generous attention by the ecstatic news channels 24 hours a day, famed spiritualists, self styled saints babas sadhus and what not have congregated there to mediate and convince Anna that the jail was not a very healthy place to live in for long and that too inhabited by very embodiments of corruption he was fighting against.Even the harassed jailors politely asked Anna to leave as soon as possible. But Anna is not convinced at all. He wants  to fast unto death wherever he is and will  leave only if he is allowed to carry on at a prime venue of the national capital. The problem does not stop there as the question of how long to fast is the basic issue. The hapless gover...

After nearly twelve hour debate the lower house of the Indian Parliament, Lok Sabha , passed the Lokpal (anti-corruption Ombudsmen) Bill by a voice vote just before 11 pm yesterday. In the process ten amendments had been conceded by the ruling coalition owing to demands by opposition political parties. Yet nobody rejoiced over this historic beginning. Only dirty politics lingered on and an ill Anna Hazare continued his fast making the common man the most bewildered one. Team Anna’s flop show in Mumbai with just 10000 supporters around was put in sharp contrast by heavy politicking on the floor throughout the day. While Team Anna kept on blaming and thundering on the government, specifically the Congress party, for cheating the Indian people it was very clear in the lower house that no political party wanted a strong Bill. The main opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who has been the mainstay support group for Team Anna, had in fact tried by all means to delay the Bill further an...

Anna Hazare and the key members of his team have been threatening, pointing fingers and gesticulating all the while as if they wanted to give justice to their followers overnight. Their deadline was December 27, 2011 for passing the Lokpal Bill (anti-corruption Ombudsman) in the Indian Parliament having all the features they wanted. Or else fast, agitation and God knows what more! Maybe Team Anna never expected that to happen! And, more importantly almost in the way they demanded! So it's now of crucial importance what Team Anna does next! The government of India presented the Lokpal Bill in the lower house of the Indian Parliament yesterday-22nd of December-as promised. Not only that! The session has been extended too by three days allowing fruitful debate. The Bill also has included almost all the features demanded by Team Anna-except for the issue of keeping Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI ) out of the ambit of the Bill. Some other features have been modified cons...

Article first published as The Hisar Connection--Team Anna Claims Victory! on Technorati. The suspense drama over the Hisar by-election has finally ended. Kuldeep Bishnoi of the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) supported by the country’s main opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), won the three-cornered contest. Bishnoi won only by a narrow margin over the nearest rival Ajay Chautala of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD). The congress candidate came as the distant third—almost the same scenario of 2009 general elections. The irrepressible Team Anna member, Arvind Kejriwal, has already claimed victory and sent out a message to the ruling coalition led by Congress that ‘the result is a lesson to learn from’. But the winning candidate dismisses Team Anna’s campaign as ‘no impact’! The Congress too writes off any Anna effect as it never won the seat since 2004. Now, Bishnoi is the son of Bhajan Lal, a former Chief Minister of Haryana, who won this seat in 2009 and it became vacant on hi...

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal won the trust motion in Delhi Assembly on Thursday, January 2, 2014 on a voice vote, 37 in favor and 32 against. After an eventful day on the floor of the house Congress maintained its promise of outside support and with its 8 members (7 voted) ensured an AAP victory. One additional vote came from the lone Janata Dal-United member and the independent member making the mathematics clear—AAP (28) +Congress (7) +JD-U (1) + Ind.(1)=37. The main national opposition BJP had been objecting from the beginning for clear reasons—that being the single largest party in the assembly they could not or rather did not form the government; that it always maintained AAP as being opportunistic or immoral for obtaining support from the very political party (Congress) which they identified with corruption and became a political entity fighting tooth and nail against it from Anna Hazare days and that when Congress is on one side the traditional...

Saturday, August 27, 2011. History made at Ramlila Ground and in the Indian Parliament. A Bill that was pending since 1966 was finally realized after a day long debate in both the houses. All members of the Parliament, irrespective of their political or ideological differences, thumped approval of the Jan Lokpal Bill Draft resolution which will now go to the Standing Committee for making it into a law. Let's pass over now whatever happened in the past 12 days and only celebrate for Anna Hazare, the Indian democracy and the Indian people. The final moments of victory! Anna Hazare addressed the sea of humanity at Ramlila ground--his posture strong and positive, his voice strong and resonant--not at all indicating that this 74 year old crusader against corruption had been living only on plain water for the past twelve days. 'This victory belongs to all of you-supporting me day and night all over the country for the past days. And this only half the battle won. We have to carry on ...

The basic question is ‘why Team Anna has to oppose or support a political party’. Anna Hazare and all his civil society members repeatedly declared their ‘apolitical’ nature and that they had no political ambitions. Then, why don’t they understand that opposing a political party has to be a political act, because the act becomes an indirect support for other parties. Already reeling under charges of having right-wing fundamentalist support Team Anna is not doing any better by asking people not to vote for Congress. The Government had given a note on the historic evening of August 27, 2011 indicating their support for three basic demands of Jan Lokpal Bill and asserted its commitment to bring the Bill in the winter session of Parliament starting November. But Team Anna is continuing with its never ending threats charges and invectives thus giving an open invitation to all political parties to indulge in mud-slinging. Kejriwal had sort of clarified that ‘we are appealing to people not t...