Anna Hazare : Independence after Independence
MadanMohan Tarun
When movement of independence of India was at its peak under the leadership of Gandhi ji, I was already born. I was a child during those days, but not so much a child that I could not have been taken to Gandhi ji. In those days a child was taken as too much child for a longer time. I could not be taken to Gandhi ji for the same reason and I missed a great opportunity to be a part of those great historical moments, which are never repeated again. I still suffer from a deep painful feeling of missing those rare moments.
My brother, my paternal aunt’s son, used to organize a regular morning- procession every day. We, all children had a round of the whole village shouting slogans like ‘Bharat Maataa Ki Jai’ ‘Mahatma Gandhi Ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Matram.’ Gradually our procession was joined by people of every age. Everybody used to come out from their houses, be it men or women. This, perhaps, made them feel as if they are attending the independence march with Gandhi ji. How one can keep himself confined to his or her house, when the whole country is at war under the leadership of a great and unusual soldier!
In those days, many people of Jehanabad had left for Delhi to participate in the movement, personally. Some of them had already joined chandrashekhar Azad and Sardar Bhagat singh and they still led their life in the same style. They used to do rigorous exercise daily. Pandit Laxminath pandey was one of them , whom I remember well. Fida Hussain sahib was a highly dedicated Gandhian of our town. Time to time he visited Delhi to participate in the movement personally, with Gandhi ji. He was an honest person of high dignity and was always seen in well washed Khadi dhoti, Kurta , topi and chappal. He used to come to our place to meet my father time – to – time . I enjoyed his every visit as a festival. He is one of the individuals, whom I liked best.
But those people also, who were unable to join Gandhi ji personally, felt themselves as an integral part of the Gandhian movement. The whole country was fully and deeply colored with Gandhian sentiment only.
Media was not so strong those days. There were a few people in villages ,who had radio. But nobody ever missed even a leaf’s movement in Delhi. Everybody kept himself ready to sacrifice at any moment’s call. Crimes like theft and robbery had almost disappeared in those days around my village. When a truthful man leads a country or anything, he or she becomes omnipresent and sheds his positive impact on everybody. Gandhi was such a godly figure.
Movement started by Anna ji Hazare, has almost recreated those great days. Visuals of these great moments have reduced the painful feeling; I had of not seeing Gandhi ji with my own eyes, in spite I was very much present in those days.
The way our own government arrested Anna ji on 16th of August 2011, even before he had not started his fast, reminds me the ways, British ruled us. This act is enough to expose the mental and moral status of those, who are our present rulers. They are so much involved in selfishness and corruption and the fear of being exposed at any time that they see their enemy even in people like Anna Hazare. They care nobody else excepting themselves. They are confined to a limited world of their selfishness. They keep themselves ready to harm anybody, up to any extent, in order to save their own throne and face.
After all, what created Anna Hazard! Anna Hazare is the eruption of consolidated anger of people of India. This volcano is certainly not the product of a few days.
Congress has not been able to produce any leader after Indira Gandhi. Till the time it reached to a leader like Manmohan singh, it was left with no capacity to do so. Manmohan ji, no doubt, is a thorough gentleman, honest and a scholar of his own field, but, certainly, he has no any quality of a leader. He can hear but can’t do anything at his own. Even he had to wait for words from a hidden, but a well known corner, to open his mouth. I feel sorry for him. Presently, congress is surrounded by remainings of Nehru – family which needed a man like Manmohan ji. Not that , congress had no one fit to take up the job of prime minister, but if the command had to remain in the hands of Nehru – family , they needed a proxy – prime minister and Manmohan ji was found best among all in their view. Keeping all these facts into consideration, he was placed as PRIME MINISTER of India.
Under the command of such a leader, ruling chairs went in the control of criminals gradually. They started sucking every drop of hard earnings of common people and others, mercilessly. Common, educated people lost the value of their voice among them. Old and new sinners, turned into rulers. they followed only one policy- YOU CARE MY WELFARE, I WILL CARE YOUR WELFARE.
Jails of India under British rule were packed with people who participated in independence movement, but jails of independent India are now packed with ministers, officers, officials on the charges of heinous acts of corruptions in various forms. Even judges have fallen down from their glories of heights. They did not spare even treasury of sports. They failed at crucial moments to produce good cricket, but they filled their houses with the money banked for the game purposes. They know, they are going to be jailed only for a few months, later they have whole life to enjoy with their whole money. WHOSE MONEY IS THIS???
This all was becoming unbearable for the country, but there was no any effective, dependable voice, charged with the force of spotless character to become the expression of disappointment and anger of common people. Incarnation of Anna Hazard took place in the same situation. He became voice and the choice of the country. His call opened all the closed directions and people flooded and flooded from all directions to join his movement against corruption. It was joined by the children of nine years to the people of more than hundred years. It was joined by businessmen, officials, and youths from schools, colleges, universities, farmers, saints, men, women, commoners, specialists, lawyers, judges and people from all directions of life. Movement of Anna became really a MOVEMENT OF INDEPENDENCE AFTER INDEPENDENCE.
Some of the participants of Anna’s movement were carrying their little children on their soldiers when one of them was asked curiously that why he has brought a little child here , his reply was – ‘I have brought my little child here to see Anna with his own eyes , so that he can tell to his friends or his own son or daughter that he had seen Anna Hazare with his own eyes.‘
When I saw the child sitting on his father’s soldier with his curious eyes, fixed on Anna Hazare, I was compelled to go back to my childhood which missed a great opportunity. If I was also carried like this , I certainly had not repented to have been deprived from being a part of a rare historical moment which rarely comes in the life of a country. If it had not happened so I to have claimed before my grandson with my head high – ‘I had seen Gandhi ji with my own two eyes.’
Those people who are unable to attend his movement physically and are watching him day and night on T.V. are also equally a part of this revolution.
Anna ji has very correctly requested people of this country - KEEP THE FLAME OF REVOLUTION ALWAYS BURNING , WHETHER ANNA IS THERE OR NOT.
Anna is not only an individual, he is a symbol of a spotless strong character. He will become more and more stronger as an inspiring icon with the time progresses ahead.
They are certainly lucky people who have witnessed huge and nonstop flow of people around Anna with their faces glowing with hope, enthusiasm and with unbeaten faith in their victory having no any barrier of age, caste, community or category.
Such moments come in the history of any nation very rarely.
Copyright Reserved by MadanMohan Tarun
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