Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev – strange
bed fellows!
22 September, 2012
Pictures and Videos: Amar Singh
Jyani, GS Mann
Anna
Hazare and Baba Ramdev – strange bed fellows! ---An Article by RD Singh
“Don’t use my name and photo”, Anna
tells Arvind Kejriwal, breaking away from his decision to launch a political
party, in a meeting held at Delhi on 19 September. Now Arvind will go the
political way while Anna will take the movement route. End of 18 months of
honeymoon, but good that Anna has taken the route of his heart.
But what is intriguing is Anna
immediately thereafter having a meeting with Baba Ramdev, along with Gen (retd.)
V.K. Singh. They make strange bed
fellows. Baba Ramdev’s links with the
RSS and BJP are well known, and he drew his strength at the Ramlila Maidan on
13 August with the presence of Nitin Gadkari and other NDA leaders on the
stage. Under the banner of Bharat Swabhiman Andolan, mustering volunteers while
performing yoga camps, Baba Ramdev is aiming at 2014 elections.
Anna Hazare draws his strength from
his self less cause – to remove corruption from the country and work for the
poor. He has no personal agenda or assets. His simple life of dedication to the
good of the rural people, following Gandhian principles, places him on a moral
high ground and a higher pedestal than others. Then, how can he continue/combine
the movement with Baba Ramdev who is under scanner for tax evasions of hundreds
of crores, and his primary aid Bala Krishan is charged with fraud, spending a
month in jail. It is a case of a round peg in a square hole.
In case Anna shares the stage with
political leaders, because of Baba Ramdev, then he will lose his moral
ascendancy, and it will be no more shining white. The strength of his movement
against corruption will also get weakened the moment if gets politically
involved.
The best course for Anna is to go
alone, with his genuine workers, who are committed to work selflessly for
removal of corruption. The movement should be taken to each village, and the
poorest man should know what Anna is doing for him. He/she should be so
motivated that the next time a candidate comes to offer him bribe for his vote,
he should refuse. It is here that he can help Kejriwal to make honest
candidates win. As the aim is same – good and clean governance – Arvind
Kejriwal’s party should continue drawing its strength from the people’s
movement against corruption.
Anna’s movement to succeed has to
strike the goodness in each citizen, so that people across the country, support
the cause and pressurise the govt for the necessary action – in this case
passing of an effective and workable Lokpal bill, and initiating concrete steps
to curb corruption from top to bottom.
Such a movement should not be confrontationist, anti govt, or anti
democratic institutions. It is a people’s movement, non-violent and apolitical,
aimed for the good of the nation. Each one of us can contribute to its success
by being honest to ourselves.
May Anna and his people’s movement
unite the nation for a noble cause.
Colonel R D Singh ( retd)
Ambala Cantt (Haryana) - 133001
Colonel R D Singh, a star
blood donor, and a decorated soldier, belongs to Village Pilimandori (now in
Distt. Fatehabad). He is also a life member of INTACH, and his entire family
believes in giving back to the society.
Wife is a senior teacher in the Army Public School, daughter ( LLM
topper from the DU Law Faculty) is a member of the Delhi Bar Association, and
son, is a young Lieutenant in Army (third generation). Col. Ripu Daman Singh writes regularly for various
news papers, and The Sirsa News.
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