Saturday, September 22, 2012

Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev – strange bed fellows!

Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev – strange bed fellows!
SIRSA NEWS ( www.SirsaNews.com )
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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