Anna: Hunger strike that hardly was
The hunger strike launched by Anna Hazare finished like an abstract act. At one point, this country was looking for traces of Mahatma Gandhi in him. His protest against UPA government had sent shock waves across the country.
Media wrote it as the most genuine uprising by the country against the menace of corruption. But for Hazare to understand that his fight was pitched against UPA government and not corruption as such, Modi had to occupy the chair of PM.
When Hazare was on his hunger strike last time, Modi who was the CM of Gujarat had written to him saying he has been a close fan of Anna ever since his young days.
He had even warned him against the "corrupt" and said "please take care of your health. The corrupt will not hesitate to even harm you" and also "while you are on a hunger strike there, I am observing hunger here in my state too" stating he joined this campaign in spirit and presence.
Now that Hazare was sitting on a hunger strike in Ralegan Siddhi since the last one week, for the same demand he had last time, Modi has not come to meet him. He hasn't even written a note to Hazare.
Anna has realised a bit later that "BJP used him" to meet its own ends. He even said that before the people, out in the open. Not just that, he said before the media that if something were to happen to his life or safety, Modi would be responsible for everything.
In some sense, it looked like he was begging someone from the government to save his life. Finally the Maharashtra CM met him and treating that as a pretext, he ended his strike.
In the given situation, the very demand of Anna for Lokpal to be established itself is very unrealistic. One cannot expect a government that has interfered and compromised on every investigating agency to its comfort, to set up Lokpal ever.
The government threw out the CBI chief unceremoniously.
Today CBI has suffered such a loss of face that even state police could arrest them in West Bengal. IT officers are at the beck and call of the government. It's rather unreasonable to assume a new Lokpal would be set up that has the capacity to inquire into the power and doings of a Prime Minister.
Anna Hazare has maintained silence over the fact that all investigating agencies including the CBI have been left without teeth. Mega scandals like Rafale and others are lying abandoned without a decent investigation. At a time like this, how can one even assume this government would set up Lokpal?
UPA government have this country the RTI act through which people could question the power and doings of a government, administrative powers that be and the politicians.
At least to that extent we need to appreciate the UPA government. Today, the Modi government has trimmed every possible wing of RTI act. Hazare has never spoken against is, and he is hoping to see a Lokpal being set up out of the pressure his hunger strike is creating on the government. This could be plain innocence. On one hand if Hazare really wants a Lokpal, he has to start a new strike to displace the Modi government because so long as Modi exists, Lokpal will not be set up.
Just as he admits himself, BJP and RSS has used Hazare against the UPA government. They played a clever game of chess with him as the pawn. It does not look like anybody around Hazare were interested in fighting corruption. Instead, they just wanted to help collapse the UPA government and bring BJP into power at the centre.
Most of the youngsters in the crowd supporting Hazare were boys who were planted by the RSS. Even the media did not want a government free from corruption. Most of them have sold themselves to the ruling dispensation.
Hence it would be a joke to assume they'd be opposing corruption at all. Anna may have assumed he'd command the same support and same size of crowds even today as he did then. Or he may even have some hidden agenda to stage this dharna.
Anna Hazare is not beyond politics. His opinions about Gandhi ideology are grossly misplaced. He had even praised Gujarat model once. He has no particular ideas about political stances, and often comes across as someone who’d take any way that he would be pushed towards. Even now, he is acting at the behest of some forces.
“I have been assured that my demands would be met, so I am withdrawing my hunger fast” said Anna sounding either desolate or helpless. No one would believe the word of current government after having seen the level of interference they have made into the prevailing intelligence agencies.
Hazare could have asked for a parliamentary committee to investigate into Rafale scandal. This could have generated some trust and other parties may have even joined him.
Hazare has not taken any tough decisions against the centre ever. He is associated with RSS and BJP and has a soft corner for them. Hence, all his hunger strikes are ending up being comedies.
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Unruly scenes witnessed in Punjab Assembly
Chandigarh (PTI): The Punjab Assembly on Friday witnessed high drama on Friday after Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira made an allegedly objectionable remark against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during an intense argument over the alleged use of mobile phone in the house by the legislator.
During the one-day special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha here, Mann accused Khaira of using a mobile phone when Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan was reading out an official resolution on the revision of wages.
After rising from his seat, the chief minister pointed to the speaker, claiming that Khaira is busy on his mobile phone and urged him to ask the Congress MLA what Sandhwan had said about the resolution.
The speaker then asked Khaira to maintain order in the house and listen to the resolution carefully.
Mann then asked Khaira, "Why don't you go out and then use it (mobile phone)," which led to a strong verbal altercation during which the opposition MLA hurled an accusation against the chief minister. Meanwhile, the speaker appealed for order and insisted that the chair be addressed.
However, both Mann and Khaira continued arguing and could be seen pointing fingers at each other as the proceedings of the house were disrupted.
The AAP MLAs also rose from their seats with Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema condemning Khaira for his conduct and demanded action against him.
Cheema further alleged that Khaira "always tries to disturb the house" as he spoke about his conduct in the assembly.
The incident occurred as an official resolution on the revision of wages was presented at the special session by Labour Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond who said it paid homage to labourers on the International Workers' Day.
"Workers are the axis of construction of the nation, the community, the state and society. Every construction project succeeds only through their blood and sweat," the resolution read.
As per the resolution, "The base rate of minimum wages for the working class in Punjab was last revised in the year 2012. Although the dearness allowance has continued to increase since 2012, there has been no increase in the base rate of minimum wages.
On this sacred occasion of May Day, in this special session of the legislative assembly, this house proposes to revise and increase the minimum wages of labourers and strongly recommends to the government to take a decision regarding the increase of minimum wages for workers, so that the contributions of the workers can be acknowledged." PRK
