Anna's support stems from people's anger

Anna Hazare is not every Indian's flavour of the month. Many question his tactics and strategy of battling the government version of the Lokpal Bill. All ordinary Indians do not endorse the way in which he and his colleagues are carrying on the movement for corruption free India.
On its side the government's and Congress party's leadership has tried hard to impress upon people that the Jan Lokpal Bill, the version of the bill put forward by Anna Hazare and his colleagues is one legal framework against stopping corruption while the Government Lokpal Bill is another framework. The government has tried to impress upon all that there is scope of civil society actors to come forward to the Parliament's standing committee and express their opinions on the government's version of the Lokpal Bill.

But why are ordinary Indians feeling attracted to Anna Hazare's movement? Have they compared the two versions of the bill, the Lokpal Bill of the government and the Jan Lokpal Bill of Anna Hazare and his colleagues? Most have not. Then why are they showing solidarity for Anna's movement? Though they have not read either of the versions – the government's or the civil society's, they have witnessed how a callous and corrupt government has let scam after scam happen – Commonwealth Games, Adarsh Society in Mumbai, the telecom scam and more getting unearthed week by week.

All parties are seen to be corrupt. The Congress, the breakaway parties of Congress, the BJP, the communist parties, the social justice parties of DMK, BSP or RJD – all seem to be indulging in corruption and promoting corruption. The entire spectrum of India's political parties seems to be steeped in corruption. Even there are allegations that the Maoists indulge in extortion. Does that mean people think each and every politician is corrupt?

No, they are wise enough to see that there are honest people too in political parties. But they feel that the overarching ethos of organized politics has become one of big money and power. The groundswell of people's support for Anna Hazare is an expression of their fatigue of and anger with the big money and power nexus.

The popular surge for Anna Hazare needs to be read between the lines and the call for a people's India as opposed to a politician's India needs to be actualized. That is the task for India's people and its panchayats, its assemblies, no less its Parliament, in the next decade.