New Delhi: Following Mahatma Gandhi's footsteps, reminding the nation the power of non violence, he inspired lakhs to take to the streets to join his movement for Janlokpal. 77-year-old anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare was the panacea that many Indians were desperately looking for.
Perhaps, an ailing Anna sitting on a dharna with his close aide Kiran Bedi waiving the national flag remains one of the iconic image of the movement, which finally led to the Parliament passing the Lokpal bill.
More than two years after his historic movement in Ramlila Maidan, Anna Hazare threatens to start yet another andolan against the new dispensation. But this time, without two of his closest aides, Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi. A day after he announced that he would strike back, the Peepli Live moment was back in Anna's home Ralegan Siddhi.
Television journalists were back to get a soundbite from Anna, hoping that he would say something about his erstwhile aides. But clearly he has learnt the trick of the trade, dodging any question on Kejriwal and Bedi. In every interview that he gave, he hit back at the journalist saying "aapko toh sirf masala chahiye; is desh mein saawal kam hai kya!" (you just need some sensational news; isn't there more important questions to ask).
What certainly came across from his interviews was the fact that he wanted to remain relevant at a time when his "andolan karyakartas" had plunged into what he calls "dirty politics". Not just the want to remain relevant, his new andolan vision also remains half baked - unclear about what exactly would help him catapult into the national limelight yet again.
Anna says he would be touring the entire country over the next 2-3 months speaking to "good" people interested in the cause he espouses. Thereafter, he would draft the vision of his andolan in New Delhi. But the moot question is will he still draw the crowds like he did in his previous andolan? In an interview to CNN-IBN, Anna broke his silence on Kejriwal and Bedi. "Kejriwal left. Bedi left. General saab left. It does not matter if few people leave me. On 16 August, 2011, lakhs of people came to Ramlila Maidan. And just like that new people will join me this time too."
All this while, Anna has stayed away from politics. Time and again he has reiterated that his movement will maintain distance from mainstream politics. What stands out are the obvious contradictions. While he said his support to Trinamool Congress was a media creation and he was only supporting Mamata Banerjee as she was a clean politician and a good person.
Clearly, Anna did not want to stir a controversy and remained silent on my question as to why doesn't he support Kejriwal and Bedi when they are perceived as clean people. But the 77 year old did manage to stump me when he said he will welcome Kejriwal and Bedi back to his camp if they abandon their respective political affiliation. Perhaps, Bedi can take a cue from this as she recently declared her plan-B in an interview to The Times of India of taking up speaking engagements in Oxford and Harvard if she loses the Delhi elections.
Anna's attempt to make a comeback also reflects his realisation of the importance of a clean image in today's politics. No matter how much he denies, Anna knows it very well how Arvind Kejriwal has made a career in politics using the Anna movement as the perfect launchpad. He, however, takes solace from the fact that at least one of his own "andolan karyakartas" will become the next chief minister of Delhi. And he would certainly feel happy if the next chief minister of Delhi gives him some credit just like Aam Aadmi Party's Shanti Bhushan did.
As a Mumbai Police officer tells me, the government of the day is only scarred of people like Anna not the opposition. What he has done for Maharashtra, he should now do it for the entire country. But the question remains, at a time when the country is enamoured by its Prime Minister and the nation is welcoming the much awaited change, will Anna's magic work again or will it be a flop show like his Mumbai stint?
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