Anna's Movement

I hear lot of people saying, you pay bribe for passport, you pay bribe after breaking traffic signal, how can you be a part of Anna movement! I don't know how valid is that argument but obviously if you don't get your passport it won't kill you. Let us talk about people who have to pay bribe for altogether different reasons. Who have to pay bribe to earn their livelihood. Lets talk about the beggars, thela waale, small shops, chai wala who have to pay hafta to policemen. Lets talk about retired govt officers, widows of govt officers or army men who died on the borders, who have to pay bribe to the babus to get the pension, about farmers who have to pay bribe to get water for their fields. The list is never ending. What would they suggest to these people? Tell the beggar not to pay bribe and fight the hawaldar!

One problem is, when one talks about corruption, he/she talks about only the corruption he/she is aware of. I will know only how my cousin or friend had to bribe some babu. But corruption comes in millions of ways. I don't have the right to tell someone he is right or wrong coz his decision is based on his/her experiences.

So its a fact that corruption is deep rooted in our society by this definition. Everyone paid bribe at some point. (Or some other form of corruption). Few of them must have resisted, but we never heard of them. Reason being they didn't succeed. Either they gave up on their work or they must have transformed into a corrupt person (by say paying bribe to get the work done).

I believe even though we all are corrupt, it has been imposed on us. We did something wrong coz we didn't have the courage to fight it. Its not that we didn't want to fight it. Its not that we enjoyed corruption. Its just that we are not brave enough to fight it and want to live our "regular life". Also government wouldn't care if a person lodges a complain against a corrupt officer. One vote can easily come for 100rupees.

So what was always missing was unity! And that is what this movement has brought to us. Remember "ek chidiya .. anek chidiya" from childhood days? Don't be surprised but it still applies. This united movement has given hope to the beggar that he can fight the hawaldar! It has given courage to a "regular life" living citizen to fight the powerful corrupts. Anna has just been the catalyst which has brought out the fire from inside us. He could do this coz it is very hard to find such a strong person these days. Strong not by power but by ethics. He has always fought for the rights of deprived. It is for this reason people have faith in him. It is for this reason people who don't even understand the bill are following him. His united movement gives me courage to fight the corruption in the country, not just around me but also inside me. I see the ray of hope.

There will always be skeptics. But I will request them to see the bigger picture. When was the last time you saw such a spontaneous movement where people from all strata came together to fight evil? Its a revolution coming. Lets be a part of it. We might not agree on the path (which is rather long), but we do agree on our destination. Lets contribute to it in our own different ways but not just sit and criticize.