Having failed to contain Anna on his demand for a strong Lokpal, the Congress has let loose a war of venom. The party and the ministers are speaking a language of the street and spreading all kinds of canards against Anna whose only offence, if I may say so, is that he has raised the issue of corruption like no one else has ever done in the past. He has received tremendous public support and this has clearly unnerved the government and it appears to have lost the sense of decorum, discipline and decency in public life. Some of them have spoken a language that one would not usually speak. They are hitting him below the belt as well.
Their common grouse against Anna is that he is now indulging in politics. Another grouse is that he represents RSS and BJP. What if he does? Is it forbidden? Is that the issue? Is politics only the prerogative of the declared politicians? Can an average citizen of the country not engage in politics? What after all is politics and can politics ever remain divorced from normal life? Politics relates to 'activities involved in getting and using power in public life, and being able to influence decisions that affect a country or a society.' It's a pious function. It's another matter that our politicians these days have confined its meaning to those activities that benefit them, their close relations and cohorts. Society or country hardly ever comes to their mind. Therefore, they cannot appreciate the political design, if any at all, of Anna and his team. But the way they are attacking him in the name of politics, it would seem that politics for Anna is a crime. They can engage in anything in the name of politics, not Anna. What a strange argument and the more they offer this kind of argument, the more they alienate themselves from the people. And this instead of helping their political cause is only going to help Anna in mobilizing more and more public support.
Their common grouse against Anna is that he is now indulging in politics. Another grouse is that he represents RSS and BJP. What if he does? Is it forbidden? Is that the issue? Is politics only the prerogative of the declared politicians? Can an average citizen of the country not engage in politics? What after all is politics and can politics ever remain divorced from normal life? Politics relates to 'activities involved in getting and using power in public life, and being able to influence decisions that affect a country or a society.' It's a pious function. It's another matter that our politicians these days have confined its meaning to those activities that benefit them, their close relations and cohorts. Society or country hardly ever comes to their mind. Therefore, they cannot appreciate the political design, if any at all, of Anna and his team. But the way they are attacking him in the name of politics, it would seem that politics for Anna is a crime. They can engage in anything in the name of politics, not Anna. What a strange argument and the more they offer this kind of argument, the more they alienate themselves from the people. And this instead of helping their political cause is only going to help Anna in mobilizing more and more public support.
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