Tomorrow, whole Nation will be celebrating its independence day. Sixty four years ago, India got the freedom from the British rule after almost couple of centuries of struggle against the British Raaj. During the course of years of the struggle, freedom movement underwent various forms(violent/peaceful)led by various leaders all contributing significantly in their own unique ways supplementing to collective struggle of people of India towards achieving their common objective i.e. freedom for the Nation; however, at the end freedom for the Nation was achieved through non violent peaceful movements, series of fasts and Satyagrah under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. Consequent to that India adopted a constitution and under it all the citizens were guaranteed fundamental rights to speech and expression, assembly, association or union, movement etc. However the very methods i.e. non violent and peaceful movements, fast, satyagrah etc. which won the freedom for India, are now being questioned and Fundamental rights to speech and expression, assembly, movement etc. of citizens are being denied by referring to specious legal arguments by certain cabinet ministers of the Govt. This is precisely the scenario existing just on the eve of 65th independence day vis-à-vis Anna Hazare’s proposed indefinite fast commencing from 16th August in the capital of the Nation. Govt., emboldened after crushing Ramdev’s movement against black money with Police Force and various Govt. agencies, is now out to destroy another peaceful movement against corruption being spearheaded by Anna Hazare.
Anna Hazare had declared his intention long time ago to go on indefinite fast in favour of JanLokpal Bill commencing from 16th August at Jantar Mantar.Initially, Jantar Mantar was denied as a venue of fast as it was considered too close to parliament and also monsoon session of parliament would be under progress during the same period. After that they denied permission to other venues like Boat club,Rajghat,Shaheed Park in the central part of Delhi and finally they offered Jayprakash Park(JP Park) near ITO, which Anna team agreed to. When JP park was offered as venue of fast, many people had wondered at that time only, how come govt. has changed all of a sudden and become so broadminded and liberal? Since then, these people were waiting for the revelation of ulterior motive of the govt. vis-à-vis Anna’s fast. While the Anna team was still keying up for their fast at the venue, the googly from Delhi police came, telling them that until they sign their 22-points agreement on the dotted lines, they wouldn’t be given permission for sitting on fast at the proposed venue. Although, Anna’s team agreed to all the points; however they refused to agree to two most objectionable points related to restriction of fast only up to three days and restriction of the number of people participating in the fast only up to five thousand.While Anna team was still struggling to deal with the googly of Delhi police, they have started receiving huge “bouncers” and “beamers”. Firstly it received bouncer from the Congress Party, whose spokesperson was trying to dig the dirt about personal integrity of Anna by referring to Justice Samant report, submitted in 2005 (It is also interesting to note that subsequent to Justice Samant report, another committee,known as Sukathankar Commitee appointed by the Govt. itself to look into the findings of the report and recommend action on the same, didn't find the charges to be of any serious nature and gave Anna clean chit),was addressing Anna by “Tum” and calling his Team as “A” company(fortunately, he didn’t use the term “D” company for Anna’s team as the “D” company(with their alliance govt. in Maharashtra championing the cause of the supporters of Da….company)term is rightfully the exclusive preserve of his party's Govt. in Maharashtra.Later on the “beamer” was thrown on them by the Govt through its two cabinet ministers. One of the cabinet ministers, who. Oflate, has emerged out to be the Govt.’s principal troubleshooter(for others “principle trouble maker”) tried to use specious legal arguments to prove that they were within their legal rights to deny Anna’s Team of their fundamental rights besides he also questioned the source of funding of Anna’s movement and alleged that his movement, is being run with the support of communal elements out to destroy their Secular Govt.
Why the Govt. is talking in such a belligerent and arrogant tone, calling Anna as “corrupt”, calling him names and then going all out to make sure that Anna’s proposed Fast remains a nonstarter. It has been reported that intelligence reports have anticipated that Given the well of support cutting across the region,religion,castes, communities etc. currently enjoyed by Anna for his movement for Janlokpal Bill, if his fast is allowed to start and allowed to continue for long, with each passing day, numbers would increase and may swell into lacs within a week and with media especially TV channels , likely to focus on Anna’s venue of fast on 24x7 basis, movement may turn into a huge popular movement of the people, across the Nation and once that happens, Congress’s all corrupt governments across the nation including the one at the centre, would be blown off and hence there is a need to nip it in bud. This is the reason, now the whole party and the govt. are using all their arguments and might, under their command,to malign Anna and his movement so that his proposed “Fast”on 16th August, remains a non-starter and his movement is also crushed like Ramdev’s, with use of force.
Given the attitude of the Govt.vis-a-vis Anna’s fast and his movement,one is reminded of Jayprakash Narayan’s movement in 1974-75 and imposition of emergency by the then Late Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi in 1975.Student movement in 1974, when under the leadership of Jayprakash Narayan(JP)turned into a people’s movement across the nation and when it started threatening the then corrupt and autocratic Indira govt, she also made personal attacks at JP like the attacks currently being made at Anna and tried to suppress the movement by imposing the emergency on 25th June 1975 putting JP, all non communist opposition leaders and all those with JP at that time behind the bars. After that she ran the govt at her/her son’s whims and fancies for almost twenty one months; however when she believed she was in control of the situation and relaxed the emergency in 1977 and when she went in for Loksabha Elections with the complacence that outcome would be in her favour; people’s pent up anger against her months of undemocratic and autocratic rule came out in open in such a severe form that not only her govt was thrown out of power but even she, her son and Kapil Sibals of those days like Bansi Lals etc. were thrown out of power very decisively.
Probably, present congress Govt. has forgotten JP’s movement in 1974-75,imposition of emergency in 1975 and its severe consequences for their party in 1977, otherwise they wouldn’t have been attacking Anna and trying to crush his movement through force. Well, tomorrow, we will be celebrating 65th independence day of the Nation; however just on the eve of it, we are seeing brutal murder of the freedom, democratic/constitutional rights of the people of the Nation. Our father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi,even in the heaven, must be in tears for this murder of the freedom, for which he and several other leaders had to fight ceaselessly for several years. He also must be sad that the very methods viz. Fast, non violent/ peaceful movements etc. through which he won the freedom for the Nation, are being questioned by the Congress(which was recommended to be dissolved by him after the freedom in 1947)and its Govt. and denying the practice of the same to his disciple Gandhian Anna Hazare.
