JOIN USThere is an element of déjà vu in the split that has come about in the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement, with Anna Hazare distancing himself from his one-time lieutenant Arvind Kejrival.
Kejrival and some other leaders of the movement want to chart a political course for the movement which had last year fired the imagination of the people with its campaign for a strong Lokpal legislation. The movement has waned now mainly because it lost its focus in its course and its leaders got distracted, drawing different lessons from their experience on a mass movement. A disorganised platform driven by a moral idea in a political environment is bound to be subjected to internal and external pressures. Unfortunately it could not cope with these pressures and sustain itself in one piece.
Anna Hazare himself seems to have been initially attracted by the idea of taking a political plunge when he had stated that he would consider exploring a political alternative rather than keep fighting against a deaf and mute government. But on reflection better sense may have prevailed and he has distanced himself from those who want to form a political party. He might have felt that he might be used as a rallying point in partisan political battles and might lose his position as a crusader against corruption in the entire political system.
The relevance of a mass movement against corruption is in being itself and its moral credentials would be suspect if it transforms itself into a political party. It is extremely difficult, almost impossible, for a party to function in the country’s vitiated electoral politics without compromises. Such compromises would verily undermine the raison d’etre of even the best intentioned political formations. The credibility of a social movement like the one launched by Hazare lies in its ability to stick to its basic principles and in acting as a mass movement which can exert pressure on the government and political parties.
Anna Hazare prides himself in being a Gandhian and much of his acceptability derives from his image. The Gandhian view of society and government is not constrained by politics and goes beyond it. Anna should continue with his civil society movement and strengthen it, drawing power from the disenchantment and anger of the people over corruption. He must not only shun direct involvement in politics but also keep a distance from those who have covert political agendas.