GANDHI, JP AND HAZARE

In the recent past we have witnessed three movements of all India nature. The first and the foremost was the freedom movement of Mahatma Gandhi that culminated in the independence of our country on Friday, August 15, 1947. The movement was negative one to throw out the British rule from India. Frankly speaking, the alternative model was neither ready nor it would have been acceptable to all the elements. Gandhi Ji knew that he was heading desperate elements that will not remain together for long time. He wisely suggested to disband the Congress Party after achieving the goal of independence. No one in the party listened to him. What happened thereafter is history. A.B.Vajpayee had aptly described once that the Congress Party had died with the death of Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru Ji carried its corpse for decades, even that has vanished now'. Then came the movement of Jai Prakash Narain against the rule of Indira Gandhi.

Jai Prakash Narain termed his movement "Total Revolution" and this again was negative in approach to overthrow the Indira Gandhi's regime. The movement had huge success but Jai Praksh Ji was not a visionary like Mahatma Gandhi . Contrary to Mahatma Gandhi, JP insisted on the conglomeration of his movement to form a political party the Janta Party. The party no doubt had huge success to the extent that the Congress Party was thrown out of power. In due course of time, the desperate elements of JP movement withered away and the movement turned out to be an exercise in futility.

The newest one by Anna Hazare is not a negative movement to throw out a government. It is for creation of clean society and he insists on the instrument of change--the Jan Lokpal Bill. But, Anna has neither the organizational skills of Gandhi ji nor the political experience of JP. His movement like the other two comprises desperate elements and contradictions have started to surface. We wish hem well.

To my mind, what is needed is a movement like that of Chanakya . But where is Chandragupta?