..
A Project Report on Role of media in civil revolution(in context
of Anna Hazare Movement India Against Corruption)Submitted in
partial fulfillment for award ofM.B.A GLOBAL (Media and
Entertainment)ToANNAMALAI UNIVERSITY[DIRECTORATE OF DISTANCE
EDUCATION]
2011-2013
Submitted by:Vicky Kumar MundaRoll No: 6551100154
To, The DirectorDDE- Annamalai University
Sub: Certificate of originality from the project guide
I Mrs. Tejaswini Paranjape , faculty of Mba in Whistling Woods
International certified that this project report on Role of Media
in civil revolution is the bonafide work of Mr. Vicky Kumar Munda
,Mba Global ,Enrollment No 6551100154 who carried out the project
work under my supervision.
Signature of Supervisor Signature of Student
Supervisor Name: Mrs. Tejaswini Paranjape Student Name: Vicky
Kumar Munda
Date: 15th April 2013Place: Mumbai ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I am thankful
to the faculty of Whistling Woods International, School Of
Communication for giving me an opportunity to carry forward this
project work. I would like to thank Mrs. Tejaswini
Paranjape,faculty of Mba, Whistling Woods International, for
consistent guidance for my project.References of books, online
library, journals and industry reports helped a lot for the
project, without the reference of which I would not have got better
insights. Suitable reference over the Internet, people from the
management who gave me time to discuss with them about the project
as well as my library department, I thank them sincerely for the
time and information shared.
Table of contents:AbstractCHAPTER 1: Introduction.......011.1
What is civil revolution
1.2 Evolution of civil revolution ( in context of Anna Hazare
Movement India Against Corruption)1.2.1 Anna Hazare's Movement
Against Corruption1.2.2 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement.1.2.3
Pre-launch of the movement:1.2.4 Hazare's hunger strike at Jantar
Mantar1.2.5 Government response to Hazare1.2.6 Political party
response to Hazare1.2.7 Global response to Hazare Fast1.2.8 August
protests1.2.8.1 Background1.2.8.2 Hazare's arrest1.2.8.3
Parliamentary debate1.2.8.4 International response1.3 2012 Indian
anti-corruption movement1.3.1 Re-launch of the movement1.4 Mass
media ( Tv, Print, Magazine and Social Media) impact in giving
spark to Civil Revolution:-1.4.1 Definition of Media :-1.4.2 Print
media :-1.4.3 Television media1.4.4 New media ( social media):-1.5
Role of media in Anti - corruption movement:-
CHAPTER 2 : Literature Review 222.1 What is civil revolution2.2
Anti- Corruption Movement by Anna Hazare2.3 Role of media in Anti -
corruption movement2.4 Various or Genre of media impact on civil
revolution(in context of Anna Hazare India Against
Corruption)2.4.1Print media :- Role of Print Media in civil
revolution (in context of Anna Hazare India Against
Corruption2.4.1.1 The Hindu and Times of India2.4.1.2 The Role of
The Times of India in propping up Anna Hazares movement of August
2011:2.4.2 Television media :- Role of TV news channel in civil
revolution (in context of Anna Hazare India Against
Corruption)2.4.2.1 News channels' prime time coverage of Anna
Hazare's fast: study report2.4.3 Magazine:- Role of News Magazines
in civil revolution (in context of Anna Hazare India Against
Corruption)2.4.4 New media ( social media):- Role of New Media in
civil revolution (in context of Anna Hazare India Against
Corruption2.4.4.1Anna Hazares India against Corruption: Role of New
Media in Mass Movement2.5 Impact of media in Anti - corruption
movement:2.5.1 Characteristics of the movement
CHAPTER3:METHODOLOGY 413.1 Qualitative: Textual analysis:3.2
Textual analysis on Anna Hazare movement India against
corruption.3.2.1 Textual analysis on The Hindu newspaper:-3.2.2
Studied the pattern of article written on Outlook magazine and
India today on Anna Hazare Methodology 3.2.3 Case study on How
powerful is Anna Hazare on Facebook and Twitter?CHAPTER4:
Findings..454.1 Mass media leads to Mass movement of Anna Hazare
India Against corruption 4.1.1 Movement outcomes:4.2 The Anna
Hazare Movement: In Retrospect Analysis4.2.1 The Criticism4.2.2
Opposition: The Beneficiaries4.2.3 Impact on the Society4.2.4 What
has India gained?4.3 Findings in print media4.3.1 Even Times of
India covered Anna Hazare Movement4.4 Findings in New media: Social
media drive Anna Hazare movement and mobilise Indian youth in
expressing itself politically:-4.5 News covered on mobilisg Indian
youth
CHAPTER 5: Discussions..525.1 In Print Media5.2 In, Televison
news, News channels' prime time coverage of Anna Hazare's fast:
study report5.3 High-tech revolution of Anna Hazare against
corruption5.3.1 Celebritiy presence through Twitter5.4 More in
Characteristics of the movement:5.5 Do the media was objective
while covering Anna Hazare Movement
Conclusion 56CHAPTER 6: 6 References 57
AbstractCivil Revolution refers to the concept which is
supported by a large segment of population especially one which
doesnt involve much of the elite section. In India itself, we have
witnessed many movements beginning from the struggle for
independence to the current Anna Hazares Anti Corruption Movement.
Medias inevitable role in success of a campaign is well established
and plays a vital role to make any campaign a success. The
definition of media in todays world has changed and it has turned
into an integrated platform that deals with different modes of
communication to make it more effective.In context of Hazares
campaign; Television, Newspaper, Magazine, Internet & Social
Media sites have been abuzz with articles/messages showing support
for Anna Hazares fight against corruption and his plea to pass Jan
Lokpal Bill. For exampleFacebook now has over 100 pages dedicated
to Anna Hazare and his campaign. New media being a most popular
media among the youth is giving new dimensions.Mass media is a
broad term in media studies and newspaper being most credible in
mindset of Indian people it strengthen the movement and mobilise
common man in fighting for corruption.Same as, Television news set
the propaganda for Anna Hazares movement and Especially, new media
holds out a possibility of on-demand access to content anytime,
anywhere, on any digital device, as well as interactive user
feedback, creative participation and community formation around the
media content. Another important promise of new media is the
democratization of the creation, publishing, distribution and
consumption of media content. Facebook is an example on the social
media model, in which most users are also participants.Present
paper is an attempt to demystify the role of media (mass media) as
a tool to increase reach of mass movements.For the purpose of study
data was collected from various news websites, articles,books,pages
of social networking sites and analyzed on the basis of set
parameters.A textual analysis is done in order to come out with the
exact and in depth role of media in civil revolution.Result of the
study has interesting story about the media as well as mass
movement and both are complementing each other..
1.Introduction
1.1 What is civil revolution:-Civil revolution in a country is
an anger of common man towards a government. Civil society emerge
as a whistle blower and watchdog of the democratic government.Civil
revolution in India brought the middle class drawing room
discussions onto the streets protesting against corruption and
malpractices and fighting for justice.1.2 Evolution of civil
revolution ( in context of Anna Hazare Movement India Against
Corruption)Anna HazareKisan Baburao Hazare (born 15 June 1937),
popularly known as Anna Hazare is an Indian social activist who led
movements to promote rural development, increase government
transparency, and investigate and punish official corruption. In
addition to organizing and encouraging grassroots movements, Hazare
frequently conducted hunger strikes to further his causesa tactic
reminiscent, to many, of the work of Mohandas K. Gandhi. Hazare
also contributed to the development and structuring of Ralegan
Siddhi, a village in Parner taluka of Ahmednagar district,
Maharashtra, India. He was awarded the Padma Bhushanthe
third-highest civilian awardby the Government of India in 1992 for
his efforts in establishing this village as a model for others.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Hazare)1.2.1 Anna Hazare's
Movement Against CorruptionAnna Hazare has emerged as this
Government's nemesis. The mild-mannered Gandhian has captured the
imagination of an entire nation with his crusade against
corruption. As an Indian Army jawan, he dodged a bullet during the
1965 war with Pakistan. The 74-year-old is in the midst of a battle
once again.Hazare first launched his campaign against corruption in
1991. His organisation, Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Andolan, exposed a
scam where 42 forest officers had duped the Maharashtra government
of crores of rupees. Hazare submitted evidence to the state
Congress government in 1991. When the government did not take
action against the accused since a minister was also involved, he
returned his Padma Shri and went on indefinite fast at Alandi in
Pune district. Finally, the state government suspended the accused
officials and six Maharashtra Cabinet ministers were forced to
resign the same year.Hazare belongs to Ralegan Siddhi village, in
Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. Inspired by the Indo-China war
of 1962, he joined the Indian Army in 1963. The violence frustrated
him and he even thought of ending his life. But a book by Swami
Vivekananda changed his outlook. "I realised that striving for the
betterment of common people is equivalent to offering a prayer to
God," he says. He took voluntary retirement from the Army in 1977
and returned to his drought-prone village. At that time almost 80
per cent of Ralegan Siddhi depended on other villages for food and
water. Inspired by the water management model of social worker
Vilasrao Salunkhe, Hazare implemented it in his village. This
increased the ground-water level. He built schools, hostels, grain
banks, a dairy, and formed a cooperative society and self-help
groups. Today, Ralegan Siddhi has become a tourist spot.In 1997,
Hazare launched a movement for the implementation of RTI and went
on a fast-unto-death at Azad Maidan in Mumbai in July 2003. After
12 days, the president signed the draft of the RTI Act and the
state implemented it with effect from 2002. The same draft served
as the base for national RTI Act in 2005.Hazare gathered many
supporters in his campaign but most of his earlier supporters have
left him. Former bureaucrat Avinash Dharmadhikari and social
activist Baba Adhav parted ways saying Hazare does not stick to his
stand for long. Hazare's association with the rss, which supports
the Jan Lokpal Bill, is not new. He had strong backing from the
organisation before the bjp-Shiv Sena came to power in Maharashtra
in 1995. However, after Hazare targeted two ministers-BJP's Mahadev
Shivankar and Shiv Sena's Shashikant Sutar- for corruption, his
association with the rss came to an end.Hazare's agitation for the
Jan Lokpal Bill started in November 2009 at a public meeting at
Parel in Mumbai. He announced he would launch a campaign for the
bill and go on an indefinite fast if his demand was not met.
Declaring December 9 as anti-corruption day, he started gathering
support from other organisations. The agitation gained momentum on
January 30 this year when a rally against corruption was held in 60
cities. At a rally in New Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on February 27,
Hazare announced another fast from April 5. He gave a memorandum to
President Pratibha Patil demanding a draft on Jan Lokpal Bill.
Manmohan Singh invited Hazare for talks with the Government on May
7. But after a series of meetings, the talks broke down. The
current crisis is a direct result
(http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/anna-hazare-fast-against-corruption-began-in-1991/1/148573.html)1.2.2
2011 Indian anti-corruption movement.The 2011 Indian
anti-corruption movement were a series of demonstrations and
protests across India intended to establish strong legislation and
enforcement against endemic political corruption before the 2012
Indian anti-corruption movement was started. The Indian
anti-corruption movement has been named among the "Top 10 News
Stories of 2011" by Time magazine.The movement has gained momentum
since 5 April 2011, when anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare began
his now-famous hunger strike at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The
chief legislative aim of the movement is to alleviate corruption in
the Indian government through the Jan Lokpal Bill. Another
important aim, led by protests under Swami Ramdev, is the
repatriation of black money from Swiss and other foreign
banks.Grievances of mass protesters focus on legal and political
issues including political corruption, kleptocracy, and other forms
of corruption. The movement is primarily one of non-violent civil
resistance, featuring demonstrations, marches, acts of civil
disobedience, hunger strikes, marches and rallies, as well as the
use of social media to organise, communicate, and raise awareness.
The protests are unusual as they have no political affiliation;
most protesters have been hostile to attempts by political parties
to use them to strengthen their own personal political
agendas.1.2.3 Pre-launch of the movement:Although Anna Hazare and
Swami Ramdev now stand in the public limelight, the movement was
pre-launched by several anti-corruption campaigns occurring from
late October 2010 through late March 2011. The following table
summarises the first Indian anti-corruption campaigns that built
the foundation under the global movement:DateAnti-corruption
Campaign
29 October,2010An anti-corruption press conference organised by
NGOIndia Against Corruptionwas held at the Press Club of India to
highlight the fact that the government-appointed Shunglu Committee
had inadequate powers to investigate theCommonwealth Games
scam[15]
1 November,2010By order ofDefence Minister of IndiaA.K. Antony,
theIndian Armyestablishes a court of inquiry into theAdarsh Housing
Society Scam[16]
14 November,2010AfterIndia Against Corruptionregisters a
complaint regarding corruption in theCommonwealth Games scam,
nearly 10,000 people assembled at the Parliament Street Police
Station[15]
24 November,2010TheCentral Bureau of Investigation's arrests of
several senior bankers under allegations of receiving bribes to
issue corporate loans in the2010 housing loan scam[17]
10 December,2010The CentralGovernment of Indiaand theDirectorate
General of Income Tax (Investigation)file a delayed joint affidavit
to theSupreme Court of Indiadeclaring the November 2007 wiretapping
of corporate lobbyist Nira Radia in theRadia tapes
controversy[18]
22 December,2010A 20,000-person anti-corruption protest in
response to the2G spectrum scamheld at New Delhi's Ramlila
ground[19]
17 January,2011TheSupreme Court of Indiacriticises the
administration for not publicly disclosing Indian nationals named
onRudolf Elmer's "black money" list disclosed byJulian
Assange'sWikileaks.The Income Tax Department issues summons and
arrest notices to many tax evaders.[20][21]
18 January,2011The public release of an anti-corruption open
letter fromAzim Premji,Keshub Mahindra, and other leading Indian
industrialists demanding reform of "the widespread governance
deficit in almost every sphere of national activity, covering
government, business and institutions"[22]
29 January,2011Former Chief MinisterChandra Babu Naiduannounces
launch of his "war on corruption" through his NTR Memorial Trust
and Jana Chaitanya Vedika[23]
30 January,2011Thousands of people marched against corruption in
more than 52 cities in India and abroad. Copies of the CVC Act, the
CBI Act,I-T Act, and the Governments Lokpal Bill were torn up by
the thousands, sending a strong message that the people lack faith
in the ineffective anti-corruption measures[15]
FebMar,2011TheCentral Bureau of Investigation's and Income Tax
Department's arrests of co-conspirators implicated in the2G
spectrum scam[24][25][26]
8 February,2011Indian-born American executive Anjan Dutta-Gupta
charged for bribingUnited States Navyofficials in seeking software
contracts worth approximately $10M[27]
10 February,2011TheSupreme Court of Indiaorders all trial courts
in the country to expedite handling of corruption cases; also,
allHigh Courts of Indiaordered to seek quarterly reports from lower
trial courts on the progress of corruption cases[28]
21 February,2011In a public address to theParliament of India,
thePresident of IndiaPratibha Patilstated that measures to ratify
theUnited Nations Convention Against Corruptionand other
legislative and administrative measures necessary to improve
transparency will be taken[29]
1 March,2011TheUnited States Securities and Exchange
Commissionaction againstIndian School of BusinessChairmanRajat
Guptain theGalleon insider trading scandal; Gupta had also
violatedMcKinsey & Co.'s firm policy by corruptly backdealing
through his own consulting firm, MindSpirit LLC[30][31][32]
3 March,2011The forced resignation of Chief Vigilance
CommissionerP.J. Thomason charges of corruption by theSupreme Court
of India[33]
12 March,2011The worldwide 50-cityDandi March IIorganised
byPeople for Lok SattaandIndia Against Corruption[34]
13 March,2011The "Drive around Delhi" protest organised byIndia
Against Corruption[35]
17 March,2011TheWikileaks'Cash-for-votes scandalinvolving the
delayed leak of a diplomatic cable describing an Indian legislative
aide showing a US embassy official "chests of cash" used to bribe
Indian lawmakers over a vote on an Indo-U.S. nuclear deal back in
July 2008[36]
30 March,2011Famous cricketer Kapil Dev's letter to Prime
MinisterManmohan Singh, complaining of the inadequacy
ofCommonwealth Gamescorruption investigations and petitioning for
the Jan Lokpal Bill
1.2.4 Hazare's hunger strike at Jantar MantarHazare began his
Indefinite Fast on 5 April 2011 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to press
for the demand to form a joint committee of the representatives of
the Government and the civil society to draft a stronger
anti-corruption bill with stronger penal actions and more
independence to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas (Ombudsmen in the
states), after his demand was rejected by the Prime Minister of
India Manmohan Singh.He stated, "I will fast until Jan Lokpal Bill
is passed".The movement attracted attention in the media, and
thousands of supporters. Almost 150 people reportedly joined Hazare
in his fast.Social activists, including Medha Patkar, Arvind
Kejriwal, former Indian Police Service officer Kiran Bedi, Noted
Hindi Poet Kumar Vishwas and Jayaprakash Narayan lent their support
to Hazare's hunger strike and anti-corruption campaign. People have
shown support in internet social media such as Twitter and
Facebook. In addition to spiritual leaders Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
Swami Ramdev, Swami Agnivesh and former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev,
many celebrities showed their public support through Twitter.Hazare
decided that he would not allow any politician to sit with him in
this movement. Politicians like Uma Bharti and Om Prakash Chautala
were shooed away by the protesters when they came to visit the site
where the protest was taking place.On 6 April 2011 Sharad Pawar
resigned from the group of ministers formed for reviewing the draft
Lokpal bill 2010.Protests spread to Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai,
Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Shillong, Aizawl and a number of other cities
in India.1.2.5 Government response to HazareOn 7 April, Hazare's
strike led to the resignation of Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar
from the Group of Ministers on corruption.[48] On 8 April, the
government started seriously considering the demands of the
protesters. The government stated that it would table the bill in
Parliament in the upcoming Monsoon session.[49] On 9 April, the
government finally agreed to have a 50:50 distribution of the
Government appointed officials and the members of the civil
society.On 13 May, PM Manmohan Singh stated that the Indian
government had completed the ratification of the UN Convention
against Corruption.1.2.6 Political party response to HazareBhartiya
Janata PartyThe Bhartiya Janata Party supported Hazare, with
prominent member Arun Jaitley urging the government to take
Hazare's fast seriously.[52]Another prominent BJP figure, L.K.
Advani, suggested that a meeting of political parties should be
convened to discuss the issue "particularly in the context of black
money and curbing money-power in elections".BJP leader Narendra
Modi posted on his Facebook account that he was praying for
Hazare's health. He also published an open letter to Hazare
thanking him for the latter's support for the development work in
Gujarat. Modi also warned Hazare of possible vilification by a
certain 'powerful-group' that wishes to defame Modi and Gujarat. He
reiterated his support for the Jan Lokpal Bill.Communist Party of
India (Marxist)The Communist Party of India (Marxist) came out in
support of Anna Hazare. Prakash Karat pledged support to Hazare
over the Jan Lokpal Bill.1.2.7 Global response to Hazare FastIndia
community people of Indian origin and Students came out in support
of Anna's Indian Anti-Corruption Movement across the globe. Protest
showing solitary with the movement were held in various countries'
cities including Washington DC, London, Glasgow, Los Angeles,
Artesia, New Jersey, Stolberg, Paris, Houston.1.2.8 August
protests1.2.8.1BackgroundOn 18 July 2011, Hazare declared that he
had written a letter to the Prime Minister about his decision to go
on an indefinite fast from 16 August at Jantar Mantar. Hazare said
that it was the right of Indian citizens to protest and the
government could not crush their movement, unlike the Ramlila
ground protests. Hazare declared that he was ready to get arrested
and beaten up and informed the Delhi Police about his
protest.Hazare's crusade for a strong Lokpal Bill found support in
Mumbai as the Mumbai Taximen's Union, comprising over 30,000 taxis,
agreed to extend their support to Hazare's cause on 16 August. The
union's decision came after a meeting with Hazare's team in Mumbai.
The union's proposal was to keep all taxis off the roads or ply
less taxis on 16 August. The Mumbai chapter of India Against
Corruption claimed that till 26 July, nearly 44,000 people had
shown interest in joining the protest from 16 August.In Allahabad,
the legal community expressed their support of Hazare's campaign
against corruption. Lawyers of Allahabad High Court held protests
in support of Anna Hazare at Allahabad by burning copies of the
Lokpal Bill, blocking roads and shouting slogans against the
callousness of the government. They also pledged to go on a hunger
strike at Allahabad from 16 August in support of Anna Hazare.The
Vishwa Hindu Parishad also came out in support of Hazare's
movement, saying that for a strong Lokpal Bill, people from across
the country should support his campaign.In a poll conducted by
India Against Corruption in Karnataka, about 94.3% of
Chikkaballapur constituency and 79.7% of Bangalore South wanted to
bring the prime minister under the ambit of the Jan Lokpal Bill.
The results showed that a majority of the population wanted the Jan
Lokpal Bill to be passed by the Parliament and not the "watered
down, toothless" bill drafted by the government. The 6,000
participants at the referendum also said that being representatives
of the people, members of parliament should vote for the Lokpal,
not as directed by their parties, but as by the voice of the
majority in his/her constituency. The participants also voted to
bring judges under the Lokpal, give adequate powers to the Lokpal
to dismiss officers guilty of corruption, monitor corruption at the
central as well as state level through Lokayuktas, and to bring all
levels of officers under the bill. The questionnaire had a set of
eight questions that brought out crucial differences between the
Jan Lokpal Bill and the Lokpal Bill put forth by the government,
and asked for the people's vote on the same. Around ten
parliamentary constituencies across the nation conducted a similar
exercise and the results from the nation-wide campaign will be
consolidated and presented to the members of Parliament in time for
the monsoon session.1.2.8.2 Hazare's arrestOn the morning of 16
August 2011, Hazare, along with close associates, was remanded to
judicial custody for seven days. Hazare was picked up by police at
about 7.30 am from a residence in east Delhi for "intending to defy
prohibitory orders". Late afternoon, he was produced before a
special executive magistrate. After he refused to sign a personal
bond to be allowed to get out on bail he was remanded in judicial
custody for seven days. Within hours of his detention, a
spokesperson for Team Anna said that he had begun his hunger
protest while in police custody and that he was not accepting even
water to drink. The arrest of Hazare and some of his close
associates, set off a groundswell of protests across the country
and this appeared to be spreading quickly. The arrest was condemned
by political parties, the chief ministers of some non-Congress
ruled states, non-government organisations and even parliament did
not transact any business after an uproar on the issue forced an
adjournment for the day.[116]
As protests built up in several cities and towns over the
arrest, Prashant Bhushan, one of Hazare's key associates, announced
a march from India Gate to Parliament House on Wednesday to protest
against the police action, which he said was taken at the behest of
some cabinet ministers. Delhi police commissioner BK Gupta said
that the police were not keen for Hazare be sent to judicial
custody. He said police were prepared to release him on a personal
bond if he would have given an undertaking that he would not defy
Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code which prohibits the
gathering of five or more people and ask his supporters not to do
so also. Hazare was taken to the Tihar jail where he will spend the
time in judicial custody. Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal, Kumar
Vishwas and Manish Sisodia, three other leading activists of Team
Anna, have also been sent to judicial custody on similar grounds.
In a message released after his detention, Hazare said this was the
beginning of the "second freedom struggle" and he called on people
to participate in a "jail bharo" agitation.[117]Opposition parties,
peeved over the attitude of the Congress in parliament, said they
would meet later today to decide on the course of action.[when?]
Communist Party of India leader Gurudas Dasgupta said he had
proposed a boycott of parliament for three days. Communist Party of
India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat described the arrest as "a
strong attack on democratic rights". Hours after arrest of Hazare,
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj
strongly condemned the action and demanded and explanation from
Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh saying that the government is
hell-bent on crushing the civil rights of the citizens.[118][119]
Senior Bhartiya Janata Party leader L K Advani said he was not
surprised at the detention of Mr Hazare and he charged the
government with looking for scapegoats and stopping peaceful
protests instead of fighting corruption. Arun Jaitley, leader of
the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said, that it was a very sad day
for Indian democracy, where the ruling government took away the
right to protest and the right to dissent.[120]In Patna, Bihar
chief minister Nitish Kumar described the detention of Hazare and
his associates as a "rehearsal of emergency" which people will
never tolerate, and "a murder of democracy." Punjab chief minister
Prakash Singh Badal also condemned the arrests saying that the
Congress has panicked over the movement of Anna Hazare and accused
Congress leaders of stashing money abroad. In Chandigarh and
Ludhiana, people from all walks of life took to the streets despite
inclement weather to join the protest for a strong Lokpal. Among
them were activists of the NGOs 'India Against Corruption' and
'Awaaz' who launched a relay hunger strike. Traffic was also
blocked at several intersections. Slamming the Centre for detaining
Anna Hazare and his aides, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister SK Modi
today called upon the people to come to the streets to hold
demonstration in support of Hazare's movement against corruption
"peacefully and democratically."[121]In Hyderabad, Telugu Desam
Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu asked the Prime minister
Manmohan Singh to apologise to the nation for having sent Hazare
and other social activists, who are fighting against corruption, to
Tihar jail. In Maharashtra, crowds gathered in many cities and
towns in response to Mr Hazare's call to court arrest. Thousands
poured into south Mumbai's Azad Maidan since early in the morning,
in preparation for the 'Jail Bharo' programme. A large number of
people courted arrest in support of the demand for an effective
Lokpal. Many people wearing 'Gandhi' caps with slogans 'I am Anna'
gathered at the Reserve Bank of India Square, on the busy
Nagpur-Jabalpur national highway that runs through the Civil Lines
area.In a broad day light murder at Bhopal, capital of Madhya
Pradesh, an RTI activist and a strong supporter of Anna Hazare's
anti-corruption movement, Shehla Masood was shot dead around 11.30
am on 16 August. An unidentified assailant shot her dead from point
blank range while she was leaving in her car to attend a
demonstration in support of Anna Hazare.In Delhi, in protest
against the arrest of Anna Hazare and his close aides by the Delhi
Police, the members of All India Students Association showed black
flags and shouted anti-government slogan against Kapil Sibal, who
was to address a seminar at Malvankar Hall in city.Hazare on 16
August asked government employees across the country to go on mass
leave to show solidarity with the movement. Union Home minister P.
Chidambaram hoped they would not respond, describing the call as
"completely wrong." Hazare's close associate and lawyer Prashant
Bhushan urged government servants to join their cause and take a
mass leave for a day and join the protests in their
city.[126]Hazare's releaseAfter protests all over India, the Delhi
Police decided to release Hazare after he had been sent to Tihar
Jail for seven days. Hazare had even refused food and water intake
in Tihar jail, indicating he would carry on his fast in jail.
Hazare and his aides, including Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal,
were first taken to the Delhi Police Officer's Mess in North Delhi
and were shifted to another after Hazare's supporters gathered in
large numbers at Civil Lines. The Delhi Police sent a warrant to
the Tihar Jail for the release of Hazare and his supporters
withdrawing bail bond conditions, which Hazare had earlier refused
to sign. Over 1,500 people who have been detained for taking part
in protests demanding Hazare's release were released. Congress
sources said that the Government decided to release Hazare and his
supporters after coming to the conclusion that keeping him in jail
would disrupt law and order unnecessarily. The decision to release
Hazare was made after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met party
General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, who disapproved of the arrest, on
the evening of 16 August. Hazare supporters Kiran Bedi and Shanti
Bhushan were released by the Delhi Police early on 16
August.[127][128] However, on release, Anna Hazare refused to leave
Tihar jail until the government agreed to give unconditional
permission to hold protests at JP Park.[129]Anna Hazare agreed to
leave jail after Delhi Police granted him permission to fast for 15
days against corruption at Ramlila Maidan, a larger venue than JP
Park. However, he had to spend another night in jail as the venue
was not ready.[130] On 19 August, at around 12noon IST, Anna left
Tihar jail after 3 days. Supporters welcomed him with spontaneous
roar as he headed towards Delhi's Ramlila Maidan to launch his
hunger protest.[131]1.2.8.3 Parliamentary debateMain article: 2011
parliamentary debate on anti-corruption legislationA debate on the
Jan Lokpal bill was held in Parliament on 27 August 2011. With
Hazare demanding three principles, (i) citizen charter, (ii) lower
bureaucracy to be under Lokpal through an appropriate mechanism and
(iii) establishment of Lok Ayuktas in the states, both houses of
Parliament agreed to the principles.[132] It was then that Hazare
agreed to break his fast after 12 days starting from 16 August
2011. However, Anna finally decided to break his fast on 28 August
instead as he did not wish to break his fast after sunset.[133] At
the time of breaking his fast, he said he was suspending his fast
for the time being and will end it only after the strong Lokpal
bill is passed by the Indian Parliament.December protests
Anna Hazare on 27 December 2011, again began his fast demanding
a stronger version of the ombudsman Lokpal bill at MMRDA ground,
Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai. The basement of the protest was
shifted from Delhi to Mumbai owing to the cold climate in the
former city.[134] The members of India Against Corruption,
including Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi insisted Hazare to end his
fast taking into consideration his ill health, however the later
remained adamant on continuing his protest. Hazare was suffering
from cold and mild fever for few days before the fast.[135]The
participation of people is very low in comparison to August
Movement. IAC expected 50,000 people where as only 4,0005,000
people participated.Parliament debate27 December 2011 also saw Lok
Sabha debating on Lokpal Bill in the parliament. The debate saw
Bhartiya Janata Party leader Sushma Swaraj punching holes in the
government's Lokpal bill. She added that the government has been
compelled to introduce the bill that envisages the setting up of an
effective anti-graft ombudsman.[136] The debate resulted in Lokpal
Bill being passed to Rajya Sabha, however was not given
constitutional status as expected. The bill that would have granted
the Lokpal constitutional status failed as the government did not
manage the two-thirds majority[137] of MPs present and voting on
two of the three clauses of the Constitutional Amendment Bill. Its
numbers did not cross 273 which is just past the half-way mark of
the total number of seats in the Lok Sabha. Both conditions need to
be satisfied to amend the Constitution.[138]The Lokpal Bill was
sent for review to Indian President Pratibha Patil the next
morning, on 28 December 2011. This is standard operating procedure
for any legislation that will have financial implications. She
later gave her assent for the Bill to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha,
which is scheduled for discussion tomorrow.[139]1.2.8.4
International response United States Senator from Arizona and
Republican presidential nominee in the 2008 United States election,
John McCain described Indian democracy as the "strong and
successful", brushed off the allegation by Congress spokesperson
Rashid Alvi, McCain said "The US does not involve itself in what is
happening in the world's largest democracy, nor does it intend to
do so."Spokesperson for the United States Department of State,
Victoria Nuland blamed 'some extremely inaccurate reporting out of
India' for Indians taking umbrage over the US stand on Hazare's
protest and said it supported the right of non-violent protest
universally. She said "With regard to the case (Hazare), however,
you know where we are. We support freedom of expression and
assembly, and we encourage all countries and all parties to do the
same. All democratic governments have a responsibility to allow
peaceful protest and freedom of dissent, even as they work to
maintain public safety
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Indian_anti-corruption_movement)1.3
2012 Indian anti-corruption movement.The 2012 Indian
anti-corruption movement is a series of demonstrations and protests
across India intended to establish strong legislation and
enforcement against endemic political corruption.[7] 2012 Indian
anti-corruption movement is the successor of 2011 Indian
anti-corruption movement which ended on the last day of Winter
session of Rajya Sabha. The Movement is to be started again with
the first mass gathering at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on
25-March-2012 and Anna Hazare to fast. This fast will witness the
starting of 2012 Indian anti-corruption movement. Team Anna and
Public of India is again ready to protest against corruption. In
this regards thousands of volunteers are working in grassroot.
Everybody attached with this movement is expecting the Indian
Government to take some strong actions on corruption. The motto of
this mass movement is only to create a big pressure among
Government to take some strong decision related to demolishing
corruption in India.1.3.1 Re-launch of the movementThe movement was
relaunched byAnna Hazareand as mark of protest he sat on a token
fast for one day atJantar Mantar,Delhi. The following table
summarizes the second Indian anti-corruption
campaignDetailDateAnti-corruption Campaign
Feb 25,2012Kiran Bedi in Amritsar alleged that the Congress
party had cheated them by introducing a fractured bill in
Parliament for curbing corruption.
Feb 28,2012Anna Hazare described his three week health regime
that he underwent at a retreat in a naturopathy resort in Bangalore
that helped him overcome his ailments. Hazare was unwell since
December and the fasting had obviously taken its toll. He was
suffering from high blood pressure, osteoporosis, arthritis and
general swelling of the body. During this course, he stopped all
medications he was taking for his various conditions. Not only is
septuagenarian hale and hearty but he lost almost 5kg as well. He
was discharged 10 days ago but has stuck his to all-fruits regime
since he left the resort. However, he will go back to solid food
after a while. Anna followed a very strict regime whereby he only
ate fruits like apple, muskmelon, watermelon, date and papaya and
drank coconut water, soy milk and fruit juice. Furthermore, to
maintain his sugar level, he ate after every three hours. In the
morning, he took a 4-km walk, combined with yoga. He also underwent
deep tissue massages, acupuncture and Hydrotherapy.[11]
March 25,2012Anna Hazaresat on a one day token fast.Justice
Santosh Hegdealso joined the movement. Focus for the day was
whistleblowers likeNarendra KumarandSatyendra Dubeywho lost their
lives in fight against corruption.[12]People inIndia's major cities
showed there support to this movement on March 25, 2012.
May 1,2012Anna Hazarewill start an agitation from Durg in
Chhattisgarh from May 1, 2012.[13]He will visit 35 villages in
Maharashtra to awaken people against corruption
June 3,2012Anna Hazarewas a one day fast along with Yoga
guruRamdevatJantar Mantar.[14]There was a huge mass gathering
inJantar Mantar
July 25,2012Team Annamembers are on indefinite fast atJantar
Mantar.[15]Anna Hazarehas joined this fast from 29 July 2012.
Activists are protesting against the government's refusal an
inquiry against the Prime Minister and 14 cabinet ministers, they
have accused of corruption and Team Anna wants to action in this
issue. Indians are closely associated with this movement.
August 3,2012Anna HazareandTeam Annabroke their fast by drinking
juice offered by ex-Army chief, General VK Singh.[16]Team Anna's
members Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan announced that they
are forming a political party which will contest the elections
while Anna Hazare himself remained out of it.
August 6,2012Anna stated as the Government is not ready to enact
Jan Lokpal Bill we have decided not to hold any more talks with it.
The people have asked us to leave fast and give an alternative. We
are now stopping the activities of Team Anna and from today, there
will be no Team Anna or Team Anna Core Committee, he added. Later,
at the end of the year, Anna Hazare along with Kiran Bedi started
to form a new core committee for Janlokpal called as the phase 2 of
their movement[17]
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Indian_anti-corruption_movement)These
two civil revolution ,Anna Hazare India Against Corruption and Baba
Ramdev against Black Money were covered by media in intense and
propagate the mass movement and influence the country and citizens
of India blooming the air of patriotism in India.
1.4 Mass media ( Tv, Print, Magazine and Social Media) impact in
giving spark to Civil Revolution:-1.4.1Definition of Media :-Noun:1
(the media) [treated as singular or plural] the main means of mass
communication (television, radio, and newspapers]regarded
collectively: their demands were publicized by the media.
(http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/media)1.4.2 Print
media :-Noun1.print media- a medium that disseminates printed
mattermedium- a means or instrumentality for storing or
communicating informationpublic press,press- the print media
responsible for gathering and publishing news in the form of
newspapers or magazinesjournalism,news media- newspapers and
magazines collectivelysamizdat,underground press- a system of
clandestine printing and distribution of dissident or banned
literature (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/print+media)
1.4.3 Television media:-Noun1.television news- a television
broadcast of news news program,news show,news- a program devoted to
current events, often using interviews and commentary; "we watch
the 7 o'clock news every night"
(http://www.thefreedictionary.com/television+news)
1.4.4 New media ( social media):-New media may be defined as
latest tool of communication which has all the aspects of decoding
message effectively through integrated platforms. The rise of new
media has increased communication between people all over the world
and the Internet. It has allowed people to express themselves
through blogs, websites, pictures, and other user-generated media.
(Donk, 2004)1.5 Role of media in Anti - corruption movement:-Anna
Hazare at CNN IBN Indian of the year award said, It is media which
is responsible for making me a national icon. India is passing
through a transitional phase, old values are crumbling; new values
are formed, what was earlier considered blasphemous are now being
considered sacred at least by educated class. This period is very
uncomfortable and excruciating so here comes into play the crucial
role of media as media deals with ideas besides media forms an
integral part of the lives of all of us. So, by its very nature,
media can play extremely crucial role in this transitional phase by
shaping opinion of the hoi polloi (the masses). Almost every
democratic country, be it USA or UK, was at some point of time
severely plagued by graft. The media there played extremely crucial
role in spreading rational idea to emerge from such difficult
phase. It now Indias turn where every form of media be it Social
mediathe newest entrant in media section, Print MediaWith
maximumreach to the hinterland, Electronic Mediawhich has greatest
impact on rising middle class, has to display exceedingly
significant role in creating awareness about the current
anti-corruption movement.Characteristics of the movement:Movement
comprised of people who generally dont participate in
politicsPeople participating in the movement had little knowledge
of political parlanceThe crowd at the demonstration was mostly
middle class who was disheartened with the rampant corruption
prevalent ubiquitously in the societyLokpal has been a perennially
deferred promise of the successive governments, for the last 44
yearsThe movement has been led by a leader named Anna Hazare, who
is down to earth, simple living and simple conversing social worker
A prominent member of the Anna team has wide experience in civil
service area, non-governmental organization and active in the
struggle for strengthening democracy .The movement was termed as
Peoples Movement for anti corruptionThis movement was featured as
one of the top 10 stories in the Time Magazine for the year 2011The
movement gathered support not only in India but also in
foreignMedia, today, plays extremely vital role in people life.
Media is like a mirror to the society which reflects each and
everything about the society to people, thus shapes peoples
perception. The media has enormous power to affect their opinion.
The media affect our perception in three ways- Social, Economic and
Political. In the current anti corruption movement, the assessment
presented by the media has greatly helped in gaining critical
perspective on the anti-corruption movement like the finer point of
the law, including legal and constitutional issues and flawed
notions such as the supremacy of the Parliament.Media greatly
helped in making the movement a grand success. It greatly helped in
raising the awareness about the movement.Social Media also played
extremely crucial role in spreading awareness about anti corruption
movement. In the contemporary world, more and more people are on
social networking sites. Social networking sites play a vital role
in shaping the opinions and spreading awareness about various
contemporary issues. In the current situation its often reiterated
that Team Anna used this tool quite well to garner the support of
netizens in turn making the movement a success.On the other side,
media also tried to kill the movement by targeting team Anna. A
counterfeit CD featuring prominent member of team Anna, Prashannt
Bhushan, was circulated without proper verification. Even Arvind
Kejrival and Kiran Bedi were targeted.Thus, media has played a
pivotal role in current anti-corruption or rather I should say
certain media has played the role of an activist. It was proclaimed
that Anna is a media creation only. But there is more to it. To see
the anti-corruption movement only as media creation is gross
misjudgement/misreading of the mood of the nation as people got
attracted to it because people saw this movement as antithesis to
what happens in our society viz. corruption. Media contribution to
current anti-corruption movement is obvious as there is no gainsay
to the fact that 24*7 media coverage has helped the campaign to
reach out to the masses remarkably.Media should capture the mass
movement against graft but should not take sides as it will
adversely affect the neutrality of the media. Media should portray
the real image of what is happening, not the fake image which
arises due to stray incidents of paid news.
(http://theviewspaper.net/role-of-media-in-anti-corruption-movement-2/)
TOPIC: ROLE OF MEDIA IN CIVIL REVOLUTION Chapter 22. Literature
Review:-This chapter offers a literature review and aims to
contextualize (content analysis) the role of various media in civil
revolution (in context of Anna Hazare India Against Corruption )2.1
What is civil revolution:-Civil revolution in a country is an anger
of common man towards a government. Civil society emerge as a
whistle blower and watchdog of the democratic government.Civil
revolution in India brought the middle class drawing room
discussions onto the streets protesting against corruption and
malpractices and fighting for justice.2.2 Anti- Corruption Movement
by Anna Hazare:-Corruption is a major problem that contemporary
India is facing. It has affected almost all sections of Indian
society; defence, medical, housing, telecom, postal, agriculture
and sports. High profile politicians, bureaucrats, police officers
and other high-ranking officials are involved in it. It is killing
the country slowly and steadily. In the middle of such widespread
corruption, it is very heartening to find Anna Hazare fighting
against it.Jan Lokpal Bill if implemented will give teeth to fight
corruption effectively. It will acts as an effective deterrent
against corruption. Investigation of any corruption case will be
initiated and completed within one year and those guilty will be
punished within two years. Lokpal will even have the power to
persecute corrupt politicians. There will be no interference from
politicians and bureaucrats as it will be an independent body like
Supreme Court and Election Commission. Therefore, the bill if
enacted will act as the most potent weapon in the war against
corruption. However, the Lokpal Bill proposed by the government in
2010 insulates the politicians from any kind of action against
it.In the light of such development, Anna demands the institution
of a committee that includes fifty percent officials and the
remaining citizens and intellectuals to draft the bill. He begins
his fasting that compels the government to form a joint committee
to draft the bill. However, this is not the first case of his
anti-corruption campaign. In 1994, he campaigned against corruption
in the forest department in Maharashtra; and again in the late
1990s two BJP ministers had to resign from the Shiv-Sena following
his campaign. In all his campaign, he adopts fasting unto death as
a means to pursue his demand. The question that arises is whether
it is constitutional to force the government to enact a law by
threat of death.The Indian constitution mandates that state should
protect the life of every citizen (article 21) and in this case
that of Anna Hazare, who blackmail the government to fulfil his
demand. Satyagraha, civil disobedience, non-cooperation and fast
unto death are unconstitutional because they are not included in
any part of Indian constitution as a means to address our
grievances. Let us recall the last speech of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in
the Constituent Assembly on November 25, 1949, which stated that
unconstitutional methods like Satyagraha must be abandoned when
constitutional methods are available.
However, if we claim that the means adopted by Anna is
legitimate, and then another set of question arises Can any group
of people thinking that a bill should be pass go on the threat of
collective suicide if the action is not carried out? If the answer
is, yes, then it would deprive the population from free and fair
debate about the law and it will nullify the utility of the
Parliament. This led us to another question, Can India protest
against unjust laws? Yes, every Indian can protest unjust laws.
They are provided with freedom of speech and expression (article
19). Besides, they can approach the judiciary to address their
grievances. Those are the constitutional forms available to lodge
our protest. Thus, the method adopted by Anna Hazare is
unconstitutional at least from the point of Indian Constitution.The
main theme of the movement i.e. anti-corruption is welcomed by
everyone because corruption is slowly sucking the blood of this
country. It is also constitutional, as the Parliament has passed
the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Nevertheless, the method
adopted by Anna Hazare may be effective, but it is not
constitutional. To protest is an integral part of democracy and is
one thing, while blackmailing the government and forcing it to act
according to ones wish is another thing.
(http://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Essay/anna-hazare-against-corruption.html)The
2011 Indian anti-corruption movement were a series of
demonstrations and protests across India intended to establish
strong legislation and enforcement against endemic political
corruption before the 2012 Indian anti-corruption movement was
started. The Indian anti-corruption movement has been named among
the "Top 10 News Stories of 2011" by Time magazine.The movement has
gained momentum since 5 April 2011, when anti-corruption activist
Anna Hazare began his now-famous hunger strike at the Jantar Mantar
in New Delhi. The chief legislative aim of the movement is to
alleviate corruption in the Indian government through the Jan
Lokpal Bill. Another important aim, led by protests under Swami
Ramdev, is the repatriation of black money from Swiss and other
foreign banks.Grievances of mass protesters focus on legal and
political issues including political corruption, kleptocracy, and
other forms of corruption. The movement is primarily one of
non-violent civil resistance, featuring demonstrations, marches,
acts of civil disobedience, hunger strikes, marches and rallies, as
well as the use of social media to organise, communicate, and raise
awareness. The protests are unusual as they have no political
affiliation; most protesters have been hostile to attempts by
political parties to use them to strengthen their own personal
political agendas.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Indian_anti-corruption_movement)
2.3 Role of media in Anti - corruption movement:-Anna Hazare's
movement seems to have struck a chord with the urban Indian
middle-class though there is support form rural areas also.
Definitely there is anger among citizens. The Congress-led UPA
is now shaky as it hasn't encountered such a popular surge of
people's movement.
But it is also true that the news media, particularly, the TV
channels have played a key role in keeping up the tempo.By ensuring
round the clock coverage and maintaining the pitch, they have
ensured that the protests occur across the country and there is a
mass frenzy.
Even though the channels haven't stated much about merits and
demerits of the proposed institution of Lokpal or educated citizens
about the implications of the ombudsman, TV and newspapers are
visibly the driving force behind the anti-corruption movement.
It is rare to see issues taken up with such seriousness. Even
the India-England cricket series was ignored. The frenzy has been
such that TRPs are also rising. Either it is kid getting named Anna
by his parents or an elderly walking barefoot to express support
for Hazare, everything is being telecast enthusiastically.
The movement has also shown how media can effectively be used.
Though the propriety regarding active participation of news media
in a movement is debatable, it is true to an extent that Indian
media has voluntarily become a party, a sort of participant, in
this drive for Jan Lokpal Bill.
There are charges that elitist media groups that are mostly
anti-reservation and want to establish hegemony over institutions,
are behind this movement. No wonder that the ruling party feels
that this monster (mass movement) is a media creation.
There is also a fear from sections of Dalits, OBCs and tribal
intellectuals, that the Anna Team is more upper caste dominated and
has no member from the under privileged sections including SCs/ STs
and other religious minorities.
Anna Hazare's movement may not have grabbed as much attention if
the TV channels had ignored it after a day or two. It may not wipe
out corruption. It may be urban-centric. It may not be something
like a Tahrir Square revolution.
But it has propelled Anna Hazare to the centre stage of Indian
politics. Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and others are also in the
focus. Perhaps such a movement may not have succeeded in an era
when we had just a single channel--Doordarshan (DD), which today
shies from reporting happenings at Ramlila Ground.
It is true that channels have given excessive coverage to Anna
Hazare. But that's what happens in case of all major movements. It
has given Anna Team a bargaining power, it has brought people on
the streets and it has forced government to become flexible and
agree to talks.
(http://editindia.blogspot.in/2011/08/anna-hazare-tv-channels-media-driving.html)
2.4 Various or Genre of media impact on civil revolution(in
context of Anna Hazare India Against Corruption)2.4.1 Print media
:- Role of Print Media in civil revolution (in context of Anna
Hazare India Against Corruption
Noun1.print media- a medium that disseminates printed
mattermedium- a means or instrumentality for storing or
communicating informationpublic press,press- the print media
responsible for gathering and publishing news in the form of
newspapers or magazinesjournalism,news media- newspapers and
magazines collectivelysamizdat,underground press- a system of
clandestine printing and distribution of dissident or banned
literature (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/print+media)
2.4.1.1The Hindu and Times of India The Hindu coverage People
back at Jantar Mantar, it's war on corruption
Supporters of Anna Hazare took out a march here on Sunday
extending their support to civil society members of the Lokpal Bill
drafting committee.
Armed with banners, placards, posters and flags, the supporters,
after assembling at Jantar Mantar, started their march towards
India Gate where a programme of songs and street play was held to
pledge their support to the anti-corruption movement being
spearheaded by Mr. Hazare. Supporters lit candles at India Gate to
express solidarity with the cause.
Volunteer-cum-co-coordinator of the march Ashim said: We want to
tell these leaders civil society members on the committee that we
are with you and wholeheartedly support you and we will not let the
movement die or allow it to be relegated to the back burner.
Though Mr. Hazare, committee member Arvind Kejriwal and the
former IPS officer, Kabir Bedi, were conspicuous by their absence,
it was the supporters, volunteers and common people who held the
show together through their enthusiastic participation, unmindful
of the summer heat.
Several volunteer registration desks set up by the supporters
were an instant hit with people turning up in hordes to fill up
forms and contribute their bit to the movement.
Fifty-two-year-old Narender Rawat said: These forms would help
make the movement stronger and also give the organisers an idea of
the number of people who have pledged their support to the cause of
anti-corruption. It would definitely boost their morale and take
the movement forward. I had come to support Annaji when he was
fasting at Jantar Mantar last month and now I have come again this
time. I shall keep coming until the Lokpal Bill is passed and there
is an end to corruption in our country.
According to Indu Verma, a housewife, who came along with her
husband from Gurgaon to participate in the march, her support to
Anna Hazare would continue, the unnecessary mudslinging campaign
notwithstanding.
I feel strongly about the cause behind the movement. I don't
think it is fair to simply sit in our drawing rooms and show
support, which is why I am here. Though I am satisfied with the
setting up of the Lokpal Bill drafting committee, I want this
movement to gather such momentum that shakes the very core of the
corrupt polity which is at the heart of this issue, she added.Youth
express solidarityPTI reports from Mumbai:On the eve of the second
meeting of the Joint Drafting Committee of the Lokpal Bill in New
Delhi, thousands of Mumbaikars gathered at the Gateway of India to
express their solidarity with social activist Anna Hazare's fight
against corruption.The rally Youth Against Corruption' led by the
former IPS officer and prominent anti-corruption activist Kiran
Bedi shouted slogans demanding implementation of the
anti-corruption bill at the earliest.Youth should lead the nation
now. We are all behind Anna Hazare...It's time we unite against
corruption, Ms. Bedi told reporters.Protesters also included over
140 pilots of Air India.We all are here in our individual capacity
to support Hazare against corruption, captain Ritesh Mathankar
said.Ms. Bedi as part of the protest put a garland of slippers on a
symbolic effigy of corruption.The joint drafting committee met in
the national capital on April 16 for the first time, amid a
controversy over a CD allegedly involving lawyer and panel
co-chairman Shanti Bhushan.
(http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/people-back-at-jantar-mantar-its-war-on-corruption/article1983604.ece)2.4.1.2
The Role of The Times of India in propping up Anna Hazares movement
of August 2011:-How The Times of India pumped up Team Anna
PRITAM SENGUPTA writes from New Delhi: Six minutes and 20
seconds into his vote of thanks at the culmination of Anna Hazares
fast-unto-death last Sunday, the RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal
heaped plaudits on the media for the support it had lent to the Jan
Lok Pal bill agitation by articulating the outrage of the
nation.Pointing at the jungle of anchors, reporters, cameramen and
crane operators in the media pen in front of the stage at the
Ramlila maidan, Kejriwal said the media werent just doing their job
they are now part of the movement.Verbatim quote:Hum in saari media
ke shukr guzaar hain. Yeh aap dekhiye, abhi bhi camera lekar,
tadapti dhoop mein khade hain, yeh log. Yeh zaroori nahin, kewal
inki naukri nahin thi. Yeh log ab andolan ka hissa hain. Raat-raat
bhar, chaubis-chaubis ghante, bina soye in logon ne hamari andolan
mein hissa liya, hum mediake saathiyon ko naman karte
hain.Kejriwals general gratitude was for television whose frenetic
and fawning coverage instantly took the message to parts of the
country print wouldnt dream of reaching in the next half a century.
(A TV critic wrote last week that a survey of TV coverage of
Hazares Jantar Mantar fast in April found 5592 pro-Anna segments
versus just 62 that were anti-Anna.)But if Kejriwal had to choose
one English language publication in particular for rounding up
Middle India in round two of the fight for a strong anti-corruption
ombudsman, the honour should surely go to The Times of India.From
the day after Anna Hazare was prematurely arrested on August 16 to
August 29, the day he ended his fast, the New Delhi edition of The
Times of India took ownership of the story and played a stellar
role in mobilising public opinion and exerting pressure on the
political class.# Over 13 days, the main section of the Delhi
edition of The Times of India, covered the Anna Hazare saga over
123 broadsheet pages branded August Kranti (August Revolution),
with 401 news stories, 34 opinion pieces, 556 photographs, and 29
cartoons and strips.# On seven of the 13 days of the fast, the
front page of Delhi ToI had eight-column banner headlines. The
coverage, which included vox-pops and special pages, even spilled
over to the business and sports pages, with the Bofors scam-accused
industrialist S.P. Hinduja offering his wisdom.# In launching a
toll-free number for readers to give a missed call if they wanted a
strong Lokpal bill, ToIwas almost indistinguishable from the India
Against Corruption movement behind Hazare. ToI claims that over 46
lakh people have registered their vote.In short, backed by an
online campaign titled ACTAgainst Corruption Together plus the
Arnab Goswami show on Times Now, the Times group provided
substantial multi-media heft to the Jan Lok Pal campaign.In its
almost completely uncritical coverage of Round II, The Times of
India provided a sharp contrast to the almost completely cynical
coverage of Round I by The Indian Express four months ago, the
former batting out of his crease for for the wider constituency of
the reader, consumer, voter and citizen.Remarkably, also, for a
publication of its size and girth, ToI took an unhesitatingly
anti-establishment stand in its headlines and choice of stories,
showing where it stood on corruptionan issue agitating readers in
its core demographicin a manner in which most large newspapers are
loathe to do.There were only token negative pieces like the Shahi
Imam of Delhis Jama Masjid calling the protest anti-Islam; Dalits
wanting a Bahujan Lokpal bill; or Arundhati Roy calling Hazares
stand undemocratic. On the whole, though, ToI coverage was gung-ho
as gung-ho goes, especially judging from some of the mythological,
militaristic headlines.Just what was behind the ToIs proactive
stand still remains to be deciphered.Was it merely reflecting the
angst and anger of its middle-class readership? Was it taking the
scams, many of which it broke and which brought the Lok Pal issue
to the head, to its logical conclusion? Or, does the involvement of
its in-house godman in the proceedings, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of the
Art of Living, lend a clue?Was it willy-nilly taking part in the
dark rumours of regime-change swirling around Delhi? Or, was it
just doing what a good newspaper is supposed to do: taking a stand,
making sense of an increasingly complicated world to a time and
attention strapped reader, and speaking truth to power?Whatever be
the truth, the fact that Times of India took such a
popular-with-readers, unpopular-with-government stand when it is
involved in a no-holds-barred campaign to stall the implementation
of the Majithia wage board recommendations for newspaper employees,
speaks volumes of its conviction on the Lok Pal issue.
(http://www.whatislokpal.in/the-role-of-the-times-of-india-in-propping-up-anna-hazares-movement-of-august-2011/)
2.4.2 Television media :- Role of TV news channel in civil
revolution (in context of Anna Hazare India Against Corruption)
Noun1.television news- a television broadcast of news news
program,news show,news- a program devoted to current events, often
using interviews and commentary; "we watch the 7 o'clock news every
night" (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/television+news)
2.4.2.1 News channels' prime time coverage of Anna Hazare's
fast: study reportReproduced below is a report from CMS Media Lab
on how much prime time selected English and Hindi news channels
devoted to coverage of Anna Hazares Fast and how much rime was
devoted to commercials: Anna Hazares movement against corruption
received blanket coverage on the prime time of television news
channels, according to a study of CMS Media Lab. To understand the
coverage of Annas movement on television news channels, CMS Media
Lab tracked and analyzed the prime time content (7PM to 11PM) of
leading two Hindi (Star News & Aaj Tak) and two English
(NDTV24x7 & CNN IBN) news channels from 16th to 28th August
2011. News channels had a combined coverage of 8047 minutes (91.1%)
of prime time news coverage on Anna Hazares movement. Hindi news
channels devoted 10% more news time to Annas movement compared to
English news channels. Hindi news channels devoted 97% of news time
whereas English news channels devoted 87% of their prime time news
space. During these 13 days, on nine days in the case of Hindi
channels and four days in the case of English channels, other news
was completely blacked out. Interestingly, Television news channels
covered Mumbai terrorist attack in 2008 with least advertisements.
However, in Annas movement television news channels not only spiked
in viewership but also a good share of commercial time during prime
time. Approximately news channels devoted 27% of their prime time
on advertisements. 23 to 31% of prime time of news channels around
a quarter in the case of English channels and one-third in the case
of Hindi channels- were allotted for commercials. On four days
(24th to 27th) NDTV 24x7 fully filled up their prime time news time
with Annas movement. CNN IBN also had four days (16th, 24th, 25th,
and 27th) of 100% coverage on Anna. Star News and Aaj Tak blacked
out all news other than Annas revolution for nine days. Among news
channels Star News devoted 97.8% of its news time followed by Aaj
Tak with 94.6%. NDTV 24x7 and CNN IBN devoted 88.7 and 84.5% of
news time respectively on Annas protest. Note: CMS Media Lab
analyses the content and market trends of news media
(http://brpbhaskar.blogspot.in/2011/08/news-channels-prime-time-coverage-of.html)
2.4.3 Magazine:- Role of News Magazines in civil revolution (in
context of Anna Hazare India Against Corruption ).Anna Hazare makes
it to Time Magazine's top 10 listNew Delhi: From Hitler to Obama -
Time Magazine has featured people who 'for better or for worse,
have done the most to influence the events of the year' on the
cover of its special annual issue. And this year the Person of the
Year is - the Protestor. While the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall
Street Protests dominated world headlines, in India, it was Anna's
year.Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement that saw Indians rally
in support has been named among the top 10 news stories in the
world this year by Time magazine, which listed the Arab Spring and
killing of Osama bin Laden as the top attention-grabbing
headlines.In its section on People Who Mattered, Time Magazine says
"It's hard to imagine this diminutive, celibate octogenarian being
the dynamo behind an entire popular movement. But in India, Anna
Hazare cut a Gandhian pose that transfixed the world's largest
democracy and put its sitting government's feet to the fire."It
goes on to say, "Hazare's repeated fasts against corruption
attracted tens of thousands of supporters and paralyzed India's
Parliament. While critics spy corruption within his own ranks and
point to Hazare's ties to the Hindu right wing, his protest
channeled the widespread exasperation and anger of India's rising
middle class, frustrated with the age-old habits of graft that
still dominate much of India's calcified bureaucracy."The magazine
says - Mr Hazare, a former military man who spent much of his life
helping govern his tiny village in western India, summed up his
2011 in a recent interview with TIME: "I am still bemused as to how
this all came about. A pauper living in a temple, who has no money,
no power, no wealth; for him the entire country united and spoke in
one voice." Anna also makes it to Peter Hapak's Photo Essay on the
Cover Story. Among the 36 pictures is a close-up profile of a
smiling and Gandhi-cap wearing Anna Hazare and one in which he is
sitting cross-legged. Its caption reads "anti-corruption crusader
in India.""When God wants to bring in change, he needs a vehicle of
change, and I became that vehicle," Mr Hazare, quoted.
OUTLOOK COVERAGE courtesy: outlookLOKPAL BILLThus Spake
Hammurabi ( covered by Outlook)As the Lokpal Bill gets mired in a
tortuous birthing, the debate shifts to who exactly has the right
to pass a lawWhy Politicians Hate Civil Society Unelected activists
stealing Parliaments right to make laws, undercutting role of
parliamentarians Demands like an all-powerful Lokpal directly
impact political-bureaucratic class and the status quo Rigid
deadlines, fasts unto death to press home issues are akin to
holding government to ransom Streetcorner populism of activists
runs counter to both the demands of realpolitik and tenets of
democracy
Sparring PointsBesides Lokpal Bill, politicians have sparred
with civil society on four key pieces of legislation RTI
Act:Various arms of government first block it, now place conditions
designed to strangle transparency Right to Food:The Planning
Commission differs with activists on what percentage of poor should
be covered Land Acquisition Bill:Many opinions even within govt,
from ceding the role to industry or not. Activists want to go
beyond compensation, against coercive displacement. Communal
Violence Bill:Saffron parties allege new discriminatory bill,
drafted by NAC, is being rammed down their throats.***Afew days in
June have never looked so different from a few days in April. Two
months ago, when the crowds had begun to swell at Jantar Mantar in
support of a fasting Anna Hazare, the mood of the citizens was
upbeat, the media unquestioning and a scared government anxiously
monitoring upcoming elections in five states. As the din over
corruption grew, the Congress finally acceded to the demand of
setting up a joint drafting committee including civil society
representatives and government nominees for the proposed Lokpal
Bill. The exercise was to lead to the formation of a body that
would address corruption in high places.
The government has not consulted us. We are only observers.
Whatever we have to say, we will say it in Parliament.Arun Jaitley,
BJP Leader
By June, when Baba Ramdev took stage to roll out his version of
the hunger strike, the assembly elections were long over. The
government, which had seemingly capitulated, now reversed and
progressively hardened its stand, jeopardising the very creation of
the Lokpal Bill. The language its ministers employed became
tougher, and the non-government representatives on the drafting
committee were left fighting a rearguard action. Union minister for
human resources Kapil Sibal, who is also part of the committee,
fired the first of many salvos when he said the government would go
ahead with drafting the bill even if Hazares team boycotted
meetings, which they did last week after Ramdevs fast was busted in
a midnight operation.Between April and June, the summer had seen a
distinct shift in the balance of power between government and civil
society. First, there was the smear campaign against the father-son
duo of Shanti and Prashant Bhushan. When that failed, civil society
itself was sought to be divided. Soon enough, it ceased to be a
battle between civil society and the government and became a
struggle between a few members who called themselves civil society
and virtually the entire political class. Opposition parties like
the BJP and the Left felt that democracy and the supremacy of
Parliament was being subverted by a few unelected anarchists.
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari took the argument further to
say, Under the Westminster system of democracy, it is the right of
the government to propose legislation and the sovereign right of
Parliament to agree or dispose. So if anybody is under the
misconception that they will be able to impose their will over the
collective sovereign, then they are living in an illusion.
Consultation does not mean the power to veto. Tewari also made it
clear that the UPA government had been, and will be, accommodating.
The National Advisory Council (NAC) was an attempt at constructive
engagement. But can we give in to anarchists masquerading as civil
society? We need to make a sharp distinction between anarchists and
civil society.
If anyone thinks they will be able to impose their will on that
of the collective sovereign, they are living in an illusion.Manish
Tewari, Congress Spokesperson
What exactly is civil society? One definition says the term is
understood to define a space and a sphere of action that exists
between the private sphere, the economy and the state. Acts in this
sphere are based on a minimum consensus of norms that include
tolerance, fairness and freedom from violence. Far from being a
homogeneous mass it is normally understood to be, civil society
comprises different shades of opinion. Where the Right can go with
the Left and fight a common cause. Where Hazare & Co or the
Ramdev brand of mass upsurgeone legalistic and moderate and the
other unpredictable and extremist in naturecan sit together
comfortably in a united fight against corruption.But it isnt civil
society per se as much as the proposed Lokpal Bill that has invoked
the wrath of the politicians across the board. This is perhaps
because it will make elected representatives and the bureaucracy
accountable should they indulge in corrupt acts. And the
disagreement with civil society on the exact contours of the bill
is what has forged a consensus between sworn enemies and the Left
and the Right. No one is supportive of the tough clauses that the
civil society representatives want included and the manner in which
they want to dictate terms while drafting the bill. Neither do the
politicians like the idea of presuming their entire class to be
corrupt.
Stead FastAnna Hazare supporters at RajghatSays D. Raja of the
CPI, Painting all politicians with the same brush is not good for
democracy and can lead to anarchy, which in turn breeds fascism.
Rajas concern stems from the basic premise of Hazares movement that
all politicians are corrupt. He also feels the coercive tactics of
the group in forcing itself on the government and drafting the
Lokpal Bill do not augur well for democracy. Its the governments
job to draft a bill and present it to Parliament and it is here
that the bill should be debated and discussed. What is this civil
society which is co-drafting the bill with the government? What is
its sanctity? Raja urges civil society groups to be a little
cautious in their approach and advises the government to consult
political parties first before introducing a legislation.
No one is denying the importance of civil society, but passing
laws is the preserve of the elected representatives of the
people.Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) Leader
CPI(M)s Sitaram Yechury is also critical of the government for
forfeiting its responsibility to take the political parties into
confidence before putting the bill to debate. You cannot send a
list of objective-type questions on such a serious issue like the
Lokpal Bill and expect parties to answer, he says. No one is
denying the importance of civil society, but passing laws is the
preserve of the elected representatives of the people. The
objective questions Yechury is referring to pertain to a letter
that Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee sent last fortnight to
political parties and chief ministers with an appended
questionnaire on the bill. Many non-UPA CMs have written back
either complaining about the questions or wondering why political
parties were not consulted during the drafting process and now
being used as a convenient afterthought.Union home minister P.
Chidambaram, in an extensive interview to Doordarshan, said, I
support civil society speaking up, raising its voice. But I do not
support elected representatives yielding their obligations and
responsibilities to civil society representatives. Lets remember
that the foundation of this country is parliamentary democracy.
But why has civil society mobilised itself now on the corruption
issue? Explains political sociologist D.L. Sheth: There are moments
when a more generic voice takes root and allows civil society to
mobilise itself like now. Going by Sheths observation, the efforts
of Anna Hazare and even Ramdev could qualify as movements where
effective mobilisation took place to rouse the state from slumber.
The recent spate of mega scams only amplified this systemic apathy.
Money that could have been better spent on education, food and
health was pocketed by a handful of people in powercorruption that
was assiduously brought to light by a vigilant media chronicling
their actions. When people begin to see the government being
treated as a jagir by those who they elected, says Sheth, they
resent it. Legislative and bureaucratic power can become defunct if
not countervailed by civil society.And it was the UPA government
itself which had opened its doors to civil society and gave it the
legitimacy previous governments had not. This it did in the first
term of UPA by setting up the NAC, which has since been poring over
tens of thousands of important legislations (see graphics).
Activists like Medha Patkar and Sandeep Pandey say the creation of
the NAC was a good sign in that it brought in sections of people
who had fought at the grassroots level for people-friendly policies
into the mainstream where they are in a position to act as pressure
groups. So even as some politicians blame the government for
outsourcing its work of drafting legislations to the NAC, activists
welcomed its creation. Says Medha Patkar, The NAC is only a
drafting committee, not a passing committee. Moreover, issues like
corruption require a perseverance that political parties dont have.
Ultimately, Parliament has to pass legislations.
This breed of activists is now finding itself at odds with other
members of the civil society. It is not that they do not want a
strong anti-corruption mechanism, but they are not comfortable with
the methods employed by Hazares team. We support everything Arvind
Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan have done so far, a member of the
National Campaign for the Peoples Right to Information (NCPRI)
toldOutlook. But we also detect a certain intolerance for contrary
views and at times they do end up trivialising some of the
positions that we have taken on the draft bill.
The State SpeaksPolice action at Bhatta-Parsaul villagesAn
amalgamation of many opinions which came together to create the
Right to Information Act between 1996 and 2004, the NCPRI today
cannot see eye to eye with Hazares team. Its convenor for several
years, Shekhar Singh, recalls, We went through several processes.
It is a myth to believe that a law can be drafted with 1,00,000
people. When we worked on the RTI Act, we made a draft and then met
people. If we got a negative feedback, we would reflect and redraft
it. But the idea was to incorporate greater diversity and take the
most prominent voices coming in.
I feel there should be a greater debate within civil society on
a crucial issue like the Lokpal Bill. I hardly see the
debate.Justice A.P. Shah, Former Delhi HC Chief Justice
Senior bureaucrats are now adamant that no inch will be conceded
to Hazares team any more. This is like blackmail. Tomorrow, the
Maoists could also operate in a similar manner. Would you expect us
to give in to them as well? Can we use hunger strikes to decide an
agenda or draft a bill? asks a senior bureaucrat familiar with the
drafting process. But Kejriwal, who is in many ways the driving
force behind the bill, points out to several inequalities in the
current discourse. We are in an unequal position in the drafting
committee. We keep making suggestions and the government keeps
ignoring us. We even asked for a public debate on some of the
contentious issues which could be telecast live. They refused. Is
that democratic? The panel member also points out that they are not
trying to subvert democracy or the legislative process, but to
broaden and deepen it. Isnt democracy supposed to be more
participatory than this? Its not just about elections. Does that
mean that once I have elected an MLA or an MP, he becomes a
dictator for the next five years?Eventually, as Sheth says, civil
society has its own legitimacy and accountability and this it draws
from the causes it espouses. Nobody will embrace a cause that
doesnt sound credible. For now, corruption and the move against it
is credible, for it has the ringing endorsement of thousands of
Indians. (http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?277045)
India today coverageIndia Today Newsmaker 2011: Anna Hazare News
covered by India todayAnna HazareHope is a repudiation of today's
desperation and a celebration of tomorrow's opportunities. Hope is
the father of change. It shapes the dreams of the disillusioned. It
is the power of the betrayed. In the histories of national freedom,
it is hope that fuels dissent, and mobilises the voiceless against
the lies of the state. In India 2011, hope wore a Gandhi topi. It
fasted, dared the stormtroopers of a paranoid state, went to jail,
awakened the middle class from its cozy stupor, brought the young
and the idealistic to the mean streets of politics, and shook the
foundations of a corrupt regime that kept changing its fig leaf in
its anxiety to curtain shame. Hope became Anna Hazare in the year
India's scandals boiled over into popular rage.This portly
satyagrahi from the Maharashtrian village of Ralegan Siddhi walked
into the consciousness of India at a time when the country was on
the verge of abandoning hope and taking refuge in fatal stoicism.
Between the dubious multi-crore 2G spectrum deal and the scandalous
preparations for the Commonwealth Games, the overwhelming banality
of corruption became the defining character of the UPA Government.
A few went to jail, but India recognised them for what they had
become: scapegoats. The highest echelon of the regime remained
immune to accountability. As the stench pervaded the nation, Hazare
thrust himself to the centrestage as Citizen Outraged. He led the
uprising against the citadel on Raisina Hill as Citizen Rearmed.A
boy offers sweets to a portrait of Anna Hazare in Ahmedabad.The
discredited Government thought arrogance was an adequate response
to dissent. India, the world's most volatile democracy, also has
the most evolved civil society in Asia, and it has been
consistently unforgiving to rulers swayed by totalitarian
temptations. Parliament is the highest shrine of a civil society
and Hazare, as a pilgrim let down by the gods of democracy, took
his war to the sanctum sanctorum. His argument was moral, his
method was Gandhian, though, as he repeatedly accepted, he was no
Mahatma. He wanted Parliament to legislate an honest mechanism
which incorporated the popular will to fight the cancer of
corruption. The government resisted the intrusion of the
outsider-for a while and at a heavy cost.The sweep and scope of a
Jan Lokpal, a people's ombudsman, as envisaged by Hazare and his
comrades in India Against Corruption (IAC) was a nightmare for the
UPA. The Government has enough reason to shield the corrupt rather
than punish them: the guilty are from its fold. A war against
corruption meant a war on the regime itself; so, obviously, the
Government opened hostilities against the inconvenient messenger.
But Hazare under attack spawned a multitude of Hazares across the
country, in towns and villages, spanning gender, class and age.
When the street embraced the romance of
'we-are-all-Anna-Hazare-today', Delhi trembled, the fig leaves
fell, and a triangulating regime lost the argument. Anna's movement
did not defy Parliament; it sought to enlarge and empower
institutions to curb corruption. Indians were inspired by a
74-year-old man, a former driver in the Indian Army. The fierceness
of his commitment was only matched by his perseverance.Click here
to EnlargeEven when faced with a volcanic street, the Government
seems more interested in containing Hazare than curbing corruption.
The draft Lokpal Bill, put together by the UPA's wily legal brains
(Kapil Sibal, P. Chidambaram and Salman Khurshid), is a partial
submission, full of deviations that could weaken its ability. A
wider section of the lower bureaucracy will come under the Lokpal
but the central investigating agency, the CBI, will continue to be
the handmaiden of the Government. This is a rebuff to Hazare, who
wants the agency under the control of the Lokpal. The principal
Opposition party, BJP, wants CBI to be autonomous. Even though the
Prime Minister is included in the ambit, enough escape routes have
been left open in the name of national security. Even in this
moment of seeming surrender, honour is not a virtue visible in
South Block. If Hazare is an open book, the UPA Government is a
secret text about survival.Anna Hazare with a young fanHazare's
response is in character: to up the ante. When INDIA TODAY caught
up with him on a wintry evening in Delhi's Maharashtra Sadan, the
only sign of change was the choice of his cap: the trademark white
cotton Gandhi topi was replaced by a blue woollen one. Anna could
take on the frozen conscience of the ruling establishment, but the
December chill of Delhi was a bit too much. Still, the feisty
tormentor of a beleaguered UPA wouldn't give in to the vagaries of
weather: "Look at me, do I look ill?" Indeed, there was no heater
in his room, though there were two in the visitor's room, full of
volunteers and sundry worshippers of the saint who shook the state.
In the course of the interview, he played down his own legend.
"Mujhe Gandhi ke saath mat jodo (Don't make me a Gandhi)," he said
(see interview). It was Vivekananda who taught him that "inner
happiness comes from duty".Anna Hazare (centre) with his team at a
press conference in New Delhi.Gandhi was a later influence. He
deployed the Gandhian weapon of satyagraha against the power of a
crooked state. He set the power of hunger against the hunger for
power. In many ways, his moral system, conditioned by the
discipline of the barrack and wisdom of the countryside, is in some
conflict with the aspirations and attitudes of the metropolitan
youth who have become his fan club. In time, the contradictions
will emerge. In rural Ralegan, the Hazare country, he has declared
war on vices such as drinking.There is a frightening simplicity-and
clarity-about Hazare's idea of a perfect state with a few lofty men
as arbiters. The moral dictatorship of the wisest has no patience
for debate or consensus. The so-called Team Anna, a group of
self-righteous Sancho Panzas, are not exactly the ideal ambassadors
of a civil society; the power of protest and primetime exposure has
already given them a false sense of invincibility. Hazare is the
mascot; they provide the script that sustains the aura. What makes
their text of redemption, personified by the Gandhian, acceptable
to the hopeless majority that lives outside Lutyens' Delhi is the
political context. In a year that witnessed the serial blasts of
reputations, Anna alone stood tall as the inspiration for a new
iconography of heroism. Sonia Gandhi took the lead in the war
against Hazare, bringing out her heaviest firepower. Courtiers of
10 Janpath were mobilised to sabotage Hazare's movement. It would
be their Bill or nothing else. While the much eulogised
moderniser-prime minister turned out to be a shade too tolerant of
colleagues, Hazare soared above the sleaze of Delhi. When the
ventriloquism of Manmohan Singh failed to re