Once again, the power of Ahimsa was witnessed when Anna Hazare’s fast-unto-death forced the UPA government to accept the demand for Lok Pal bill. What could not be achieved in more than four decades was achieved in 96 hours. It was a glimpse of our own Independence struggle when a dhoti-clad bald and lanky old man walking with just a lathi in his hands brought the mighty British empire to its knees. The anti-corruption crusade is our second freedom struggle and it took an Anna Hazare to kick-start it.
Therefore, the only way to challenge the brutal might of the government is through non-violent struggle (Ahimsa) and Mahatma Gandhi realized the importance of people’s power and the power of Ahimsa during the Independence struggle. When thousands (or sometimes even lakhs) of people come out on streets to demonstrate peacefully, the government is at a loss to figure out how to respond. On the one hand, it cannot order the police or the armed forces to open fire on the unarmed masses (rare exceptions being the Jallianwala Bagh and Tiananmen Square massacres), but on the other hand, it also knows fully well that if a people’s agitation keeps simmering for long it is likely to snowball into a revolutionary movement. So the only option for the government is to negotiate with the leaders of the agitation and arrive at a mutually acceptable settlement. The British did that with the Mahatma; our deshi firangees have done just that with Anna. That’s the power of Ahimsa!
But the fight against corruption does not end with the passage of the Lok Pal bill in the parliament - the fight will actually begin after its passage. The Lok Pals/Lok Ayuktas have to be persons of unimpeachable integrity who will do their duty without fear or favour and make eradication of corruption from public life their life's mission. The fight will be truly successful when all corrupt politicians and babus are put behind bars and all their ill-gotten wealth confiscated by the courts. So let's not celebrate now, but keep our celebrations for the day when we win our second Independence from these deshi white-collar bandits.
It's heartening to see the success of a non-violent struggle. But many people do not believe in non-violence and feel that only an armed struggle can bring about a radical change. Can corruption be eradicated by violent means? Can an army of rebels armed with AK-47s, hand grenades and Molotov cocktails put an end to corruption by unleashing violence against corrupt politicians and babus? The answer is: NO. The government (with its power-drunk and corrupt politicians and bureaucrats) has the military, paramilitary and police forces at its disposal and can easily crush any violent uprising. An armed army of rebels is simply no match against the might of the government’s forces. Also, the violence of the rebels provides the government with the justification to unleash its own violence.
Therefore, the only way to challenge the brutal might of the government is through non-violent struggle (Ahimsa) and Mahatma Gandhi realized the importance of people’s power and the power of Ahimsa during the Independence struggle. When thousands (or sometimes even lakhs) of people come out on streets to demonstrate peacefully, the government is at a loss to figure out how to respond. On the one hand, it cannot order the police or the armed forces to open fire on the unarmed masses (rare exceptions being the Jallianwala Bagh and Tiananmen Square massacres), but on the other hand, it also knows fully well that if a people’s agitation keeps simmering for long it is likely to snowball into a revolutionary movement. So the only option for the government is to negotiate with the leaders of the agitation and arrive at a mutually acceptable settlement. The British did that with the Mahatma; our deshi firangees have done just that with Anna. That’s the power of Ahimsa!
But the fight against corruption does not end with the passage of the Lok Pal bill in the parliament - the fight will actually begin after its passage. The Lok Pals/Lok Ayuktas have to be persons of unimpeachable integrity who will do their duty without fear or favour and make eradication of corruption from public life their life's mission. The fight will be truly successful when all corrupt politicians and babus are put behind bars and all their ill-gotten wealth confiscated by the courts. So let's not celebrate now, but keep our celebrations for the day when we win our second Independence from these deshi white-collar bandits.
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