Symphony of confusion and chaos

Baba Ramdev

New Delhi, June 10 Confusion and chaos engulf Indian politics today, with protests against the Government’s inaction against corruption. The Government has used the language of silence with occasional observance of comments such as one made by the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh that the eviction of the supporters of Baba Ramdev, a Yoga Guru from Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan was “an unfortunate incident.”

On the other hand, Anna Hazare who earlier observed a fast unto death protest against the Government’s non-implementation of the ‘Lokpal Bill’ has resurfaced with a protest against the Delhi’s police mistreatment of the Yoga guru.

The story was not ending here as Baba escaped from the police atrocities in Delhi the disguised as a woman.

Hazare had set the deadline of drafting the Lokpal Bill to August 16 before going on a hunger-protest again.

Baba is now planning Satyagraha from his hermit in Haridwar, a holy town. Further, the Supreme Court had taken exception to the actions of the Delhi police and the Government in evicting his supporters.

The right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party joined the bandwagon to protest against the eviction.

A part of the problem rests with the Government, which had remained a mute spectator to the 2G Telecom scam.

On the other hand, it had earlier sent the senior ministers to the Delhi airport to persuade Baba Ramdev to find a practical solution to the corruption issue.

He did not relent but sensed the weakness of the Government.

Sushma Swaraj, Opposition Leader in the lower house of the Indian Parliament, was caught dancing to a patriotic Indian song which drew flak from the ruling Congress party and some of her senior colleagues within her party.

The civil society along with the media is on a rampage with the Yoga Guru’s antics. He has supposedly joined the Gandhian Anna Hazare Group, which had earlier protested in New Delhi against the non-implementation of the Lok Pal Bill.

The Government, under pressure, formed a Committee to draft the Bill, which will bring under its scope all Ministries and Government departments including the Prime Minister’s Office.

The civil society, the young-urban India and the media have joined hands to support the Anna Hazare movement against corruption. Now a Yoga guru has held the government under blackmail.

The main problem is that when the Government has failed to take a strong stance against corruption, the so-called public servants in Anna Hazare and Ramdev, who do not have any constitutional authority to rule the country, are filling the void.

If the government’s inability to stem the corruption is the wound, the irresponsible behavior of the anointed servants of Indian society, who are using the leverage of creating a name in one field to another, is like adding salt to the wound.

In musical terms, it has created a perfect symphony creating chaos and confusion.