One is hugely baffled watching the events unfold as they do on television 24x7. Apart from the ongoing, albeit rapidly disintegrating, saga of Team Anna, the ‘godmen’ of India too are competing for small-screen space. As one watches cash and other goodies emerge from secret rooms and residences of men who claim to be incarnations of all that is sacred, good, law-abiding and godly, one is staggered by the scale of unaccounted wealth that babas, swamis and suchlike are permitted to hord. Had a similar haul taken place in the home of an ordinary citizen, all hell would have broken loose and the person marched into judicial custody. Indians watching these shenanigans are learning how to beat the system, following in the footsteps of their gurus. One wonders how the administration can turn a blind eye to such illegalities.

Surely, the fight against corruption, against those who openly and blatantly break the laws of this land, must start with men and women who are political, social and religious leaders. They have to be squeaky clean. How can people with undeclared donations and incomes, who have not paid tax, speak about probity and honesty in public life? How can they who accept land at throwaway prices, or for free, to build an ashram, denying owners the legitimate market rates, speak about the invasion of corruption in India? It makes a complete mockery of the great philosophies of this civilization that stem from sacrifice and austerity. Where are the learned spiritual leaders?

The comparison that is being made between Anna Hazare and Gandhiji makes one squirm. The fine-tuned intellect of M.K. Gandhi, his profound experience as a barrister in apartheid South Africa, his decision to discard Western dress for a dhoti in an effort to identify with the Indian masses, his sharp mind and ability to engage in dialogue with his people as well as the colonial rulers and much more make it impossible to compare him with the leadership that we have today across political and activist groups.

New idiom

There are no real national heroes. Those who are around today behave like little potentates, supercilious and cocky about their self-proclaimed status as civil society representatives. They come across as simplistic figureheads, propped up by one-dimensional aides, unable to be creative. The scene is depressing and unnerving.

For an anti-corruption ‘movement’ to link itself to ‘religiosity’ is dangerous, to say the least. It manages to alienate large sections of the people of this pluralistic society. It is regressive. It has shades of what has damaged other cultures and societies where ‘religious’ leaders have entered the fray of the ‘executive’, thereby killing liberal democracy. In this age of information, the pursuit of knowledge, the reaching out to find food for thought and fresh action, the breaking out of narrow boxes that limit thought and action, must take the lead. The young generation that is the majority in India must have a liberal space to grow and infuse the polity with fresh ideas and initiatives to energize its future. Religion is personal and true faith is that which one absorbs into one’s being. To misuse it in the larger public and political domain is sacrilegious.

Here is a suggestion for all those who believe that fasts- unto-death are the tool to cleanse India — why not make a plea to all Indians to not pay a bribe for anything and wait it out? Also, make a list of those who ask for a bribe to do what they are mandated to do, and then relentlessly flood the prime minister’s office with such lists. The ‘activists’ could orchestrate the exercise. Fasting has become a tamasha and does not have the impact it had in the last century. We need new idioms for today.