Let us put things in perspective..................

You would have noticed that in my earlier post, I was cautious about the outcome of the Anna Hazare fast. I have been watching a bit skeptically the hyper coverage of the event in the visual media.

Whenever our juveline english visual media takes up a crusade and blows it out of proportion without a balanced judgement, I start smelling a rat. And when I see the usual activist suspects like Medha Patkar, Swami Agnivesh, Mallika Sarabhai, and Anupam Kher in the forefront, my antenna really started tingling. Though initially enthused that someone has finally emerged from the civil society to put a check on the society, I tried to be objective and looked for inconsistency.

First thing I noticed was how the television cameras always never panned the whole crowd, but was showing only people in 3-4 rows at best. I know this trick being a photographer myself. This is a clear indicator that the crowd was nowhere near what is being claimed. Second issue was that the so called agitation in other cities was limited to 3-4 towns and even there we could see only a handful of people, including some poor school kids. The agitation just lacks the popular support. It is limited to a few educated professionals/activists, who anyway do not vote in the elections.

The protesters claimed that they have a groundswell of popular support. But when a reporter asked Anna Hazare why he did not contest the elections, he let it slip that 'he wont even get his deposit back' if he were to do so, thereby admitting his lack of popular base.

Also, it is noteworthy that no major businessman has come forward in support, except a couple.

Then I read this piece in the Open Magazine, and my worst fears were confirmed. Manu Josesph is a respected journalist, and the guy who blew open the nexus between media, government and business using the Nira Radia Tapes.

Of late the media and the activists have been trying to hijack the agenda of the nation without an iota of accountability. I do admit the Government and the Politicians have failed us splendidly. I do admit that corruption levels have touched the stratosphere. But the alternate as suggested by the media and the activists is no way going to solve the issue. It is not as if they are clean themselves. That the media in India is corrupt is no secret. They carry paid news, blatantly support one party to get advertisement revenue and other favours. The activists have been found to be both morally and financially corrupt themselves. The falsification of evidence and witness conducted by Teesta Setalvad in the Gujarat Riot case is well knows, and it is an open fact that most of the NGOs run by these so called activists have unaccounted foreign money. This is almost like the pot calling the kettle black.

Still, I would be happy if this fast leads to a bit more accountability from the Government. But let us not get carried away by the media hype, and view things in proper perspective. We do not want to jump from the frying pan to the fire. We dont want one monster replacing another.

P.S: It is no secret that the National Advisory Council, comprising of activists from civil society, tacitly supports Anna Hazare. Somehow I have a feeling that this whole agitation is stage managed. Government is taking a far too rigid stand, making Manmohan Singh look silly and guilty. When that happens, it only means one thing. The stage will be set for Sonia to enter the fray, 'give directions' to the Government to accept Anna Hazares terms and again don the 'mantle of goody goody lady' without any accountability. If that happens, and I do believe it will in the next 48 hours, then that will be a big let down for the public.