It has been a week since the big debate on the Lokpal bill in the parliament and subsequently Anna Hazare breaking his fast. A week is a long time especially in Indian politics. Now that the protests have subsided, Government is back to its usual tricks especially in trying to target key members of Team Anna. Clearly there is a long road ahead before we see real action on the Jan Lokpal bill let alone getting to the eventual goal of reducing corruption. However, there is no denying that what we saw over the past weeks with the Anna Hazare movement was very significant. Anna Hazare and team were able to rouse a large part of our nation, put corruption front and center into the daily discussion and finally force a reluctant parliament to take notice. In my last 25-30 years of following Indian politics, I have not seen anything like this. The only event that comes close was the Mandal agitation and even that pales in comparison to the cross-sectional appeal of this movement.
Whatever side of the debate you are on, there is no denying that Anna Hazare movement was (and, hopefully will continue to be!!) a very significant event. I have been reflecting on what we can learn from this movement. I have found 5 lessons that are relevant not just for future of this movement and others like this but also important to reflect on in our personal lives.
- Leadership is about cause and commitment. What is it about a simple man from Ralegan Siddhi in interior Maharashtra that roused a reluctant nation from its deep slumber? I think the big reason is his powerful championing of a cause that is meaningful for millions. Corruption is a disease that is reaching epidemic proportions. It is not just an urban, middle-class phenomenon. It is affecting majority of the population in some way or another. Moreover, the sheer scale of the corruption scandals over the past few years and government’s obvious collusion has shocked people. That is the reason why Irom Sharmila fasting for over 10 years for revocation of Armed Forces special powers in Manipur has gone largely unnoticed, but when Anna Hazare went on fast against corruption millions rose in support.
The second reason is Anna Hazare’s obvious integrity and commitment. The most visible manifestation of this has been how a 74-year-old Anna Hazare was able to easily fast for 12 days while a yoga guru like Baba Ramdev struggled after fasting for 9 days and had to be hospitalized. The difference is in their integrity and commitment. For Baba Ramdev, fast was perhaps a charade to garner some cheap popularity, while Anna Hazare’s commitment was unmistakable both in his demeanor and words. Even late in his fast, his cries of “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “Inquilab Zindabad” were soul stirring. This integrity and commitment gave Anna Hazare strength to carry on and at the same time inspired millions to follow. - Critical to have a strong team. While Anna Hazare was undoubtedly the charismatic talisman of the movement, he alone might not have been able to succeed in moving the stubborn government to action. The role that “Team Anna” especially Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Prashant Bhushan played was critical. Arvind Kejriwal seemed to be the “brain” and main organizer. In addition, he was a tough negotiator and extremely lucid and fearless communicator. Kiran Bedi while occasionally erratic, was earthy, spoke from the heart and seemed to play an important role in keeping the tempo high at Ramlila Maidan. Prashant Bhusan was quietest of the lot, but was the trusted “legal eagle” and along with Kejriwal a tough and uncompromising negotiator very much needed given the situation. While the branding of the movement is because of Anna Hazare, there is no doubt that the movement would not have made so much progress without the excellent “Team Anna”. They brought different experiences together, had different styles but very united by a common, powerful purpose. This is a very good reminder that whether it is business, sports or a national movement, you need not just the individual superstar but also an outstanding team to deliver outstanding results.
- Social media and Electronic media are now a game changer. Without doubt the movement would not have been able to build the momentum it did without the powerful role of the Social Media and Electronic media. While a politician derisively remarked that “Facebook is not India and India is not Facebook!!”, Facebook and Twitter did play a key role in catalyzing the movement. The day Anna Hazare was arrested, it was the India Against Corruption (IAC) posts on Facebook that helped respond and organize protests across multiple cities. Moreover, social media was also instrumental in spreading the movement in a spontaneous, non-centrally controlled way. For example, as the fast progressed Facebook again played a key role in spreading awareness of the many colony level protests and “candle light marches” that began to happen. I think these few weeks have given us a glimpse of the tremendous power of social media. It gives us a feel of how social media played a key role in catalyzing the people’s revolutions seen this year in Egypt and Tunisia. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. As Internet penetration and mobile access continues to proliferate, social media will become an even more powerful instrument of change.
While Social media was the catalyst, Electronic media provided the fuel that sustained the movement. While TV channels clearly have their political affiliations and their posture over the movement varied because of that, their need for 24*7 coverage ensured that the Anna Hazare movement was headline news for the entire two weeks. This constant barrage of news and views was critical in building pressure on the government. Love it or hate it, you simply cannot ignore the power of media in today’s context. It is very important to continue to harness the power of media positively both for this movement and for other important issues that our country needs to address. - We are an argumentative society. Over the past weeks, as the Anna Hazare anti-corruption movement gripped India there were many voices of concern and dissent. Some of them were predictable like Arundhati Roy and the government supported National Advisory Council (NAC) gang. However, there were many people I see as reasonable and are friends and colleagues. This forced me to pause and reflect (see my last blogpost “Why I support the Anna Hazare movement!!”). I feel that we are not just diverse but also a very argumentative society. People have strong opinions and they voice it forcefully. While multiplicity of opinions can lead to intellectual gridlock and inaction, it is a very positive thing and should be preserved. It ensures that there are checks and balances and thus you do not take massively wrong decisions. While I initially found the many intellectual arguments against the movement to be baffling and highly frustrating, I eventually realized that they have to be respected. You need patience to listen and understand others point of view and then hopefully to get your across. If you get the balance of discussion right, you get to a better answer. If you don’t, you keep on discussing and miss the bus!! It is perhaps true that we often don’t get the balance right. That is why China is marching purposefully forward towards global domination while we continue to meander and seek our path. But, we are like this only!!! We have been argumentative and diverse over ages and will remain so. That is perhaps also our big strength. Despite the many ills facing our country, democracy and freedom of speech continue to work. That is fundamental to who we are. Anna Hazare movement will need to recognize this diversity and work with it. At a very different level, even in our personal and professional lives we need to understand diversity of views and make it work with patience and grace.
- Youth of the country are a tremendous positive force. Finally, the most positive aspect of this movement has been the important role of the youth and continued awakening of their passion towards the country. Youth were the backbone of the movement. They participated cutting across religions and social status. It was their passion, energy and sheers numbers that gave strength to the movement. This movement is another validation that there is a new generation emerging that can take our country to a very different level (see my blogpost “Born to Win” that I had written after India’s World Cup win). The new generation is confident, passionate and action oriented. They are not conditioned by past failures. They are not limited by history. They want to move forward and they want to take the country forward. They need hope and a rallying point and this movement is providing them that. It is perhaps no more about just corruption for them, it is about rising beyond the mediocrity and creating a new, resurgent India. I am hopeful that they will persevere and take the movement forward to its appropriate conclusion. Let us encourage and support them. Let us give wind to their sails. Moreover, let their enthusiasm and spirit rub on us and we march together in step with them.
We are very fortunate to have had the Anna Hazare movement. It has ignited a flame that will hopefully build into a powerful force for positive change in our country. However, any national change needs to start with personal change. Let us imbibe the many positive lessons from this movement in our lives. Let us together make a difference!!
Jai Hind!!
