The Second Independence Day

The victory of Jan Lokpal Bill courtesy Anna Hazare

27 August  2011 will be known in the history in making as a red letter day and may be it shall be known as the Second Independence Day because on this day the people of India rather Hindustan asserted their  supremacy over the Parliament which had failed to read the popular feelings against the institutionalised corruption in the country. The politicians of our country failed to see the aspirations of the citizens who clearly saw corruption as the fountainhead of most of the ills facing us. From the election process which also needs so much to be cleansed to the soldiers fighting to safeguard our hard won freedom corruption rules the roost. The spiralling price rise minus increase in our real income showed the common people that it is the corruption which needs to be addressed if our lot has to be improved. But the question was who shall bell  the cat?  People had lost faith in the political leadership and hence they were in search of a leader who had no ambition except the good and well being of the country. They ultimately found the true mass leader who reflected their dissatisfaction against the corrupt establishment.  And once the people found their right leader, they followed him like obedient sons and daughters. Especially, the youth proved that if the situation demands they would not be left behind to sacrifice for the motherland. The whole affair of Jan lokpal Bill’s movement exposed the true character of our politicians including our so called nationalist parties who were seen compromising with the ruling party in chanting the mantra of Parliament’s supremacy. May be these politicians have not understood the true spirit of our Constitution which speaks of not the supremacy of any one organ of the government but the ample check and balance so as to protect the democratic rights of the people. This movement reminded us of the days of the emergency when the ruling party under the leadership of the Late Sm. Indira Gandhi clamped emergency for eighteen months. It was her party which has time and again asserted the supremacy of the Parliament. But actually in a democratic setup it is the people who are supreme and not the institution which are merely representative bodies expressing the popular mandate. But this mandate should not be taken for granted. Today the people of India are far more conscious than ten years back when there was no internet and Television. The mobile phone too has brought the people into new awareness ready in hand. Anyway it was heartening to note that our political leaders realized their mistake and ultimately justice and sensibility prevailed. Anna Hazare and his team has thus created a history in which there was not a single violence. This shows that the non-violent movement of Mahatma Gandhi has matured into a creed of life in the present day.  The Father of Nation must be patting the people especially the youth which is surely going to play a bigger role in the coming days. The present movement spearheaded by the India Against Corruption needs to be well organized to face any kind of situation which may confront them in the future. The workers of this movement must be initiated in the creed of non-violence which will make them the law abiding, fearless and forceful soldiers of the Second Freedom movement.