Why Anna Hazare's anti-corruption crusade is a dud

Social activist Anna Hazare made a comeback to Delhi on Martyr's Day - March 23 with his anti-corruption crusade. It was this day in 1931 when Bhagat Singh along with his associates Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru were hanged to death by British authorities. In 2018, Hazare chose this day to launch the second edition of his fight against graft by sitting on an "indefinite" strike.

Hazare promises to continue his sit-in at Ram Lila Maidan till the Centre concedes to his demand for setting up of the Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in the states, besides implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report, which has suggested ways to address the agrarian crisis.

This is the 19th time that Hazare is on a hunger strike espousing one social cause or the other.

While Hazare announced the Delhi protest much in advance, the recent banking frauds have fuelled public anger against corruption. However, this anger doesn't carry the same intensity as was the case in 2011, when the movement under Hazare took the entire country in its sway.

Back then people of all shades rallied behind Hazare donning "Main Anna Hun" caps. It is widely believed that the protest helped in toppling the UPA government, which was facing a series of corruption allegations, though the government passed the Lokpal Act. However, the Modi government has not been able to finalise a Lokpal to investigate cases of corruption. The implementation of the Act in states also remains poor.

Though Hazare's marches are mostly peaceful, the government has rightly taken all precautions to avoid any law and order situation. The social activist's fears of trains being cancelled and other transport services being disrupted to stop his supporters from reaching Delhi seem highly misplaced.

It is worth noting that Hazare has been rather late in raising the issue with the current dispensation. Since the Narendra Modi-led government had a majority in the house, Hazare could have worked with the government right from the beginning to see to it that Lokpal and Lokayuktas are appointed.

Given the fact that the Supreme Court has been pressing the government to hasten the process of the appointment of a Lokpal, Hazare could have used the time to build more pressure on the government. His not following the cause as staunchly as he did in the beginning left many confused.

The renewed drive, however, is banking on 20 new faces of the movement drawn from across the country. These 20 people may not be well-known public faces but are still connected deeply with the grass-roots. He has reportedly made new members sign an affidavit that they will not join politics.

It is strange that Hazare has made abjuring politics the premise for his new support base at a time when the country needs new people with newer ideas to steer the country towards development. Politics, after all, can be cleansed only by those who enter the field and not by staying out or away from it.

What Hazare should have done instead is to have insisted on people with tainted backgrounds to stay away from his anti-corruption crusade.

The second inning of this fight against corruption is unlikely to garner the same blind support even though Hazare's credibility remains beyond doubt.

Not all well-meaning citizens, for example, will appreciate Hazare's repeated indefinite hunger strikes.

Given the reputation he enjoys, Hazare should instead seek an appointment with the prime minister to discuss his demands.

He does enjoy the kind of respect that will force people and governments to sit up and listen when he speaks, threats of indefinite strike, may not mean the same.

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