Anna Hazare's Fast Became More of a Televised Spectacle than a Social Issue

The greatly viewed Anna Hazare protest was much talked about, widely appreciated and supported, while it lasted. But its culmination led to the rise of many questions, about our government, the people, the judiciary, the validity of such extra-constitutional protests and most of all, about the role of the media in our great democracy. Even the otherwise righteous judiciary   put it in very un-judicial language, saying, “What the hell is going on???”

So at a recent debate, on the topic - 'Anna Hazare’s Fast Became More of a Televised Spectacle than a Social Issue’, I expressed my opinion supporting the statement. Here it is-

My 5-yr old cousin knows who Anna Hazare is. He knows exactly what he did in April to fight for his demands. He just missed out on a small detail. WHAT did Anna want. Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen. I, Vibhor Mathur, stand here today to sincerely support the notion put up by the House, ‘

What we are debating here today might hurt a sensitive nerve with all the ideological fundamentalists in the room. And hence I want to clarify before I begin, that I’m not against Anna Hazare or against his cause. I do not doubt his credibility, his intentions nor am defaming his fight. I am only against the sensationalisation of news by the media, diluting the very substance in the issue.

My first point, is the fact that the media's portrayal of the movement was hyperbolic yet, ignored important aspects related to the protest, such as what was really happening about the Jan Lokpal Bill. For example, on the 7^th of April, Dainik Jagran ran a huge report about all the film stars who reached Jantar Mantar to support Anna Hazare. They all talked about how important this cause was to them. The newspaper had absolutely no mention of the developments of the bill in the Government. India TV repeatedly broadcast images of Anna Hazare lying down, exhausted by his fast, in order to generate sympathy from the viewers. With due respect to the crusader, I find it highly exaggerated on the part of the media to run these clips or articles in an overdrive. The media compromised its professional values by bringing in their biases in this ambitious war of TRPs.  For the record, he was far from ill at that time. He had lain down just to get the routine medical check-up done on him! The man deserves all the credit for what he did. But all that the newspapers talked about was the people who came, or what Anna’s Blood Pressure was, how he was the Modern Mahatma Gandhi etc. I just want to ask my worthy opponents one question, how is that in any way helping in our fight against corruption?

Secondly, like I said in the beginning, what matters is what he demanded. How he fought for it, though inspiring, is not as significant as what he fought for. People’s failure to understand this nullified the intensity of the impact of the protest, by giving it a garb of frivolousness.

Thirdly, I feel that most of the support provided was hollow and not substantial.  We all wore T-shirts with slogans, wrote fancy Facebook statuses, had animated discussions, all in support of his protest. But how many of us are even aware of the demands made by him for the Jan Lokpal Bill? Do we realize that the Lokpal we are fighting for so blindly, would actually have immense power and control, making him a potential candidate for corruption and despotism!

My main cause of dissent from the whole ordeal, ladies and gentlemen is the fact, that despite all the hype and mobilization the media created, what people supported was the Bill. Not the fight against corruption. While people went to Jantar Mantar to shout slogans in support of Anna Hazare, they would’ve bribed the policeman when they jumped the Yusuf Sarai Red Light. The problem is that most people didn’t really take a pledge to combat corruption throughout their lives. Most of them supported the bill as it was the latest social fad. The widespread support that the campaign got was the result of being a part of the very trendy anti-establishment attitude.

I know that when I go back, people would accuse me of discrediting Anna Hazare’s sacrifice. I, on the contrary, cast the same aspersions on the media, for having defeated the cause Anna and his followers represented. 

Thank You.

What the World Cup Means.

The Team: For Team India, touted by experts worldwide as probably the best team in the world, this is the best opportunity to win the Cup. This team, with its own set of imperfections, as a unit has played some of the most spectacular cricket we have seen. It’s India’s most talented team till date, and has the best chances of winning the Cup. Time and again, it has been criticized (not without sufficient proof) of not performing in the biggest and the toughest of situations. This World Cup is a great opportunity for them to prove their mettle, and show what they are capable of. It is a title that will remove all the unnecessary criticism off their backs.

For the Captain: It’s the moment to actually introspect into where he has drawn flak from the experts. People would argue that it’s too late to do that now, as nothing gets bigger than the World Cup. I, on the other hand, feel that the World Cup, though the most important tournament in the game, is far from being the end of the world. The Captain needs to realize what the team lacks while playing at such an international platform and work on that immediately.

For the youth in the team: This is probably India’s youngest team ever. It is also the first opportunity for many of them to play international cricket at the highest level. What better experience can a 22-year old get than playing in the World Cup, that too on home soil? It’s the best opportunity for their potential to be fully tapped as nothing can be less intimidating than playing at home.

For Sachin Tendulkar: Ted Corbett said, “To represent the stature and the greatness of a man like Sachin Tendulkar, even the biggest statue, made in the most precious metals won’t be enough. Because only Sachin Tendulkar is Sachin Tendulkar.” This is most probably his last World Cup, (unless he plays till he is 42, which is far from impossible!!) and also his best prospect to be a part of an Indian World Cup-winning team. Easily the best batsman in the world, he deserves this honour and desperately wants it this time. Despite the fact that his valiant efforts went in vain in the 2003 World Cup, he is determined to prove a point this time. And, it might also give him his hundredth international hundred.

For the people of India: I don’t even want to start out on what cricket means to this nation. In a country where people forgo medicines to buy TV sets to watch matches, where people demand national holidays on days of important matches, where people are more bothered about celebrating a victory than their own birthday, where absolute strangers can talk like best friends about cricket, where Tendulkar’s injury is more important than their own dying of cancer, where every child stands up atleast once in his lifetime to announce, “I want to grow up and be a cricketer”!  Cricket isn’t a religion. It’s water. Absolutely imperative for their survival. If India wins the World Cup, lives of people will be changed forever. People will forget their miseries, and stand up as brothers celebrating the moment. Of course, the fact that it is being played in our own country is just the cherry on the cake!

For the Poor in India: This event, as contrasted with the CWG (*hint hint*) has a majority of its ownership with the private sector and has certified poverty upliftment initiatives, like the ‘Reliance Rs50,000 per Six per School Programme’. This is an event which can rightfully claim to be an international event with effective implications for the poor in our country. This competition is also going to contribute lakhs of rupees to the Rural Sports Development Fund of India, which according to me, comes under a Ministry under the dynamic leadership of Mr Ajay Maken.

I write this on the eve of the most awaited match, between India and Pakistan. The outcome of this match can’t be predicted and India’s fate in unknown. Yet, we stand here, with our fingers crossed, faith in Dhoni and his men and hearts praying that India wins and the glory comes home.