The last few days have been quite compelling for Indian
politics. First Anna Hazare and his team
went on hunger strike, then they had to face our stubborn government’s
hostility and then, when all hopes of a consensus were lost, Anna Hazare
decided to jump into political swamp.
During the course of the fast, the activities at Jantar Mantar
were carefully watched by the media. Many sections of the society took a dig at
Team Anna by saying that all the hype was created by the media and the movement
had no impact on the public besides those present at Jantar Mantar. Albeit, it
may sound partly correct that media was primarily responsible for the kind of attention
Team Anna got. But, it doesn’t mean that Anna Hazare or Team Anna were created
by the media or made them who they are. Team Anna members, be it Arvind
Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi or Prashant Bhushan have all done great things for our society
and very few would dare question their credibility.
When Anna Hazare announced his decision to jump into
politics, the media started to question his decision and especially, the timing
of the announcement. Media began to suggest that it was Team Anna’s defeat at
the hands of government, simply because Anna hazare is an activist, so, he should have
refrained from politics. What was more striking was no one tried to focus on
the circumstances under which he had to take the decision and probably it was
the last option available for them.
Anna Hazare had made
it crystal clear that he took this decision only after getting positive
response from the public and he will not contest in the elections under any
circumstances. The media continuously questioned the logic
behind the decisions made by Team Anna. For instance, earlier, it was
questioned that why Kejriwal and other members are not fasting with Hazare and
when they did, it was asked, are they too ambitious? In a way Team Anna’s image
was dented by the media. If things are questioned continuously, then, at some
level it becomes a statement.
It’s not that Team Anna members are perfect, conflicts are bound to
arise in any group. They have made mistakes and the media always pointed them
out.
Overall response of
the media to the whole situation seemed a little biased. In my views, Anna Hazare
deserves a lot more praise for their dedication towards the whole cause of eradicating
corruption, and we should understand that the path they have chosen is the last
and arguably the most challenging.
