(BY SN VERMA)
Yesterday, Baba Ramdev was expected at New Delhi Airport ahead of his proposed Indefinite hunger strike commencing from Saturday. To receive Baba, there were some anxious faces. They were not ordinary faces but consisted of some of the most influential central ministers and bureaucrats, who call the shots in the Present Govt. These People were there with all their attention to see to it that Baba is “pleased”. After landing at Airport, Baba remained in their company for some time and after being accorded such a warm welcome, he definitely felt pleased. Not that Baba is a novice and he couldn’t have seen through the real motive of such an unusual welcome but despite being a Baba, he is also a human being. As a Baba, he mayn’t be indulgent in worldly pleasures but as a human being, even he may relish, enjoy such an unusual, unprecedented attention and welcome. Although, as a Yoga Guru, he would be quite used to “SIRSHASHAN” but if he finds “De-facto PM” like Dada and Mr. Sibal, the eye and ear of PM and “Super PM” along with two top bureaucrats in the form of “SIRSHASHAN” before him, he would definitely feel extremely pleased with his New Band of High Profile disciples of Yoga. It appears that exercise of “SIRSHASHAN” seems to be working on BABA. He seems to be some what pleased with the effort of Congress Govt and at the moment is so much happy with their warm welcome that he is willing to forgive the unseemly remark of the “mentor and guide” of the Prince of Indian Dynasty against him.
In a nutshell BABA is being “wooed” in a typical congress style. Congress Govt., initially would refuse to address the potential crisis but when it finds in the middle of it, it would somehow try to wriggle its way out of it. For that, it may make certain promises with hardly any intention to fulfill them in future. They did the same with Anna only a couple of months ago and now they seem to be doing the same with Baba also. There was some difference in the approach, however, of the Govt. towards the two. In the case of Anna, they had purely a reactive approach. Initially, they ignored Anna but when they were neck deep into the crisis, all of a sudden, they decided to resolve it. In case of Baba, however, they are a bit proactive in approach. This change in approach is guided by the realization of the fact that Anna was(earlier, not now) a state phenomena restricted to Maharashtra but BABA is a PAN INDIA PHENOMENA with millions of committed devotees, who at the beck of his call, may swell in numbers across the country. Congress Govt. is too aware of this fact and hence is having sleepless nights few days ahead of his indefinite hunger strike. That’s the reason the Govt. is making all out effort to convince him that they are sincerely committed to weed out corruption and bring back black money, stashed away in Swiss Banks, to the country. It is really a big farce that on the one hand they were trying to convince BABA about their sincere efforts to check the corruption and punish the corrupt and on the other hand on the same day(1st June), President of India(UPA Chairperson)rejected the recommendation of the Lokayukta to terminate and initiate legal action against the Blue Eyed Minister of CM(Who again happens to be Blue Eyed CM of UPA Chairperson and no charges of corruption seem to have affected her position in the party and govt. so far )for his guilt in a major corruption case in the past.
The real motive of the current “SIRSHASHAN” exercise before BABA is to pacify him so that Baba’ s resolve to continuing the hunger strike is weakened. Also, their “real motive” is to somehow weaken the civil society movement.The Govt is realistic of the fact that Baba somehow is not in total agreement on few issues and team composition with Team Anna Hazare and that’s the reason by appeasing BABA, it is trying to fish into troubled waters. By this exercise, in the short run, they would be able to prevail upon Team Anna Hazare and then start negotiating with BABA and after some time, even he would be shown the door and in the long run as desired by them Lokpal Bill would never see the light of the day and Black money, would continue to be stashed away in Swiss Banks as in the past and Congress Party along with corruption and Black money would continue to flourish and prosper as in the past.
If two sections of civil society movement are serious about their noble objectives to be met, they would do well to bury their minor differences, put up a united face and fight the Govt with all might otherwise enactment of Lokpal Bill and resolve to bring back Black money in the country would continue to be a mirage.
Are two sections of civil society listening to this sincere and honest appeal of millions of Indians?
S.N.VERMA
2nd June,New Delhi
