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Anna wins the battle but loses the war.

The whole episode of Anna vs government was very interesting and a significant event of independent India's history. The events of whole movement took place in a melodramatic way and finally Anna and team could not achieve what ever they hoped to achieve. It is the evil(politicians) which won finally by just giving a perception to the good(Anna Team) that it was victory to Anna.

The objectivity of Anna's movement was to put forth and pass a strong bill in a parliament so that corruption in Indian government system gets eradicated.But it could merely get an assurance from the government that it would create a strong lokpal bill in future. The fight was so intense that it took one year for government to consider Anna team's challenge and also did under estimate the challenge till the last minute.And finally had to conceded by just giving some promises that it would put a strong bill in future.
Anna's health was so important in this movement because one could not fast for ever till the government passes a strong bill and concedes to all demands. so it was logical for Anna and its core team to agree on some meager demand and call of the fast. Or else it would have been humiliating defeat for Anna's team and government would have suffered major set back.Government did not loose that much ground because the stakes on the Anna's team was greater when the number of days of movement increased.


Anna's team were very methodical in handling the corruption issue with government. They indeed did put in lots of effort in educating people about corruption. They organized many rally and events by bringing in lots of awareness among the public.They did a initial demand to be part of drafting committee of Anti-corruption bill.Even though they did succeed in getting through but they could not get any kinds of suggestion incorporated into the bill when it was submitted to the parliament.

Government was simply adamant and arrogant that only it could pass a bill and also it is the only institute to put forth any kind of bill or amendment to the parliament and therefore debate the same and pass/stop the bill. I feel this was one of the primary differentiators in the whole game of the Anti-corruption bill. Anna's team did not have any answer and they could not take head on with the democratic system or the parliament process.
Prashant bushan was only person in Anna's team members who could articulate about the current system and it's draw back in the television debate but it did not catch up the public imagination and was not part of the whole movement. Because Anna's team were only fighting against the corruption.

The argument of parliament process and democratic system was repeated thousands of times by many people who acted as though they were agents of the congress government and nobody from the Anna's team provided right argument. The main draw back in current system according to my mind is the whole issue of passing the bill which would check the activities of the parliament itself. Who will be accountable of parliament function.And since there is no transparency in the system it get's even more harder to get accountablity.
Anna's team did not mention this draw back of the system. And i feel they must have argued that parliament is no doubt supreme. But it would not pass any kind of bill which would put checks and balances on itself. And only check we have in the system is the election which occurs once in 5 years. 5 years is too long a time for people to remember things while casting their vote.

I do not want to sound like Anna's team has lost everything, but it did gain lots of stuff in this movement. which is the people's popular support. And that too large number of youth's representation in metros, districts and towns. This support can be leveraged by Anna's team to get into the Parliament system as elected MPs and then bring in a transformation to the whole system thus benefiting the common man.

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