Anna and Kejriwal: Gandhi and Bose of a different era
Subhash Chandra Bose used to be Mahatma Gandhi's favorite. The Mahatma adored Bose, who was upright, straighforward and had the same exact goal as that of the Mahatma - India's independence from British rule. Gandhi supported Bose when he was first nominated as Congress President in 1938. However, Bose's vision of an independence struggle included speaking in the language the British understood, the language of armed forces, which the Mahatma opposed. Consequently, the following year, 1939, Bose left the Congress and formed his own outfit, the Forward Block.
Fast forward to 2011-2012, it will feel like you are reading the story of Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal. The objectives of these two gentlemen are exactly the same - an India without corruption. However, like Bose, Kejriwal realized the a crusade against corruption has to be conducted in a language the politicians understand - that of politics. Anna and Kejriwal's combined struggle lasted for over a year, until Nov 2012, when Kejriwal launched his own outfit - AAP (Aam Admi Party).
The question to be asked is who will emerge as the ultimate revolutionary - Anna or Kejriwal. In the case of Gandhi and Bose, the latter is now a forgotten hero, while Gandhi is the most celebrated name in India today. Will Kejriwal turn into another Bose, another forgotten hero in the annals of Indian history, or will he really change history? While, it is hard to predict, I will attempt to do so in this blog.
Bose's war against the British was heavily dependent on external parties - the German, the Russians, who had no interest whatsoever, in Indian independence, but rather wanted only an English defeat. One did not really mean the other - an English defeat was in no means India's Independence. Bose's approach, while sincere, was not as impactful as he would have wanted it to be and his version of the revolution failed.
On the other hand, Kejriwal's tryst with the political system hinges on the very people who make the political system. Their are no external entities involved. His movement is about the people who vote, the issues that bother the very people, and the politicians who are hated by the same people. In other words, his movement has all the ingredients that can create impact.
Of course, the messaging still as to evolve - he still needs to communicate powerfully, his economic vision, since that is what what will help India emerge as the next superpower. Unlike Bose, the fundamentals are strong, the passions strong; just that the messaging has to evolve and resonate well with the masses.
Kejriwal will be the new Gandhi.
Subhash Chandra Bose used to be Mahatma Gandhi's favorite. The Mahatma adored Bose, who was upright, straighforward and had the same exact goal as that of the Mahatma - India's independence from British rule. Gandhi supported Bose when he was first nominated as Congress President in 1938. However, Bose's vision of an independence struggle included speaking in the language the British understood, the language of armed forces, which the Mahatma opposed. Consequently, the following year, 1939, Bose left the Congress and formed his own outfit, the Forward Block.
Fast forward to 2011-2012, it will feel like you are reading the story of Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal. The objectives of these two gentlemen are exactly the same - an India without corruption. However, like Bose, Kejriwal realized the a crusade against corruption has to be conducted in a language the politicians understand - that of politics. Anna and Kejriwal's combined struggle lasted for over a year, until Nov 2012, when Kejriwal launched his own outfit - AAP (Aam Admi Party).
The question to be asked is who will emerge as the ultimate revolutionary - Anna or Kejriwal. In the case of Gandhi and Bose, the latter is now a forgotten hero, while Gandhi is the most celebrated name in India today. Will Kejriwal turn into another Bose, another forgotten hero in the annals of Indian history, or will he really change history? While, it is hard to predict, I will attempt to do so in this blog.
Bose's war against the British was heavily dependent on external parties - the German, the Russians, who had no interest whatsoever, in Indian independence, but rather wanted only an English defeat. One did not really mean the other - an English defeat was in no means India's Independence. Bose's approach, while sincere, was not as impactful as he would have wanted it to be and his version of the revolution failed.
On the other hand, Kejriwal's tryst with the political system hinges on the very people who make the political system. Their are no external entities involved. His movement is about the people who vote, the issues that bother the very people, and the politicians who are hated by the same people. In other words, his movement has all the ingredients that can create impact.
Of course, the messaging still as to evolve - he still needs to communicate powerfully, his economic vision, since that is what what will help India emerge as the next superpower. Unlike Bose, the fundamentals are strong, the passions strong; just that the messaging has to evolve and resonate well with the masses.
Kejriwal will be the new Gandhi.
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