Diluting the idea of Revolution

One of the most reactionary aspects of Anna movement is the brazen manner in which it tries to dilute the idea of revolution. While the government's repression of this movement on August 16 was indeed fascist and which was rightly opposed unequivocally by all democratic minded people, the way in which this movement has progressed since then must raise an alarm bell to all those who dream about not only a corruption-free society but more importantly exploitation-free society and who are striving for a fundamental restructuring of socio-economic and political system to address the problems of abject poverty, hunger, chronic malnutrition, catastrophic environmental degradation etc., corruption being one of them and certainly not the most important one. Enthused by the swelling support of youths in the major urban centers of India and abroad and the international headline which he is attracting, Anna triumphantly proclaimed on the sixth day of his fast from the huge stage at Ramlila ground with a Gandhi's portrait at the background that India has witnessed a revolution and described it as superior to all other revolutions in the world because it was a bloodless revolution. The supporters cheered and applauded him as they believed that India had indeed witnessed a revolution.

Ironically a large chunk of supporters this movement consists of urban middle class who work in the corporate sector and who have been the real beneficiaries of the policies of privatisation, liberalization and globalization which has actually led to such a mindboggling corruption which they are ostensibly opposing. For obvious reasons, their anger is not directed against the increasing privatisation of all the resources of the country which is leading to unprecedented social inequality and accumulation of wealth in the fewer hands and increasing the marginalization, dispossession and displacement of the tribals, small peasants, landless labourers and unorganized sector workers who constitute the overwhelming majority of Indian population. This is not the first 'revolution' that this class is celebrating; they and their ancestors celebrated the 'green revolution', the 'while revolution', 'IT revolution', 'Telecom revolution' etc. which benefitted them even while deteriorating the conditions majority of Indians.  But this is for the first time this class has got the opportunity to hit the streets in the full media glare without the risk of facing bullets and lathis to prove that they also care about social issues and they also can bring about a revolution in the society. So all those who were till yesterday producing fake travel bills , tweaking their electricity meter, producing fake receipts to evade taxes and doing cash payment to real estate agents have suddenly found a new pilgrimage to purify them and to unleash their jingoistic energy. Anna movement has provided them a new spot in a long list of such old and modern pilgrim centres - Vaishno Devi, Shirdi, Tirupati, Sabrimala,  Art of Living, Patanjali Yogpeeth being the most prominent among them.  It is not surprising that because of the crazy media hype, this movement is swelling its support base and now all kinds of fascist, communal and casteist groups are converging at this new pilgrimage centre, the most interesting of such groups being Krantikari Manuwadi Morcha Party which claims to bring back the 'merit based' Manuwadi system in India.

While no one can deny the right of the supporters of this movement to take part in this purification drive, they have no authority to dilute the idea of revolution which has evolved in the collective conscience of mankind as an outcome of the supreme sacrifices of the countless people all over the world. While ridiculously calling this movement as the 'second freedom struggle'  when they chant 'Vande Matram', 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Inquilab Zindabad' in the same breath, do they have any idea as to what Shahid-e-Azam Bhagat Singh and his comrades of HSRA(Hindustan Socialist Revolutionary Association)  meant by 'Inquilab' when they popularized this slogan during the struggle for independence!
This is what Bhagat Singh's idea of revolution was, which he enunciated in the session court in the Bomb case:

By "Revolution" we mean that the present order of things, which is based on manifest injustice, must change. Producers or labourers in spite of being the most necessary element of society are robbed by their exploiters of the fruits of their labour and deprived of their elementary rights. The peasant who grows corn for all, starves with his family, the weaver who supplies the world market with textile fabrics, has not enough to cover his own and his children's bodies, masons, smiths and carpenters who raise magnificent palaces, live like pariahs in the slums. The capitalists and exploiters, the parasites of society, squander millions on their whims. These terrible inequalities and forced disparity of chances are bound to lead to chaos. This state of affairs cannot last long, and it is obvious, that the present order of society in merry-making is on the brink of a volcano.
The whole edifice of this civilization, if not saved in time, shall crumble. A radical change, therefore, is necessary and it is the duty of those who realize it to reorganize society on the socialistic basis. Unless this thing is done and the exploitation of man by man and of nations by nations is brought to an end, sufferings and carnage with which humanity is threatened today cannot be prevented. All talk of ending war and ushering in an era of universal peace is undisguised hypocrisy.
By "Revolution", we mean the ultimate establishment of an order of society which may not be threatened by such breakdown, and in which the sovereignty of the proletariat should be recognized and a world federation should redeem humanity from the bondage of capitalism and misery of imperial wars.
This is our ideal, and with this ideology as our inspiration, we have given a fair and loud enough warning.
If, however, it goes unheeded and the present system of Government continues to be an impediment in the way of the natural forces that are swelling up, a grim struggle will ensure involving the overthrow of all obstacles, and the establishment of the dictatorship of the proletariat to pave the way for the consummation of the ideal of revolution. Revolution is an inalienable right of mankind. Freedom is an imperishable birth right of all. Labour is the real sustainer of society. The sovereignty of the ultimate destiny of the workers.
For these ideals, and for this faith, we shall welcome any suffering to which we may be condemned. At the altar of this revolution we have brought our youth as an incense, for no sacrifice is too great for so magnificent a cause. We are content, we await the advent of Revolution.
"Long Live Revolution."

If the enthusiastic supporters of this movement have any respect to the slogan of 'Inquilab Zindabad' and to the supreme sacrifice of the martyrs they must either tread on the path suggested by the revolutionaries or must stop using their slogans in such a casual manner. Ironically most of these supporters often take the side of the ruling classes when it comes to the issues like workers' rights, tribal displacement and dispossession and government's war against them, the struggle of the people of peripheral nationalities in their fight for the rights of self determination, the people's struggle against draconian laws like AFSPA, Sedition Act, UAPA etc.  Most of them are apathetic to the sufferings of the 77 percent of the population which is living  on Rs 20 a day at a time of skyrocketing inflation as they believe that poverty, inequality are natural and destiny driven.  They are supporting this movement because they feel that if a Lokpal comes into existence, it would eradicate corruption and some black spots of their "shining India" would be removed and India would become a "super power".  Many intellectuals are criticizing Kiran Bedi's scream at Ramlila maidan that 'India is Anna and Anna is India'. But in my view she was right as she was referring to this "shining India". It is another thing that the majority of Indians who produce the food and commodities to feed and sustain this "shining India" continue to toil hard in the farms and factories, unaffected and unbothered by the Anna wave which seems to have swept the nation.