Funny that my last post and all the headlines in India this past week have been about India's World Cup cricket champions, when it's been rightly pointed out here that Indian cricket is an absolute hotbed of corruption and ugly nationalism. Nor was the victory, according to Manu Joseph, writing in the International Herald Tribune, a moment that united India.
So for an antidote to corruption and skin deep national pride, look no further than this diminutive man, Anna Hazare, an Indian war veteran who's begun a fast unto the death this week. He's campaigning, along with India's other brave, committed patriots to get Parliament to pass a bill to establish an anti-corruption ombudsman who will have the legal power to pursue corrupt public officials.
That's rather like suggesting to a pack of wild, rabid dogs that they elect a reputable dog catcher.
Mr. Hazare seems to have captured the nation's imagination, with thousands massing at the spot in central Delhi where he's holding his fast and tens of thousands signing up to support his campaign online, in scenes reminiscent of recent protests across the Middle East. One of Bollywood's most powerful and popular stars, Amir Khan, has even suggested that Indians ought to extend more support to Anna Hazare than they did to their victorious cricketers.
The Indian government looks nervous, but has offered nothing substantial to Mr. Hazare's supporters except limp offers of talks and suggestions that he is an opposition stooge.
And irony of ironies -- one of India's ministers who is accused of massive corruption himself and had been appointed to a ministerial ANTI-corruption body resigned today. Sharad Pawar, a former head of the Indian cricket board as well as the International Cricket Council quit voluntarily.
So are we to understand that the honourable minister agrees with his chief critic that corrupt ministers really shouldn't be allowed to police themselves? Mr. Pawar has, so far, not seen fit to comment.
he is the great person i just like anna so much
Posted by: hardly | 18 August 2011 at 01:18 PM