1) April 2nd – India win the world cup… All the papers mention it as if it’s the greatest thing to ever happen to India.. Big Moment, definitely. But does this have to be the greatest moment for India of this decade? Debatable. One man, sitting in his modest village of Ralegan Siddhi had a bigger picture in mind. “28 yrs ke baad phir se World Cup to jeete?? Aage kya? How about people come to know about something that was to happen in 1968, still hasn’t. Emotions are charged, strike when the iron is hot. Jan Lokpal Bill, we’re coming to revive you!” Stand Up, Anna Hazare!!
2) April 3rd-4th: Anna Hazare, meticulous man that he is, does some research on the bill. Realizes that old India knew new India would me pretty messed up in the future considering all our politicians are old, uneducated, orthodox buffoons,& the new folk are too "cool" to get into politics. He had to get their attention. As well as educate them. But how??
3) April 5th – Hunger Strike Mofos!! Anna knew that the last thing a politician/party wants on their hands is a death of a freedom fighter, ultimate Bad PR you see. They’ve done it before, promising them land & money after their death, Making “smarans” and “udyans” which ultimately end up being drug peddling stations. But this is the first time it would be without any middlemen to blame. Anna begins; pass the Lokpal, or else!!
4) April 6th: What started off as one man demanding his right, becomes a crusade.. Nothing picks up unless endorsed by a celebrity. Step up Baba Ramdev; that winking, half naked sadhu man with an epic beard. Suddenly it’s a mass movement. Step up Facebook ; everyone knows about it now. Youth play their part too, well, some of them did. The rest just changed their FB display pics to Anna Hazare’s photo & updated their status every 5 mins. (India has a lot of growing up to do if we need more Anna’s in the future)
5) April 8th: India’s most powerful man, Mr. Sharad Pawar realizes there’s nothing he can do, as always. There’s nothing he could possible ban without agitating the public further. Besides, the IPL was to start, he’s not letting go of his cash cow. So what does he do? Resigns from the drafting committee.
6) April 9th : Pawar, though not a part of the committee anymore somehow convinces the ruling party to accept Anna’s demands due to the falling TRP’s of the first day of IPL. Congress accepts(This version at the time made more sense than the Congress actually caring for Anna's well-being). Anna breaks his fast, drinks Nimbu Pani, not without a warning though : “you have until 15th August to get this approved, or else!!!” (Note to self, “or else”, greatest threat ever). People celebrate this mini victory & go back home.
7) April 10th to May 29th : IPL, so no one really gave two hoots about the progress of the Lokpal bill, no random FB status even, shocker. Mumbai Indians fail again, Dhoni wins Again. IPL ends. Now what, oh yeah. Congress, what about the Lokpal Bill y’all??
8) May 30th : Congress wishes the IPL was longer, so that ppl would truly forget, alas, didn’t happen.. the draft committee meets, nothing happens..
9) May 31st : Pranab Mukherjee, Leader of the draft committee makes up a makeshift bill. As always, pretty shitty. Nothing along the lines of those initially thought of. No PM, no senior MP’s n no acts of higher judiciary were under the purview. Wait, wasn’t that the most important of all?? It’s like giving a box of chocolates to you & saying, those extra tasty ones with little nuts in them, those are for someone else, don’t eat those!!
10) June 4th-5th : Ramdev wants a heads up over Anna this time, Fasts at Ramlila Maidan, Delhi, in an AC tent. Fail. Has to run around later in womans clothes, arrested. Leave the important work to the pros next time Baba. Good try though.
11) June 6th : Anna steps up. He’s agitated about his good friend’s treatment by the Delhi police for a just cause. Goes Hulk Green, sends a letter to Pranab Mukherjee stating reasons for their absence at the meeting and also asked government to make its stand public on the contentious issues related to the proposed draft legislation. They also decided that the future meetings will be attended only if they were telecast live. In short, Anna to Ruling Party – Two can play this game bitches!
12) June 8th - at Rajghat, describing his movement as the second freedom struggle, Anna criticised the Government for trying to discredit the joint Lokpal Bill drafting committee and threatened to go on indefinite fast again from 16 August 2011 if the Lokpal Bill is not passed by then. (keep reading, not his last “or else”) He also criticised the Government for putting hurdles in the drafting of a strong Lokpal Bill and its attempts to malign the civil society members of the joint Lokpal panel
13) June 9th to 27th July : India Play West Indies in a series India was bound to win, so as always, Politics took a back seat (You still disagree when I say Mr. Pawar is India’s most powerful man?, he made it seem like that series made sense!)As the series victory comes closer, congress realizes it’s almost August, that old strong man might not shut up for long, we need to do something.
14) July 28th : The union cabinet on approved a draft of the Lokpal Bill, which keeps the Prime Minister, judiciary and lower bureaucracy out of the ambit of the proposed corruption ombudsman Lokpal. Hazare rejected the government version by describing it as “cruel joke’’ and wrote a letter (yup, no stone throwing yet, still Gandhian you see) to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and told him his decision to go on an indefinite fast from 16 August 2011 at Jantar Mantar if the government introduced its own version of the bill in Parliament without taking suggestions from civil society members.
15) July 29th to August 14th : Congress puts their finger in their ears shouting “la la la la la, I can’t hear you. la la la la la.. U can’t do anything to us.. la la la la la”. All the while buying new shiny white kurtas for the 64th Independence day anniversary.
16) August 15th : India turns 64. Senior Citizen, who has yet to grow up!! Same corruption, same lethargy, same “you do na, why should I bother, I’m busy”. Anna Hazare has enough, he’s seen enough. 16th August, We war!
17) August 16th : Anna begins his fast unto death. He declares it to be epic. We believe him. Unfortunately the Delhi Police & our Ministers don’t. Give a national movement limited entry of only 5,000 people for protest. Are you kidding me?? He goes ahead with anyway, there’s no backing down now. Delhi Police panics, what does it do? Arrests Anna. Oooh, Bad move!
18) August 17th : Flames lit, Tihar Jail gheraoed to get out our arrested “voice” . Azad Maidan in Mumbai packed like sardines. Most outstanding aspect of it however is that in spite of the public, n what our country is famous for, no riots, it’s all peaceful. Gandhi will be proud. Now not just the police, the ruling party too is petrified. Our Prime Ministers barely audible voice shuts down further. There’s a revolution coming, & trust me, everyone feels it!!
19) August 18th- ??: Not just one city, not just the country, we’ve even had our NRI’s all over the world going to their respective Indian consulates demanding answers. Make no mistake, this IS a revolution. Ever been one of those who wondered when our country would stand up?? Ever been one of those who saw those larger than life images of Tahrir Square wondering when it would be our turn?? Well, all you folk now have stories to tell your grandkids. We stood up, now it’s time to move ahead. Hopefully this time we make it count, & don’t go back to the routine. Fingers crossed. Oh btw, Ruling party of this amazingly diversified Republic of India. Checkmate.
2) April 3rd-4th: Anna Hazare, meticulous man that he is, does some research on the bill. Realizes that old India knew new India would me pretty messed up in the future considering all our politicians are old, uneducated, orthodox buffoons,& the new folk are too "cool" to get into politics. He had to get their attention. As well as educate them. But how??
3) April 5th – Hunger Strike Mofos!! Anna knew that the last thing a politician/party wants on their hands is a death of a freedom fighter, ultimate Bad PR you see. They’ve done it before, promising them land & money after their death, Making “smarans” and “udyans” which ultimately end up being drug peddling stations. But this is the first time it would be without any middlemen to blame. Anna begins; pass the Lokpal, or else!!
4) April 6th: What started off as one man demanding his right, becomes a crusade.. Nothing picks up unless endorsed by a celebrity. Step up Baba Ramdev; that winking, half naked sadhu man with an epic beard. Suddenly it’s a mass movement. Step up Facebook ; everyone knows about it now. Youth play their part too, well, some of them did. The rest just changed their FB display pics to Anna Hazare’s photo & updated their status every 5 mins. (India has a lot of growing up to do if we need more Anna’s in the future)
5) April 8th: India’s most powerful man, Mr. Sharad Pawar realizes there’s nothing he can do, as always. There’s nothing he could possible ban without agitating the public further. Besides, the IPL was to start, he’s not letting go of his cash cow. So what does he do? Resigns from the drafting committee.
6) April 9th : Pawar, though not a part of the committee anymore somehow convinces the ruling party to accept Anna’s demands due to the falling TRP’s of the first day of IPL. Congress accepts(This version at the time made more sense than the Congress actually caring for Anna's well-being). Anna breaks his fast, drinks Nimbu Pani, not without a warning though : “you have until 15th August to get this approved, or else!!!” (Note to self, “or else”, greatest threat ever). People celebrate this mini victory & go back home.
7) April 10th to May 29th : IPL, so no one really gave two hoots about the progress of the Lokpal bill, no random FB status even, shocker. Mumbai Indians fail again, Dhoni wins Again. IPL ends. Now what, oh yeah. Congress, what about the Lokpal Bill y’all??
8) May 30th : Congress wishes the IPL was longer, so that ppl would truly forget, alas, didn’t happen.. the draft committee meets, nothing happens..
9) May 31st : Pranab Mukherjee, Leader of the draft committee makes up a makeshift bill. As always, pretty shitty. Nothing along the lines of those initially thought of. No PM, no senior MP’s n no acts of higher judiciary were under the purview. Wait, wasn’t that the most important of all?? It’s like giving a box of chocolates to you & saying, those extra tasty ones with little nuts in them, those are for someone else, don’t eat those!!
10) June 4th-5th : Ramdev wants a heads up over Anna this time, Fasts at Ramlila Maidan, Delhi, in an AC tent. Fail. Has to run around later in womans clothes, arrested. Leave the important work to the pros next time Baba. Good try though.
11) June 6th : Anna steps up. He’s agitated about his good friend’s treatment by the Delhi police for a just cause. Goes Hulk Green, sends a letter to Pranab Mukherjee stating reasons for their absence at the meeting and also asked government to make its stand public on the contentious issues related to the proposed draft legislation. They also decided that the future meetings will be attended only if they were telecast live. In short, Anna to Ruling Party – Two can play this game bitches!
12) June 8th - at Rajghat, describing his movement as the second freedom struggle, Anna criticised the Government for trying to discredit the joint Lokpal Bill drafting committee and threatened to go on indefinite fast again from 16 August 2011 if the Lokpal Bill is not passed by then. (keep reading, not his last “or else”) He also criticised the Government for putting hurdles in the drafting of a strong Lokpal Bill and its attempts to malign the civil society members of the joint Lokpal panel
13) June 9th to 27th July : India Play West Indies in a series India was bound to win, so as always, Politics took a back seat (You still disagree when I say Mr. Pawar is India’s most powerful man?, he made it seem like that series made sense!)As the series victory comes closer, congress realizes it’s almost August, that old strong man might not shut up for long, we need to do something.
14) July 28th : The union cabinet on approved a draft of the Lokpal Bill, which keeps the Prime Minister, judiciary and lower bureaucracy out of the ambit of the proposed corruption ombudsman Lokpal. Hazare rejected the government version by describing it as “cruel joke’’ and wrote a letter (yup, no stone throwing yet, still Gandhian you see) to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and told him his decision to go on an indefinite fast from 16 August 2011 at Jantar Mantar if the government introduced its own version of the bill in Parliament without taking suggestions from civil society members.
15) July 29th to August 14th : Congress puts their finger in their ears shouting “la la la la la, I can’t hear you. la la la la la.. U can’t do anything to us.. la la la la la”. All the while buying new shiny white kurtas for the 64th Independence day anniversary.
16) August 15th : India turns 64. Senior Citizen, who has yet to grow up!! Same corruption, same lethargy, same “you do na, why should I bother, I’m busy”. Anna Hazare has enough, he’s seen enough. 16th August, We war!
17) August 16th : Anna begins his fast unto death. He declares it to be epic. We believe him. Unfortunately the Delhi Police & our Ministers don’t. Give a national movement limited entry of only 5,000 people for protest. Are you kidding me?? He goes ahead with anyway, there’s no backing down now. Delhi Police panics, what does it do? Arrests Anna. Oooh, Bad move!
18) August 17th : Flames lit, Tihar Jail gheraoed to get out our arrested “voice” . Azad Maidan in Mumbai packed like sardines. Most outstanding aspect of it however is that in spite of the public, n what our country is famous for, no riots, it’s all peaceful. Gandhi will be proud. Now not just the police, the ruling party too is petrified. Our Prime Ministers barely audible voice shuts down further. There’s a revolution coming, & trust me, everyone feels it!!
19) August 18th- ??: Not just one city, not just the country, we’ve even had our NRI’s all over the world going to their respective Indian consulates demanding answers. Make no mistake, this IS a revolution. Ever been one of those who wondered when our country would stand up?? Ever been one of those who saw those larger than life images of Tahrir Square wondering when it would be our turn?? Well, all you folk now have stories to tell your grandkids. We stood up, now it’s time to move ahead. Hopefully this time we make it count, & don’t go back to the routine. Fingers crossed. Oh btw, Ruling party of this amazingly diversified Republic of India. Checkmate.
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