Escape Route!

Lokpal Bill
Anna Hazare's fast falls on the 6th day today.Anna looks quite steady and cheerful. Effect of fast seems not to have yet touched Anna.Many others who're fasting with him have fallen ill and are suffering from dehydration.Anna is physically no superman but his extraordinary determination and power of will keeps him going.Nevertheless with days rolling on fast would take its toll and the septuagenarian might fall ill.Though initially the Gandhian leader was on indefinite fast but later he's declared he is on fast unto death.His fast would continue till his Jan Lokpal Bill is accepted by the govt.However, govt is yet to bend perhaps waiting for Anna to fall ill so that he could be removed to hospital.It is thought absence of Anna would dampen the spirit of the crowd who'll gradually thin out.But by all indications it's not going to happen and rather the opposite might happen with more people pouring in the capital to see Anna at hospital.Then it would be a trying time for Delhi administration to control the crowd which could turn violent.It's the electrifying presence of Anna that has restrained the crowd and no untoward incident has not so far taken place despite the presence of unprecedented mobilization of people.

What's unfortunate is the mood of the govt is one of confrontation and it's unwilling to open dialogue with Anna team though the latter has offered to sort out the matter through negotiation.Govt is rather unwilling to pay any special weightage to Anna as it argues Lokpal Bill as approved by the cabinet is now its property.It seeks people's opinion on the Bill by giving ad of the bill in print media and has decided to discuss the Bill only in the Standing Committee.What now govt tries to bring home to all is that there's no practically any difference between Anna and ordinary people of the country.They weigh equally the opinion of the civil society and that of common men.However, govt at heart knows it's consciously ignoring the ground realities and is at the receiving end in view of of the overwhelming support Anna is receiving from all sections of people.Now govt in fact tries to bail out of the present situation honourably and is groping for an escape route.Now the best option for the govt is to get the Lokpal Bill modified by the Standing Committee in the light of Anna's suggestions and passed in parliament.Hopefully, political parties wouldn't object to the provisions of the Bill in parliament considering the popular mood of the country.