Anna Party And Anna
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Anna Party and Anna

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See interview of Ashok  Kothare

Recent announcement by Anna, that he most probably will launch a political party; and enter regular politics to achieve what he and his people could not do by hunger movement. This decision automatically leads us to read what exactly we should expect from this new development. Things are not as easy as they may appear at the outset. This I say because to be in active politics and to remain outside active politics and make demands are two very different activities. This is because to be in active politics means to be within the limits of constitutional democratic sphere and to be outside active politics means to remain in the realm of natural democratic sphere. These two things are so very different that for one thing, we should appreciate that it is not possible at the same time.

 

I do not know whether persons concerned are aware of it or not; but the way they behave, it looks that they are not aware of this. Of course, they will learn it as they enter in the activity. For us, as intelligent citizen, to understand the actual difference is important because; in time to come we are going to react to what will be happening with Anna movement. As we already know that natural democracy in which Anna is presently working has characteristics similar to nature. What are they? There are three basic characteristics, nature has no limits, and nature has no responsibility and so no answerability. Natural democracy also has these three characteristics. As against this, constitutional democracy has opposite characteristics means it has limits, responsibilities and answerability. This difference in their characteristics makes a very big behavioral variation. That clearly means the one who wants to be in the limits of constitutional democracy cannot indulge in the luxury of natural democracy (N democracy)  of having no responsibility and so no answerability. As natural democracy has these freedoms, people in that can demand what they feel comfortable to them but on the other hand people in constitutional democracy (C democracy) having answerability have to think of all those limits before committing on those demands favorable. The factor of answerability is important in the sense, answerability to who? To people, who voted them or to financiers, who financed the political party? This makes a big difference in the working of that party.

 

To make this easier, we shall see what are those limits and responsibilities and answerability and all this to whom. This, "whom" makes a big problem for most political parties, most of the time responsibility and answerability could be not same for all political parties. Again in this, other factors come up for view. This decides priorities in responsibilities and answerability. Here again they are not same for all political parties. Whereas, for natural democracy it shall prefer to hold answerability and responsibility, if any, for people of the country; political parties have other commitments to elements other than people of the country or voters.

 

To elaborate on this we shall try to understand how political parties function. Here again three elements are important, public support, workers at various levels to carry on the working of the party and finance to run the party. Nothing works on only public support. In most cases, the factor “finance” becomes the most important factor in the progression of a political party. Many worthy demands neglected by most parties only to appease the financiers of the party. When Anna shall begin his party, he will also need finance and there his people will have to compromise on many issues only to keep the finance. As they do it, Anna’s party will come on par with other political parties as the demands of financiers are such that corruption will become essential. Many party leaders have admitted that they began with great hopes to serve the people but as the financiers come in the picture, every thing they had planned, they had to drop to appease the financiers. Often an alternative of public contribution fund projected, but that alternative does not materialize as public finance is very meager, a political party cannot run on that money.

 

M.K.Gandhi had worked out a via media to resolve this difficulty and in that, he wanted to remain outside the Congress party to control it while the congress workers run the party to serve the people. That way a proper combination of N democracy and C democracy he expected to work. Unfortunately, before anything can work some body killed him and that experiment was lost. Other example I see of Shiv Sena launched by Bal Thakaray. He wanted to remain outside of the party and monitor it but due to his greed for money and power, he lost his balance and entered his party as the leader of the party. That means, to my mind there is no example for Anna to emulate. If Anna can do this combination of N democracy and C democracy to achieve the end, it will be a great accomplishment.

 

Some days back Sharad Joshi a farmer's leader told in a talk on TV channel that only about 15% voters vote by proper selection but as against that about 35% are voting for money they get. This creates an imbalance and many good candidates loose their election. If Anna thinks that, his movement is good and expects votes on that point the 15% votes he will definitely get but the other 35 % vote will wipe out the effects of that good voting and again wrong candidate will win. This is the power of professional political parties. If what Joshi says believed, we will see that only by being good is not enough in India, party must be able to purchase those voters. Will Anna be able to do that? Sharad Joshi further said that, not all, good voters care to vote, they discuss problems, participate in rallies and even may attend meetings but at the time of voting, they fail to come in numbers and that is the tragedy of Indian democracy.

 

All said and done, now we shall see how Anna plays his cards. I wish him success; he needs good wishes and after that, support by voting to his people. More study into Anna's mind needed to understand him.

 

You may contact me on my Email ID given below,

ashokkothare@gmail.com

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