NEW DELHI: His clarion call made thousands take to the national Capital's streets, defying the inclement weather for the past few days, but Anna Hazare's eulogies on the worldwide web are anything but unchallenged.
A miniscule section of netizens is voicing opinions against the movement on grounds ranging from subversion of democratic institutions to plain blackmail. There are others, who are sceptical about the overwhelming notion that Jan Lokpal is the panacea for India's all corruption ills.
"The way Anna Hazare is going about fighting corruption seems like blackmail. He is arm-twisting the government and instigating the masses. I don't think it's a rational, practical and realistic solution to combat corruption. The issue should be portrayed as a mass movement, involving one and all. This is in no way a movement to make the government accountable," says Rashmi Athavale, a 28-year-old dentist, in a discussion on the Team Anna's movement on a popular website.
On social networking sites that are otherwise buzzing with pro-Anna posts, there are some "voices of reason", though their following is limited. A community called "India against Corruption BUT NOT WITH ANNA" on a popular social networking site has very few takers. The profile reads: "While Anna Hazare's fast - the first time around - even though unethical, had far more supporters because it got some sort of a movement on the bill. However, after having walked out of the Joint Drafting Committee, "Team Anna" is now using a purest form of Blackmail to force the Government into falling in line."
It criticizes Anna's policy as "my way or highway" while lambasting the UPA-II for its failure to deal with corruption. In what would be music to the ears of the ruling combine, it says the Gandhian had left no option for the government but to arrest him.
A microblogging website too has many voices bordering on the "sacrilege" of opposing Anna. "This cannot be George Bush like either you are with us/ or you are corrupt fight. Anna Hazare is NOT my hero. You got a problem with that?" asks Rajesh Lalwani. But posts lend credence to the theory that HRD minister Kapil Sibal and the government have been the biggest recruiters for the Anna movement.
"This is not about Anna Hazare now, its something called 'I disagree with you, but I shall defend your right to disagree with me to my death' " writes Scorpius Maximus.
On a blogging site, a writer, who claims he is a government servant and has never taken any bribe in his career, emphatically states that he is not interested in Anna because he does not believe in the anti-graft crusader's top-down approach to tackle corruption.
Talking rare common sense in the middle of the Anna mania, he writes: "Many argue that they pay bribe because they have to pay. If they do not have the guts to stop paying bribe, they should not speak of stopping corruption or any revolution. The crowds at the Azad Maidan in Mumbai staged a "Jail Bharo" agitation...Why the unity displayed by them at the venue is lacking, where schools charge exorbitant donations, when babus expect illegal gratification, where public services give unsatisfactory services? A traffic police constable is seen taking bribe in broad daylight, but onlookers do not have the guts to stop him. They fear of getting beaten or abused. Even the one who pays bribe does not mind, as he gets away easily by breaking the law."
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