Baba Ramdev's Fast Necessary?

When clock will strike 8 on 04.06.2011, Baba Ramdev will start his fight against corruption by going on Hunger Strike. The date has an uncanny history. It was the day when Japan bombed Midway Island after Pearl Harbor, which prompted USA to join WW2. When I heard the news first, I remembered the devastation, a single act caused to the world. Had it not been the bombing of Pearl harbor and Midway Island, USA would not have joined the war and most probably, Atom Bombs would not have been discovered. I know there are lot of ifs and buts, still it might have been possible. USA retaliated in the way natural to human being. I pictured Government as USA and Civic Society as Japan (Please don't go in to the literal similarity. The causes are entirely different) and a fear groped me. The fear of retaliation from government.

I know my fear and comparison is a bit far fetched. But lets analyze my statement in the context of what Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev are trying to get, an anti-corruption bill and methodologies adopted by them. Anna Hazare went on indefinite hunger strike in April to force government to create "Jan Lokpal Bill". The movement garnered massive support from all part of country and members of civil society. I was one of the person who observed a day's fast in support of Anna Hazare. A series of scams and inflation acted as a fuel and gave sufficient reason for the people of this country to get up and take notice. The pressure was huge and finally government buckled under it. A panel was created to draft the Lokpal bill and to be presented in the Monsoon session of parliament. The final date for creation of draft lokpal bill was decided as 30 June 2011. Please note the deadline. Anna ended his fast and warned goverment that if the deadline is not meet, he will return back.

Now, the date is 04 June. The deadline is still good 26 days away. Then I am wondering why Baba Ramdev is going on fast now? Why is he not waiting for the deadline? Would it not be judicious to wait till 30 and decide the course of action after that? Frankly speaking, these questions do raise a concern in my mind. The concern that whether Baba is really worried about the corruption and black money or he is trying to gain political milieu out of this. And the answer that comes to me is very disturbing. What if this action of going on fast is taken as blackmail to government? Bapu who discovered the weapon of Satyagrah has himself cautioned against the excessive use of it. And we are doing exactly opposite to what he defined in the code of Satyagrah. Bapu was supporter of action with caution approach. If we take a look into our independence struggle, every major movement had a follow up period of political lull. This is the reason, I fear the retaliation. Government has already been pushed to corner during Anna's strike and are mulling over the options they have. Single chance from civil society and they can retaliate like a wounded snake. I know we are in democracy, but remember 1976.

As for me, Government should be given proper time to think and decide. The demand of hanging the corrupt is outrageous and cannot be implemented. We need a proper Lokpal bill and support the civil society members of the Panel. We need to support the government so that it can also understand it's responsibility and hope the draft committee do a wonderful job of creating a strong Lokpal. By diverting attention using these fasts are uncalled for at present, and can be utilized by government watchdogs against the civil society members itself. A rift can be very dangerous at the  point. As a result, I am forced to say, I do not support Baba Ramdev's fast. The motive is pure, the timing is not.

Keeping my fingers crossed for a strong Lokpal..