When I wrote my previous editorial, “Anna, my Prime Minister,” many people pounced on me accusing me of writing it a bit too soon and getting carried away. It is true that I had written that piece on the second day of Anna’s fast. But to us, Anna was not a new phenomenon. Twelve years ago, the IIPM 0Th ink Tank had initiated visits to Anna’s villages and had undertaken a study. For us, he has been a great icon since then and before too. And therefore, when he decided to come to Delhi, I instantly knew we needed to be behind him. Dr Kiran Bedi, whom I personally respect very much, had already come to our institute during the Bharatiya Manavata Vikas Puraskar ceremony – where she had also received an award for her longstanding commitment to changing India – and had given a passionate speech to support the cause. Arvind Kejriwal, to whom not just me but the entire nation also should be thankful (for fi ghting selfl essly for the RTI Act) was also there with Anna; and so was Swami Agnivesh – a swami with a very balanced outlook to social causes. Th at’s a group that, for the fi rst time in my life, I could feel proud of. And yes, these are the people I want our country to be led by. Th at is why even in this issue, instead of doing a story in our magazine, we decided to do a special supplement on this great movement initiated by this great man Anna Hazare – for the fi rst time ever in our magazine’s four and a half year history.
So, if the question is whether I still stand by my initial proclamation, the answer is yes; I do stand by it – and more so aft er meeting the man himself in person. India is the country of people who barely live around the globally defi ned standard of poverty line of 2 dollars a day. And Anna is one their true representatives. India is a land where the common man has not been allowed to get great education. And Anna is one of them, and yet someone whose life education is worth many Ph.Ds. India lives in its villages and so does Anna. India still has a heart of gold and so does this man. When we suggested to him that we wished to institute the Anna Hazare rural leadership fellowship, he had such wonderful thoughts on the same and explained why we needed leaders in rural India more than w did in urban India if we really wanted to change the nation as a whole. Th e man, his selfl essness, his down-toearth ways, his simple yet honest and powerful thoughts... everything made me personally respect him far more than I had imagined.
Sitting next to him in the most unassuming and simple manner was Arvind Kejriwal – another inspiration and solid example of selfl essness, the man who had given an entire nation hope through the RTI Act and made the government much more responsible in many ways. And every word he spoke added to the belief with which I went to them –the belief that we needed to bring them to mainstream politics. Although they both vehemently disagreed on coming to mainstream vote-politics, I was more than convinced that these are the leaders we needed; because if we can’t respect our current leaders, then the current ones are of no good. Anna and his people, on the contrary, are those that every Indian can easily respect.
I just want to say that it is time that we don’t breathe easy just with this one small win that Anna and his group of committed Indians have achieved. I was happy to know that even they don’t plan to leave it here.Up on their agenda are judicial and electoral reforms – two subjects extremely close to our hearts at the IIPM Th ink Tank and Planman Media. Anna and his people plan to bring forth each of these issues and continue their struggle till things change. I wonder why they are ready to be called unelected people’s representatives, when they can win with votes and do much more than they can do now by staying out of politics. Politics is not the last resort of scoundrels. It’s the fi rst resort of every committed soul. Th ey need to show us the way.
So, if the question is whether I still stand by my initial proclamation, the answer is yes; I do stand by it – and more so aft er meeting the man himself in person. India is the country of people who barely live around the globally defi ned standard of poverty line of 2 dollars a day. And Anna is one their true representatives. India is a land where the common man has not been allowed to get great education. And Anna is one of them, and yet someone whose life education is worth many Ph.Ds. India lives in its villages and so does Anna. India still has a heart of gold and so does this man. When we suggested to him that we wished to institute the Anna Hazare rural leadership fellowship, he had such wonderful thoughts on the same and explained why we needed leaders in rural India more than w did in urban India if we really wanted to change the nation as a whole. Th e man, his selfl essness, his down-toearth ways, his simple yet honest and powerful thoughts... everything made me personally respect him far more than I had imagined.
Sitting next to him in the most unassuming and simple manner was Arvind Kejriwal – another inspiration and solid example of selfl essness, the man who had given an entire nation hope through the RTI Act and made the government much more responsible in many ways. And every word he spoke added to the belief with which I went to them –the belief that we needed to bring them to mainstream politics. Although they both vehemently disagreed on coming to mainstream vote-politics, I was more than convinced that these are the leaders we needed; because if we can’t respect our current leaders, then the current ones are of no good. Anna and his people, on the contrary, are those that every Indian can easily respect.
I just want to say that it is time that we don’t breathe easy just with this one small win that Anna and his group of committed Indians have achieved. I was happy to know that even they don’t plan to leave it here.Up on their agenda are judicial and electoral reforms – two subjects extremely close to our hearts at the IIPM Th ink Tank and Planman Media. Anna and his people plan to bring forth each of these issues and continue their struggle till things change. I wonder why they are ready to be called unelected people’s representatives, when they can win with votes and do much more than they can do now by staying out of politics. Politics is not the last resort of scoundrels. It’s the fi rst resort of every committed soul. Th ey need to show us the way.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
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IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Best B School India
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age WomanIIPM's Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
IIPM Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri on Internet Hooliganism
Arindam Chaudhuri: We need Hazare's leadership
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
