Reference Auto

Moreover, with the government not having given any commitment to include his demands, it may wait for the euphoria of the “peoples’ movement” to die down before it goes back to its cavalier mode again.

In order to influence decision making, Anna Hazare has to be a part of governance and will have to join the political system to cleanse it.

So, what is the way forward for him? The logical conclusion would be for Anna to form a political party with like-minded (or corrupt-free) people and contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Even though Anna Hazare has clinched nation-wide support for the second innings of his movement, it would be hard to say whether he will come out with a thumping majority if he and his representatives contest the forthcoming central elections in 2014.

But it can at least be said that Anna, as a politician, could mop up adequate numbers to influence decision making in Parliament. That would be the legal way forward for him and not through his current movement.

Moreover, with age catching up, Anna Hazare may not be able to wade his way to a corrupt-free India all by himself and will have to look at a second rung leadership, which can sustain Anna’s journey to a corrupt-free India.

But without Anna being a part of the political process, we will see the fire lit by him douse soon as any government knows that if it tries to weed out the roots of corruption, it would see itself uprooted.

The government had to be literally pushed to the wall to yield to Anna’s demand and will seize every opportunity to rollback this decision, and if Anna does not become a part of the Parliamentary system, he will be fighting a losing battle, giving the government elbow room to brand the stir as illegitimate and appeal to the courts to stop the inexorable protests such as the current one.

If the government has its way, it surely will try to stonewall every move to tackle corruption. Therefore, Anna Hazare must fight a legitimate battle by forming a party, going to the polls and entering Parliament.

It can then pursue the issue of curbing (and eliminating) corruption, which will surely be a long-drawn process.

Therefore, if Anna Hazare joins politics and battles corruption, it will leave Parliament shaken, not stirred.